The Easter Parade

Kathrine T 5 22/10/2023

Head over heels in LOVE with this book! The writing is simple, to the point, and even though you know you can’t completely trust the interpretations of the characters, who frequently seem strangely out of touch with what goes on around them and to make poor choices over and over again, you end up feeling sympathy for them nevertheless. Emily, from whose perspective the story is told, is always saying “I see” even when she doesn’t and even though she’s painfully aware of the fact that she often really doesn’t see/understand a whole lot. This shortcoming disables her ability to connect and make sense of events… in the same way most of us, if we’re completely honest, are only able to understand our lives in the clear light of hindsight.   What she does seem to notice to a great extent, however, is a great number of seemingly irrelevant details that are described in the most “delicious” way one could possible imagine. Do read! It might also be fun to read it alongside Édouard Louis’ description in A Woman’s Transformation of his attempt to shed his working class background by entering or perhaps due to his initiation into academia and the feelings of shame and conflict that ensue.