The summer read: Finding Faith, Mystery, and Liberation Between the pages
By Julia Evans, World-Today-News.com
The rhythm of college life often leaves little room for the simple pleasure of reading.But summer offers a different tempo – a stretch of time where books aren’t assignments, but companions. This summer, I sought out books not through curated lists, but through serendipity, prioritizing beautiful prose, relatable stories, and explorations of the female experience. What I found were stories that lingered, prompting reflection on faith, loss, and the enduring mysteries of being human.
“the Möbius Book” – A Mirror to the Soul
catherine Lacy’s latest novel, “The Möbius Book,” proved to be the most resonant read of my summer. Fittingly, as a newly declared English and Religion double major, the book’s structure – a mirroring of memoir and fiction – immediately captivated me. both halves trace the journey of a woman writer navigating a painful breakup, grappling with questions of human connection, the therapeutic power of writing, love, sex, and ultimately, the search for and potential loss of faith.
But beyond its formal inventiveness, it was Lacy’s willingness to embrace the unknowable that truly struck a chord. In a world obsessed with answers, there’s a profound relief in encountering an author who acknowledges the “plain unsolvable mystery” of existence – “what the body is, what death is, what emotions are, how anything really works at all.” Lacy herself, in a recent Spotify interview, spoke of a long-held desire to explore faith, its certain loss, and the seeming impossibility of its return.
A particularly poignant moment in the novel features a conversation between the protagonist, Edie, and a dying dog during a semester abroad in Greece. Whether a literal event or a symbolic exchange, the scene challenges our understanding of life and death, hinting at reincarnation, the divine, and a fundamental unity between all living things. The dog’s stark pronouncement – “Men were created in order to destroy everything, and women were created so there would be one thing they couldn’t destroy” – is a hauntingly beautiful meditation on the enduring power of the feminine.
Kathmandu and the Allure of the Unknown
My summer reading journey extended beyond the familiar. A trip to Nepal in July lead me to the labyrinthine Nepal Book Depot in Kathmandu, a dimly lit haven overflowing with literary treasures. I emerged with four new additions to my collection, including Deborah Levy’s “August Blue.”
“August Blue” – A Journey into the Subconscious
“August Blue” is a dreamlike exploration of self-discovery. The novel follows Elsa, a renowned pianist who abruptly abandons a performance and embarks on a wandering journey across Europe, convinced she is being followed by a strange, mirrored version of herself. Levy masterfully creates a world where conventional rules are suspended, and characters radiate a compelling resonance. Elsa’s journey is a descent into the buried history of her own formation,a slow unveiling of familial relationships – both biological and chosen – akin to “seeing mist slowly disperse on a dewy morning.”
reading “August Blue” felt like being enveloped in a mood, a testament to Levy’s skill in crafting atmosphere and emotional depth.
These summer reads weren’t just escapes; they were invitations to contemplate the complexities of the human condition. They reminded me that sometimes, the most profound discoveries are found not in answers, but in the embrace of mystery.And as the summer draws to a close, I’m grateful for the time spent lost in these pages, and the lingering questions they’ve left behind.
Keywords: Summer Reading | book Review | Catherine Lacy | Deborah levy | Literature | Fiction | Memoir | Faith | Nepal | Books | Reading List | World-today-News.com
