jeffreylei

I read this book because I LOVED The Secret Life of Bees by the same author. The Mermaid Chair wasn't nearly as good as Bees, but I was expecting that going in, so it was just a nice book to read... especially when I was back in the south visiting family on the coast! Some other reviews I read described being very upset at the main character for having an extra-marital affair. Of course, I don't condone this, but it happens A LOT, especially in marriages where one partner feels unfulfilled emotionally or spiritually. Some of the other reviews describe the affair as unneccessary to the story, but I think an affair is just one of many symptoms of deeper emotional problems, and it's a much easier thing to illustrate in a novel than just a middle-aged woman going on and on with an internal conversation about her life! Anyway, my mother made the good point that you can read the affair as a metaphor for whatever it is she is searching for... adventure, another life, independence, a clean slate, a new experience... That was helpful for me. Overall, I keep coming up with the word "nice". Not earth-shatteringly beautiful, not boring... just a nice book.

2022-11-14 13:35