Photo de l'auteur

Helen Weinzweig (1915–2010)

Auteur de Basic Black with Pearls

4+ oeuvres 152 utilisateurs 7 critiques

A propos de l'auteur

Crédit image: PGC News

Œuvres de Helen Weinzweig

Basic Black with Pearls (1981) 138 exemplaires
Passing ceremony (1973) 9 exemplaires
A View from the Roof (1989) 4 exemplaires
Abito nero con perle (2018) 1 exemplaire

Oeuvres associées

The Oxford Book of Canadian Short Stories in English (1986) — Contributeur — 111 exemplaires
The Oxford Book of Stories by Canadian Women in English (1999) — Auteur, quelques éditions29 exemplaires

Étiqueté

Partage des connaissances

Date de naissance
1915
Date de décès
2010
Sexe
female
Nationalité
Canada

Membres

Critiques

This is undoubtedly the strangest piece I’ve read in some time. It is esoteric and surreal, a story told in fragments, vignettes. There is a wedding, and people—guests, families, bride and groom—seem happy, but preoccupied. There is something going on behind the scenes, or between the lines, and whatever it is is hinted at through many different perspectives. There are a number of things, in fact, but each of the pieces seems in some way to be related to the whole. I’m pretty sure I was not reading perceptively enough to pick up in all the nuances, and this slim volume slipped by so quickly, I’m sure I missed some things. But I got enough I think, enough to think about.… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
karenchase | Jun 14, 2023 |
Escaping into Another World

Helen Weinzweig’s novel blends stream of conscious, absurdism, and existentialism into a disconcerting look at a women escaping into another world created by herself in her own mind. She’s escaping a marriage that by all appearances suffers from what many marriages do, boredom, and the repression of one’s own identity in fulfillment of a role.

The novel opens with Shirley in the guise of her alter ego Lola Montez (an actual person who lived in the 19th century as a courtesan and adventurer) reminiscing about spending time in the tropics with her lover. He goes by the name of Coenraad, of Dutch descent, who works as an international spy for an organization called the Agency. When he summons Shirley/Lola, she leaves her home in Toronto, her husband and children, and goes where he directs her. He passes the location of their trysts in codes in the National Geographic. This time he has called her to Toronto, not only her current home, but also the hometown in which she grew up after her mother brought her to Canada. Mysteriously, he hasn’t left a National Geographic for her, but instead a study on elm tree disease that coincides with a botanist convention at the hotel she checks into. She spends the rest of the novel wandering the streets of Toronto searching for the Elm Street where she expects to meet him. Readers learn quickly that Coenraad doesn’t exist, at least not in the real world, and later that she has experienced this type of disassociation from reality before, even had been hospitalized for it.

Her search in the days before the start of the weekend takes her to the various places, shops, factories, offices, and the like, as well as residences, that made up her life as a child and young woman. She also recounts many of her encounters with Coenraad, where they met, how they made love, and snippets of their conversations, though Coenraad proved to be on the taciturn side. In the hotel, after much wandering, she talks up the botanists and she and one, Andy, begin an affair. And this might just be reality. For after she meets Andy, she returns home to her husband Zbigniew. There she meets and talks with Francesca. Francesca has assumed her role as companion to Zbigniew and caregiver to her children. She tells her husband’s history and dwells on his love of his horse and the quiet time he enjoys in the family room, alone, perusing the newspapers on Sundays, which provides a window into how she views their relationship. Francesca and she discuss Zbigniew, concluding that among other things he is an honorable man. Francesca is happy to care for him, as she needs no more than the security he provides. Readers will understand that Shirley and Francesca are the same person. And it’s during this visit that Shirley comes to a realization about herself, about seeking her own fulfillment and joy. As a symbol of this, she leaves her black dress and pearls behind, choosing to wear a colorful dress suitable for the emerging Springtime, as she departs for Andy’s apartment.

In many ways, the novel probably reflects Weinzweig’s own life, especially the idea of subordinating her own life to that of another’s. She did not begin writing until into her fifties. She was married to John Weinzweig, a renowned Canadian composer, and as his wife supported his career and him while raising their two sons. For more about her, read her obit in The Globe and Mail.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
write-review | 5 autres critiques | Nov 4, 2021 |
Escaping into Another World

Helen Weinzweig’s novel blends stream of conscious, absurdism, and existentialism into a disconcerting look at a women escaping into another world created by herself in her own mind. She’s escaping a marriage that by all appearances suffers from what many marriages do, boredom, and the repression of one’s own identity in fulfillment of a role.

The novel opens with Shirley in the guise of her alter ego Lola Montez (an actual person who lived in the 19th century as a courtesan and adventurer) reminiscing about spending time in the tropics with her lover. He goes by the name of Coenraad, of Dutch descent, who works as an international spy for an organization called the Agency. When he summons Shirley/Lola, she leaves her home in Toronto, her husband and children, and goes where he directs her. He passes the location of their trysts in codes in the National Geographic. This time he has called her to Toronto, not only her current home, but also the hometown in which she grew up after her mother brought her to Canada. Mysteriously, he hasn’t left a National Geographic for her, but instead a study on elm tree disease that coincides with a botanist convention at the hotel she checks into. She spends the rest of the novel wandering the streets of Toronto searching for the Elm Street where she expects to meet him. Readers learn quickly that Coenraad doesn’t exist, at least not in the real world, and later that she has experienced this type of disassociation from reality before, even had been hospitalized for it.

Her search in the days before the start of the weekend takes her to the various places, shops, factories, offices, and the like, as well as residences, that made up her life as a child and young woman. She also recounts many of her encounters with Coenraad, where they met, how they made love, and snippets of their conversations, though Coenraad proved to be on the taciturn side. In the hotel, after much wandering, she talks up the botanists and she and one, Andy, begin an affair. And this might just be reality. For after she meets Andy, she returns home to her husband Zbigniew. There she meets and talks with Francesca. Francesca has assumed her role as companion to Zbigniew and caregiver to her children. She tells her husband’s history and dwells on his love of his horse and the quiet time he enjoys in the family room, alone, perusing the newspapers on Sundays, which provides a window into how she views their relationship. Francesca and she discuss Zbigniew, concluding that among other things he is an honorable man. Francesca is happy to care for him, as she needs no more than the security he provides. Readers will understand that Shirley and Francesca are the same person. And it’s during this visit that Shirley comes to a realization about herself, about seeking her own fulfillment and joy. As a symbol of this, she leaves her black dress and pearls behind, choosing to wear a colorful dress suitable for the emerging Springtime, as she departs for Andy’s apartment.

In many ways, the novel probably reflects Weinzweig’s own life, especially the idea of subordinating her own life to that of another’s. She did not begin writing until into her fifties. She was married to John Weinzweig, a renowned Canadian composer, and as his wife supported his career and him while raising their two sons. For more about her, read her obit in The Globe and Mail.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
write-review | 5 autres critiques | Nov 4, 2021 |
Well, I did read this. I didn't have much of a reaction to it--not even enough to write a real review. Wrong book at wrong time, or perhaps I am just struggling in general with reading right now. I don't seem to have a lot of focus. In any event, this book did not speak to me, I'm sorry to say.
½
 
Signalé
sturlington | 5 autres critiques | Jan 14, 2021 |

Listes

Prix et récompenses

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi

Auteurs associés

Statistiques

Œuvres
4
Aussi par
2
Membres
152
Popularité
#137,198
Évaluation
½ 3.6
Critiques
7
ISBN
14
Langues
2

Tableaux et graphiques