Title: Writers and Lovers by Lily King
Book Beginnings quote:
Summary: Casey Peabody is determined to live the artistic life, the life she has mapped out for herself. But writing a novel and making ends meet do not seem to be simpatico and she is barely getting by. Add to this the sudden, unexpected death of a beloved mother and a bad breakup after a love affair and Casey's resolve and mental health are slipping. She lives in a tiny, moldy apartment attached to a garage and walks the owners dog for a reduction in the rent (page one quote.) She waits tables for her income at a popular restaurant in Harvard Square where she seems to be in a perpetual fight with the management (page 56 quote.) Nothing is going right. Then Casey meets and falls in love with two men at the same time. Both of them are writers and understand the creative life. But now what should she do? She knows she has to choose but choices are not always easy and they certainly have consequences.
Review: Last Fall my book group was putting out feelers trying to locate some new book selections. This book peculated to the top of someone's list because the writing was so strong. Ultimately we didn't choose Writers and Lovers but I went ahead and listened to the audiobook version while working on a jigsaw puzzle, trying to ignore the ugly politics that were demanding so much of my attention and energy. In a lot of ways I felt like Casey. I wasn't living my best life because of circumstances beyond my control. Apparently I never finished writing the review of the book after completing it in October. That was another problem for me in 2020---putting all the pieces together, like those of my puzzles, wasn't easy. So here I am reviewing a book I finished three months ago, feeling a bit disjointed and scattered.
I did end up liking the book mostly because of the strong writing. I think the 'book beginnings' quote from the first page gives you a good example. "Admire me. Admire me. Admire judge and courthouse and seven sharp." I've met people like that, heck, I've been a person like that trying to make people admire me for something I am doing.
Here are a few others quotes that I find compelling. This one is about raw grief:
“When I was visiting her a few years ago she hugged me and said, ‘Tomorrow after you leave I will stand here at this window and remember that yesterday you were right here with me.’ And now she’s dead and I have that feeling all the time, no matter where I stand.”
And this. I love it when my husband and I share an audiobook and talk about it, the book and shared experience, even years later.
“It’s a particular kind of pleasure, of intimacy, loving a book with someone.”
Needless to say, I think you should consider reading this book, too.
Source: Audiobook checked out from the public library
-Anne
