Book 3 of the semester and I feel like it’s starting to get good. I found Proust and Breton to be overly complex, needing a lot of rereading and reflection, however, The Shrouded Woman by Maria Bombal was an enthralling narrative, filled with beautiful imagery, oozing emotion. I found myself lost between the lines from the very first paragraph, a unique experience for me which I hope to find myself in again. All 3 books remain connected in their use of reality, its reflection.
The author’s style of narration, mixed with their beautifully ornate imagery, serves to create an extremely subversive world, it’s extremely easy to find yourself fitting into the protagonist’s shoes, feeling the emotion she would have felt. For me, that is the biggest strength of this book. The evocative nature of the narration creates a beautifully complex, yet simple study of tragedy and suffering, while immersing the reader in a world of whimsy and raw emotion. Furthermore, this is coupled with a secondary reflective style of narration, where we see Ana Maria reflecting on her tragedies and soaking in the emotion, and this is an important technique that the author continues to use throughout the book to show us a sense of beauty in death due to its reflection of life. Moreover, it also adds a layer of pain and difficulty for the reader, as it is reflective of Ana Maria being aware of her enduring suffering.
One of the most interesting aspects of this book was the sheer misfortune of her life and the incessant nature of these struggles, and how this is still, but, a rendition of the adversities faced by women, especially at the time. This is another recurring theme throughout the story, and a rather strong one, where Ana Maria, and the other women, are depicted as weaker than and unequal to their male counterparts, be it her father or the other men in her life. Moreover, this callousness from men is further represented through her explanation of how men prioritize themselves and their work, leaving little room left for the women in their lives. Additionally, it cannot be understated the pivotal nature of her lack of control in all her relationship.
In conclusion, The Shrouded Woman is a beautiful tale of love and loss and a extremely poignant reflection of the inequalities faced by women both in love and in life and the impact of this. Overall, I found the plot to be a fun and unique take on these themes and plot points. Also, I found the authors’ narration of the protagonist going through the motions of emotion to be extremely moving.
Question: The author’s understanding of the female perspective is clear here, but what of the male perspective? I found it that the author had some extremely profound bits of reflection on the male psyche and its place in this scenario. Would you agree?
Now that you mention it, I think it was a good idea to start the term by reading Proust and Breton. Maybe that’s why Bombal seemed more readable and moving… in reality, it’s not a simple novel despite being so short! I tend to place it between prose and poetry, would you agree?
I fully agree with you saying this book is filled with beautiful imagery and detailed descriptions of emotions characters feel. I think it gives the complete contradiction with disastrous reality, and maximise the tragic life story of Ana Maria.