The Romantic

I just finished reading Barbara Gowdy's novel The Romantic. Its a wonderful book centred around the two main characters of Louise Kirk and Abel Richter. Not to give away too much of the story, but they both meet as children when the Richters move in beside her family and they both form this love for each other that carries into adulthood. Its a complicated love they have for each other, with one of them (Louise) seeming to love more than the other. Thats all I will say about the novel, you will have to read for yourselfs.

This book has taken a journey with me. I bought it well over a year ago and started reading it but could not get into it. I then left the book sitting on my desk for quite a period of time before picking it back up and reading it. It made me think that perhaps we are meant to read things to reflect where we are in our own lives. I found myself relating to the character of Louise and understanding this love that could not be returned in the way she needed. I felt for her. I suppose this is what good literature does, it makes us examine ourselves. I am glad I stuck with this book.

Hope I have peeked your curiosity...and now I am off to read something entirely different, William Sampson's book Confessions of an Innocent Man: Torture and Survival in a Saudi Prison.