It’s really quite amazing to me how much a novel can change from one chapter to the next. In the past two chapters everything feels different. The Characters Port and Kit are both different the change, while not startling is unexpected and therefore enjoyable.
So what’s happened? What’s changed? The Lyles and Tunner have left. The Lyles were frustrating people, mother and son, who seemed to show up and butt in everywhere Port and Kit traveled to in North Africa. Tunner, a friend of Port did the same. Thought I believe he began the trip with Port and Kit. However, as often happens with traveling companions constantly being together can test a relationship to the limits. The relationship between Port and Tunner has been left wanting. Kit is more than happen to see the back side of Tunner because of an incident that occurred on the train.
Port and Kit are no longer travelling with them and are alone. Something in Port made him repress himself while these people were around and now that they have left he is not only opening up to Kit, but to us the readers as well. It’s an interesting shift.
I get this image in my head of flowers blooming very slowly. In a way Port has been a solid tight bud, holding himself close and firm. Now that these other characters have left, he’s relaxed and that’s allowing him to open up.
Bowles style appears to me to allow the characters to open slowly. He presents parts of the story in tender little pieces that make the reader say “oh, that explains it”. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about Port and Kits relationship, but haven now been given a few little bits I am hopeful to find out more at the book progresses.
Yet, with each page the inevitable is getting closer and closer. I know from having read the horrid preface that something big is coming and I am full of thoughts “when is it going to happen already!” and “no not yet!” there’s so much that needs to be said, so much needs to happen.
Even though I know, what I don’t want to know, I think it will still be a shock when it happens. But I am angry that I don’t get to experience it from a place of innocence. One of my favourite books –EVER – is Atonement and one of the reasons why I love it is that I didn’t see the ending coming. It was a total surprise and shock to me. I had to actually stop reading, go back a few pages and read it again just to be sure what happened actually happened. That’s rare in books and so I hold precious books that accomplish it.
I won’t ever be able to know whether The Sheltering Sky would have done that for me or not because it’s been spoiled by the preface.
Sorry for continuing to rant about this. I am really getting into this book now and it’s not helping the mood, which is so unfortunate because that’s what I love about reading good books.
Back to reading...
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