I wasn’t sure when I started reading this whether I was going to like it or not; but I was soon able to put all reservations to one side as I continued to read.
What a book.
There is so much contained in here but the crux of it deals with Eleanor known as Elle, and Jonas and their story. The Paper Palace is key as this is the place where Elle and Jonas first meet and where they continue to be friends for years to come.
The book is sort of linear: it moves from the present back into the past but the recollections are in order. We learn about Elle’s childhood and her parents’ marriage and what Heller does really well is show us lots of little vignettes from Elle’s memory, transporting us to an incident which shaped her in some way; whether that’s the relationship that she has with her mother or how she first meets Jonas or her first encounter with Peter, her husband. Heller takes us into the midst of it, Elle’s feelings, impressions, with such ease.
As I’ve mentioned, I thought that it was going to be a read that I wouldn’t enjoy. There are some quite confronting images of Wallace, Elle’s mother’s childhood which were uncomfortable to read but on reflection are there to give context to the person that Wallace is and her behaviour towards Elle and Anna, her sister. Heller is great at evoking character and does this, not only through what she tells us about the lives of the characters but also in the dialogue. The exchanges wrought by Heller between her creations is vivid and personality-filled so a real sense of who these people are is with you at all times. There is no woolliness here but clear character definition.
And what the book is, is essentially a love story. But it is more than that too as it is not your typical romance. There are the entrapments of life: the griefs; the wedges that get driven between people; the shame and hurt; the wanting to do the right thing; the not knowing if it is the right thing. It is complex and Heller shows this expertly, how being human is bloody hard sometimes and that putting oneself first to be true to yourself can cause an enormous amount of collateral damage.
Heart vs head as its most poignant.
Scuffed Granny 