The New York Times on Tuesday, March 15 ran an article on a new, beautifully writen novel that is creating a big stir. In The Tiger's Wife, young Tia Obreht, originally from Bulgaria, wrote about war in an un-specified Balkan country, interweaving it with folk tales about a tiger and a mysterious character called the Deathless Man. I was very taken by this quote from her, "The other evening I gave a reading, and someone came up to me afterwards and said, ' The Deathless Man is my favorite character!' My immediate reaction was, how do you know about the Deathless Man? When you're writing, you're working on this private world that becomes more and more real to you, but it's still your own. And then to discover that other people can access it--in a way that really shocks me."
What resonates with me is how this relates to writing memoir. In Breaking Through the Spiral Ceiling, I've told the events of my entering the world of science, come what may, and making a life for myself balancing family and career, still allowing me to uncover the secrets of aging. But those intimate events and details are shocking to me on the lips of those who read my book and want to ask, "Did Lyle ever write again after that awful challenge of his essay in fifth grade?" or "Do you often think about your student Jo who committed suicide?" I feel like my own mind has just been x-rayed. But of course, I said to myself that I was ready for this when I decided to write the memoir. When the questions come, I still feel shocked, just like Tia Obreht.
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7 comments:
Yes, a lot of people won't write memoir for this reason. How interesting that even novelists feel an invasion of their private world. I find that poetic justice.
MKS
I love this novel. It is so rich with detail, both of the Balkan countryside and people and the mythic landscape of the stories told by the grandfather. Definitely deserves all the hype, unlike some of the books that end up on the front page of the NYT book review!
Caroline M
I think it's very satisfying to read a novel with such vivid disparate elements that is blended in such a skillful way. Kudos to Obrecht! Ruby N.
Dear Mel and Caroline,
Definitely a worthwhile read. I love thinking that fiction writers own a world, rather the say way memoir writers do, except all in their own heads.
cheers,
Laura
Oh, dear, I did not spell Tea Obreht's first name correctly. Jumped right from the excitement of reading the article about the book to the blog, but needed to fact check first. Apologies! Laura
As I mentioned earlier, the disclosure of intimate details in a memoir is something that I, too (as a very private person) struggle with. Every time I hesitate to tell the truth, I think of James Brown's writing, which evokes a virtual "Pffft, this is nothing," and I keep typing.
Today, now that my press of homework for the MFA program is done, I got to reread The Tiger's Wife. I loved the book again, just like I did the first time. The poignant treatment of the deaf mute woman who might or might not have been "the tiger's wife," the delicacy of the treatment of the relationship between the narrator and her grandfather, with whom she had read Kipling at the zoo near the tiger's enclosure before the war, such creative and wonderful ambiguity. I will be thinking about this book for years. Thank you, Tea Obreht!
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