A beautiful, broadly modernist tale that explores the long-term relationships within families, the differences and drives of men and women, and the way art (and education) can influence a lifetime of work and what we ultimately place value on. I found myself attaching to the mother most of the story. Still, there is no doubt that the core family dynamics that permeate the central narrative are at the core of every family in some way or another – and in modern times, with modern incomes and expectations, there is no doubt that the difficulties faced in the summers in this are all the more prevalent and difficult to address.
The big thing that resonated with me, and with many people who read this piece, is how it is written overall. The meandering sentences are charged with a completely new and cutting-edge cadence and organization that propels us through the narrative’s years with a consciousness that would be difficult to replicate. Seemingly unimportant interactions become a little universe of emotionality as the characters navigate interpersonal spaces normally reserved for our internal monologues and memories. These, in some parts as simple as finding a place to write, open chasms between the characters fueled by social norms and gender roles.
A masterpiece that was written contemporaneously with the modernist masters shaping the 20th century’s most important broken rules, To The Lighthouse is a massive achievement and a wonder to behold.
PHOTO by Pavelappps, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Garrett Zecker 