The Life Before Her Eyes
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The Life Before Her Eyes
Narrated by:
Carrington Macduffie
Buy Now for $16.99
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Narrated by:
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Carrington Macduffie
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By:
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Laura Kasischke
About this listen
This novel takes us through Diana's uncertain steps into womanhood: her awkward, heated forays into sex; her fresh, fragile construction of an identity; and her equally tenuous steps as an adult. Kasischke has crafted a story of consciousness that encompasses the truth of a teenager's world and the profound transformation of that world at midlife. Resonant and deeply stirring, this novel finds piercing beauty in the midst of a nightmare that echoes like a dirge beneath each new spring.
©2002 Laura Kasischke (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.Critic Reviews
"Mesmerizing." (Chicago Tribune)
"Potent and poetic storytelling. Most magical." (Elle)
"Potent and poetic storytelling. Most magical." (Elle)
Listening to it as an audiobook also meant that the decadently poetic imagery often overshadowed the important plot points and made the overall story muddled and left me slightly confused at the end. I re-listened to the last chapters a few times and got my head around it, which made me feel a bit dumb considering the title should have been a dead giveaway!
I think I will revisit this story at some point with a physical copy to see how that impacts my experience.
Spoiler ahead.
I know that the sacrifice scene is literally pivotal to the plot, and is part of Diana's "imaginary life", but the notion that a teenage girl would tell a gunman to kill her closest confidante, her platonic soulmate, the person that knows her best in the world, is laughable to me. I almost didn't continue reading after Diana saying "don't kill me, kill her." because it's so unbelievable. I'm glad I continued to listen, but there are a million ways that specific section could have been stronger - Maureen could have insisted, or jumped in front of the bullet, anything! The fact that this is such a pivotal point makes it even more unfortunate that it is such a weak point in the book. The plot from here picks up and the twists and turns and Diana's slow loss of sanity make for an addictive read.
That said, while the poetic descriptions can be over done, some of the imagery is so incredibly worded - "The blond stuffs her hairbrush, which is now spun with gold and black silk (a miniature angel's nest) back into her backpack next to her anthology of English literature. The pages are so thin, they're like dead girls' dreams, translucent skin. On them it seems that everything that has ever been thought has been written." The description of the paper here is so utterly devastating and so perfect, the mimesis so tangible. This is just one example in a book filled with these moments.
Overall, a very interesting premise that is paced and explored well. I look forward to reading it in physical form, and will hopefully like it even more!
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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.