monday.

[sunfright]

The first couple of times I read A Woman Appeared to Me, the character that stood out to me the most was San Giovanni who I have RP'ed and still love endlessly. However, as I'm working my way through the novel this time, a character that I've never noticed before is taking center stage for me. Ione, the narrator's childhood love. She is so tenderly described and her storyline so remarkably sad that I can't imagine why I haven't paid more attention to her before. Maybe it's been too subtle for me.

Anyway, there is this thing that the narrator says to her that I feel like quoting:

Don't think any more, my too pensive friend. Please stop thinking, I implore you in the name of our long-ago affection. Love someone, something. Love is much less dangerous than thought. I know some obsession is tormenting you. The inexplicable mystery of the world, of life, haunts you perpetually.

Not only does it point very poignantly back to San Giovanni's monologue on friendship versus love, but the way she speaks to a woman who is no doubt a contemplative, maybe even depressive soul, locked in her mind, far away from the world, it's extremely beautiful to me. I feel very seen and very addressed. Lovingly.

Also, it's extremely interesting to me how the debate over Sappho is approached in this work, so long ago, but the same arguments and iconic ideas are brought forth. It shows how the translation and understanding of Sappho has, not only, always been a LGBT+ matter, but a feminist one, too. The right to own the story of one of the greatest writers in history and let it show how we may understand ourselves to this day. So important.

I can only read a little bit at a time, because I'm still not well, but this book lends itself well to that, fortunately. So it's more a question of pacing myself and allowing myself to take it slow. Usually I would devour such a book in half a day. Can't do that right now.

I am also taking it slow to really bask in the language. I hope to be able to mimic some of Vivien's style in the story I'm planning to write. So far, I have an outline, spread out over nine prompts, seeing as the answer came back positive. I can write a chaptered fic, if it's associated with the same claim. It should show the development of the relationship between the two girls and also, the way one of them steps into a mythological world of angels in the process. A world of pure faith.

Really hoping I can pull something like this off...