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Contemporary Fiction Views: In which a poet envisions twin babies' first year [1]
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Date: 2022-10-04
What is it like to become aware, to start to understand that there are things to see, to hear, to feel, to know?
Those ideas are explored in Nobel Prize-winning Louise Glück's Marigold and Rose: A Fiction, which is due to be published today.
The Marigold and Rose in the title are twin baby girls. One is thoughtful and already shows she was born to be a writer. The other is beloved by all and draws people to her without even trying. They consider themselves half of a whole person, while always recognizing their differences. That they are different does not mean they are in conflict, and that is a lovely idea to see.
The slim volume begins with Marigold, the writer-in-residence, poring over an alphabet book of animals. It may seem like she is reading, at first, but Glück shows what the real situation is by revealing:
Of course she wasn't reading; neither of the twins could read; they were babies. But we have interior lives, Rose thought.
And oh how lively those interior lives are!
Besides the differences in themselves, they study Mother and Father in detail and love them for the different beings they are. And, just as they seem themselves as both a unit and as individuals, so they see their parents. It's a facile way of describing family dynamics that is more complex than first appearances seemingly reveal.
Marigold is a character who it would be fascinating to revisit throughout her life. Books are her great love, because she has already discovered one astounding truth about them:
Books did not judge you, Marigold thought, because they were full of animals. She knew from the dog animals did not judge you.
As someone who loves books because they don't let you down the way people can, and as a lifelong dog lover, oh how this resonates.
During the course of their first year, the babies discover and muse over the outdoors, incuding bunnies and flowers, Mother's feelings about a house compared to an apartment and going back to work, stairs and learning how to drink from a cup.
As throughout the work, the evening of their first birthday, when the party is over and night has fallen, is both descriptive and philosophical. Glück's poetical prowess shines in her writing and, because of the power of poetry, each word counts.
Note: This year’s Nobel Prize in Literature is scheduled to be announced on Thursday. As usual, I don’t think it will be Murakami’s year, although I do wish he would be recognized. I wouldn’t be surprised if Salman Rushdie was honored. Nor would I be surprised if the honoree is someone I’ve never read.
READERS & BOOK LOVERS SERIES SCHEDULE
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