Little miss didn't do right/Went and ruined all the true plans/ Such a shame, such a sin

Both Fools of Fortune and Waterland were quite good, and I liked them both quite a bit. They didn't get to me like my favorites do, but still, I'd recommend them. They are both interested in how we make sense of individual lives in the context of larger historical events and the sort of dialogical relationship between the two.

The first, Fools of Fortune, is quite beautiful, but also rather depressing. Ultimately, it's about the ways that said larger historical forces can sort of destroy lives, though it does so without denying individual agency. Thus, while the characters may see their lives shaped by forces outside of their control, really how they react is what matters and destroys. I sort of felt like I should have liked this one more than I did, actually, since its themes are fascinating. Ah, well; the title of my post is a reference to this book (which, ouch), in case you are playing along at home.

I was really looking forward to Waterland, since it's by Graham Swift and I adored The Light of Day so much. My expectations probably were too high. I didn't love it as much, but it is really very excellent. It's unconventionally told, which adds to its power. It is more explicitly about the forces of history.

Here is a favorite quote:

Children, be curious. Nothing is worse (I know it) than when curiosity stops. Nothing is more repressive than the repression of curiosity. Curiosity begets love. It weds us to the world. It's part of our perverse, madcap love for this impossible planet we inhabit. People die when curiosity goes. 

 These are books 389 and 390, if you care to know.