Lovebombed by Nadja
Hello again! For this blog I’m going blindly off of my instinctual interpretation and will watch the lecture after so that my rant is as pure to my thoughts as possible. (Because for some odd reason I felt strongly about this novel…)
In honesty, I thought that the book could have begun in the second part of the novel. However, if I were to reason out why it had not begun as such, it would be a way to convey the dullness in Breton’s life after Nadja’s absence and to reveal his perspective on the world: cynical and loathing. Breton hates the way people think in such a stagnant way that it’s no wonder he falls for Nadja. As romantic and pure Breton depicts her appearance in his life, I thought her manipulation was deliberate.
Nadja understood who she was and what she was capable of, and that’s why we see her describing herself as fleeting symbols, such as a siren or the mythological creature Melusina (female spirit of water). She even warns Breton of her prior experience with a man and how she knew nothing of him after years of knowing him, and left without a trace because she was “scared of impacting his life.” Within the choice of her own name, she emphasises the “beginning of hope” yet not the end of it. She is someone who enjoys starting something and discovering new things, but cannot finish them, whether that is out of choice or due to her inability to properly deal with an end.
She is meant to allure and create an impact. She is also aware of her beauty and its effects that it has on men, and she uses her appearance and body as a way to earn a living. From the second day they met, she already spoke of falling for him and fed his ego enough for him to think she thought of him as THE SUN. Nadja is a woman trying to survive, and does so by living in her own world… and what woman wouldn’t take advantage of a man when she needs it most and has it in the palm of her hand? Idk, would you do the same in her situation? On the other hand, do you think their ‘love’ was true? Also, wtf was his wife’s involvement?? Was this an open relationship???
While I can believe that Nadja might’ve held some hope for herself and her life, I felt that she was instead detached from her experiences and “reality”. She experiences the pain that comes to her, then disassociates from the feeling once the day passes (maybe as a coping mechanism?). Nadja is not a fixed point in time, and she knew from the beginning that she was impermanent.
God… there’s so much more I want to write, but I’ll hold back for the sake of Daniel and Julián 🙂
Thanks, Quizzy, for your post! Don’t worry, it’s a pleasure to read your thoughts 🙂 “Nadja is not a fixed point in time, and from the beginning she knew she was impermanent.” I think you’ve found an interesting theme in the novel: impermanence. As the famous saying goes, in this book it seems that “all that is solid melts into air.”
Hi Quizzy,
I love your theory on time and impermanence! I also agree with you that the first part was unnecessary, though I also understand its importance. Breton’s life seems to only really start once Nadja enters his life. I would love to hear more of your thoughts on the theory during the discussion on Monday or Wednesday!
Hi! I had very similar reactions to reading this. The beginning felt like it dragged on and on. I also was wondering about the wife and their relationship. I like your interpretation of Nadja, especially the part where you mention how she knew she was impermanent. Looking forward to discussion in class!
Hello Quizzy! This blog post was so insightful to other peoples perspective on Nadja – reading your interpretation of the book opened my eyes to some details that I overlooked. Your examples of Nadja’s manipulative behaviour opened my eyes on what a striking character she is – others read her as mentally ill or spontaneous (like myself in the beginning) but you have points that back up her more articulated side on how to fool with men to survive. Thanks opening my eyes!
I really liked your interpretation of Nadja as being more self-aware and intentional than she’s often presented. The way you connected her to symbols like the siren and Melusina made a lot of sense to me, especially the idea that she understands her own impermanence from the start. It made me think more critically about whether she’s only being used by Breton, or whether she’s also actively shaping the relationship as a way to survive.
Your point about the novel’s opening reflecting the dullness of Breton’s life without Nadja also helped me rethink the structure of the book. And I was asking the same questions about his wife and what that dynamic actually was.
Really interesting post, it definitely gave me a lot to think about.