There are some books which rely wholly on the plot; the prose just moves the plot along, and of course that’s fine, and it doesn’t mean the prose is bad. But sometime an author wields prose differently – in this case, our subject, whose name may or may to be Marguerite, is revealed by the style of prose as much as the facts that are revealed:
Maman ordered a Pleyel from Paris because one wishes to play the pianoforte on the instrument preferred by Chopin. She was unable to find a sufficiently distinguished instructor in Marrakech.
Or:
I was conscious of a slighter anxiety. It would not be possible for quite some time, perhaps years, to go to the Thai seamstress—I would inevitably be followed, and whether not this led to the apprehension of the fugitives it would certainly cause chagrins. Where was I to find a seamstress?
We therefore have an idea from page 1 of who Maman is, and who she has bred her daughter to be. Marguerite’s character is refined throughout the next 70 pages, but it remains true to this person we meet on page 1: contained, aristocratic, discerning, and wealthy in a way that feels almost preposterously outdated. Later, a publisher in New York, Bethany, enters the plot; her modern prose – unchecked, spontaneous, and always in pursuit of feelings – feels almost uncouth, sloppy by comparison.
This novella is a mere 70 pages – I read it over a lunch break – but what a story it is. Meaning is imbued in the style, the spaces, the dialogue. The writing is tight and careful, much like Maman and Marguerite; no character, and especially no dialogue, is superfluous. The twists (there are two, at least) are interesting and provocative; I keep thinking about the contrast of the publishing industry’s lust for a gauche tell-all against the self-discipline of a woman who chooses not to tell all. The publisher accuses her of not being in touch with her feelings, but who’s to say? There are many ways of being, after all, and many ways of feeling.
I don’t want to give too much away because it’s such a short and lovely read. I enjoyed this and if you, too, are looking for a way to meet your yearly goal, you should pick this up and read it on your lunch break.
