A daily prompt from WordPress. Without too much thinking, here they are.
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I read that book back in 2014 (?) and then bought it for two of my friends as gifts. Not sure about its impact on me, but I will never forget the very detailed descriptions of abuse against Jude. I remember as I was reading it, I could feel the cringes. I also remember I cried during descriptions of loss of a child.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I remember I read this long, multi-generational book during a difficult time in my life: when I was trying to find out why I wasn’t getting pregnant. January 2015. I had the book with me when I went for a hysterosalpingogram to see if my tubes were open (they were), and the radiology assistant commented what a great book I am holding.
Sophie’s Choice by William Styron. I read it when I was very, very young. Possibly 18-19 years old. The novel was read in a linguistics class at a university. I read it in English, and supplemented with a Russian translation. Years later I found out about the movie with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline. The part where a malnourished Sophie arrives to the United States and goes into delis and sort of teaches herself how to shop for food is the part I remember. My 18 year old self was wondering hmm, this is what it’s like to be living in a brand new country… Of course, the part where she has to make a terrible choice is just… I can’t.
Mom of Children 