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calarco 's review for:
The Lifted Veil
by George Eliot
Is it the veil of reality that is lifting, or the notion of civility the moment two people lift the wedding veil of marriage in Victorian England? Is it superpowers or is it insanity? Either way, George Eliot spins a fascinating, if short, tale exploring these topics with [b:The Lifted Veil|223222|The Lifted Veil|George Eliot|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320454631l/223222._SX50_.jpg|2366204].
Perhaps an unusual introduction to Eliot’s work, I am still very impressed with her use of prose to convey uncertainty, and this novella is chock full of uncertainty. This story follows Latimer, an individual with the uncanny ability to see into the future, as well as into the thoughts of other people. He becomes fixated with, and perhaps even falls in love with, a woman named Bertha. Having such a firm grasp of other’s psyches and intentions, Bertha’s aloofness and emotional distance becomes an inescapable draw for him. What Latimer can see though, is his doom, and Bertha is somehow involved.
The supernatural elements of clairvoyance are not really presented as the focus, so much as a vehicle for assessing what one may do with the knowledge of their inevitable demise. Destruction of a love, a marriage, and possibly even a life—here it is all presented as an inevitability. Yet the shear pull of desire’s force renders the narrator powerless to his intense and romantic fixation. While he cannot see everything, he can see that it will end horrifically. Yet the magnitude of the feeling overwhelms him.
“You have known the powerlessness of ideas before the might of impulse; and my visions, when once they had passed into memory, were mere ideas—pale shadows that beckoned in vain, while my hand was grasped by the living and the loved.”
Yet one must wonder, does Eliot imply that if the path to destruction is set in stone, you might as well enjoy it? Even if it hurts, even if it ruins, she seems to have a rather carpe diem approach to the allure of a femme fetal. “While the heart beats, bruise it—it is your only opportunity.” It is hard to discern if this is written in empathy for Latimer, or as a declarative statement for why people give into desire when all logic would be screaming otherwise.
What I think is important to keep in mind though, is that our protagonist is at heart an unreliable narrator; his own family believes him to be a bit mad. Does he truly have powers of clairvoyance, or is his condition making him think that his anxieties are in fact manifesting into reality? Could he be hearing voices, or is he just hearing a projection of his fears and insecurities? I guess the answer to these questions lie in whether or not you believe the powers to be real or not. I myself am on the fence with this one.
Though a bit short, this novella features some great prose, an interesting mystery, and for me was a solid introduction into George Eliot’s creativity as an author. I both recommend this book, and look forward to reading more of her stuff.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Perhaps an unusual introduction to Eliot’s work, I am still very impressed with her use of prose to convey uncertainty, and this novella is chock full of uncertainty. This story follows Latimer, an individual with the uncanny ability to see into the future, as well as into the thoughts of other people. He becomes fixated with, and perhaps even falls in love with, a woman named Bertha. Having such a firm grasp of other’s psyches and intentions, Bertha’s aloofness and emotional distance becomes an inescapable draw for him. What Latimer can see though, is his doom, and Bertha is somehow involved.
The supernatural elements of clairvoyance are not really presented as the focus, so much as a vehicle for assessing what one may do with the knowledge of their inevitable demise. Destruction of a love, a marriage, and possibly even a life—here it is all presented as an inevitability. Yet the shear pull of desire’s force renders the narrator powerless to his intense and romantic fixation. While he cannot see everything, he can see that it will end horrifically. Yet the magnitude of the feeling overwhelms him.
“You have known the powerlessness of ideas before the might of impulse; and my visions, when once they had passed into memory, were mere ideas—pale shadows that beckoned in vain, while my hand was grasped by the living and the loved.”
Yet one must wonder, does Eliot imply that if the path to destruction is set in stone, you might as well enjoy it? Even if it hurts, even if it ruins, she seems to have a rather carpe diem approach to the allure of a femme fetal. “While the heart beats, bruise it—it is your only opportunity.” It is hard to discern if this is written in empathy for Latimer, or as a declarative statement for why people give into desire when all logic would be screaming otherwise.
What I think is important to keep in mind though, is that our protagonist is at heart an unreliable narrator; his own family believes him to be a bit mad. Does he truly have powers of clairvoyance, or is his condition making him think that his anxieties are in fact manifesting into reality? Could he be hearing voices, or is he just hearing a projection of his fears and insecurities? I guess the answer to these questions lie in whether or not you believe the powers to be real or not. I myself am on the fence with this one.
Though a bit short, this novella features some great prose, an interesting mystery, and for me was a solid introduction into George Eliot’s creativity as an author. I both recommend this book, and look forward to reading more of her stuff.
Rating: 3.5 stars