Mary Nurullina Nurullina থেকে Pandi, Pandi, Cundinamarca, Colombia
This book felt like a punch to the gut. When I finished it, I felt as though I'd lost people who had very quickly become an important part of my life. I have never read anything that more accurately and intimately described the truth about relationships. I skimmed other reviews by readers, and noticed that a few people pointed out that the characters are somewhat unlikeable. This is a personal quirk of mine, but I have very rarely really liked characters, or even people I meet, that are genuinely likable. I think of few sins greater than being boring, and I find likable to be nearly synonymous with boring. I will agree that it can be difficult to relate to characters whose class is drastically different from your own, but I found that the wealth and status of the family, although significant to minor plot details (suburban ennui), had little affect on the actual relationship. I have read other novels by James Salter and I find his writing style to be, although at first awkward and fumbling, intensely beautiful and rich. This remains my favourite of all his works. Normally when I adore a book unabashedly, I am quick to recommend it to just about everyone I know, however this book I have carefully kept mostly to myself, and with careful consideration once lent to one close friend. I have only read it once, and it was years ago, but I still feel like recommending this to anyone I didn't trust entirely would be like accidentally spilling my heart to them. I really need to read this again, but like revisiting a lost love, I'm terrified I won't feel the same way, and part of me wants to keep my one reading sacred. I'm being really over-dramatic here. Anyway. FUCKIN' GOOD BOOK, YEAH.