Fascinating analysis of the story, and I'm glad you put your voice to it. I love how the author use the echo in the music he's listening to, along with the echo of his memories with her. Because when one ceases to exist, we only leave behind echoes or memories. And she herself says: "what it leaves behind." I believe she loved him since she treated him as an artist just like her, but he couldn't see it because he was focused on his own life. Sometimes we take people's presence for granted only to miss them more, when they're gone.
Always a joy to read your deeply insightful analyses,and as you mentioned reading this pieces several times - it was only that second reading which hit me with the remark about the photo which was "too formal, and made her look ill...." That early but unrecognized reveal of the length of time that she had been carrying her secret burden, was a gut punch to me. I suddenly, at that point, felt a rather inexplicable connection to, and fondness for, a fictitious character! The fact that she did not exist, somehow did not dampen a feeling of loss that I experienced, so that was a masterful touch in itself.
Hey Julian. It's amazing what we can find by rereading something. All these littles things add to the experience, whether the writer had that intention or otherwise.
Glad you enjoyed this one. It's good to speak about more current writers instead of the dead people I usually spend my time with!
Fascinating analysis of the story, and I'm glad you put your voice to it. I love how the author use the echo in the music he's listening to, along with the echo of his memories with her. Because when one ceases to exist, we only leave behind echoes or memories. And she herself says: "what it leaves behind." I believe she loved him since she treated him as an artist just like her, but he couldn't see it because he was focused on his own life. Sometimes we take people's presence for granted only to miss them more, when they're gone.
Oh, that is such a nice point about the echoes, and as you said, it works on so many levels! Such a nice spot.
Always a joy to read your deeply insightful analyses,and as you mentioned reading this pieces several times - it was only that second reading which hit me with the remark about the photo which was "too formal, and made her look ill...." That early but unrecognized reveal of the length of time that she had been carrying her secret burden, was a gut punch to me. I suddenly, at that point, felt a rather inexplicable connection to, and fondness for, a fictitious character! The fact that she did not exist, somehow did not dampen a feeling of loss that I experienced, so that was a masterful touch in itself.
Hey Julian. It's amazing what we can find by rereading something. All these littles things add to the experience, whether the writer had that intention or otherwise.
Glad you enjoyed this one. It's good to speak about more current writers instead of the dead people I usually spend my time with!