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What I Was A Novel Meg Rosoff Books

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What I Was A Novel Meg Rosoff Books

It's hard not to think of John Knowles's classic A Separate Peace, or even more, L. P. Hartley's The Go-Between , while reading this book. That's fine. Melancholy reminiscences about coming of age during some golden or transitional period of English history are a specialty of English writers, (or as in Rosoff's case - adopted English writers), and there are many fine examples.

This book falls gently into that category, but it is both more predictable and yet more idiosyncratic than you might expect. As required, the pace is sedate; the tone is chilly. Our hero/narrator is self-centered in an age appropriate manner, (both as a youth and as an old man), and his powers of observation are both probing and yet myopic. He sees and relates much more than he understands. He is adrift, both metaphorically and, toward the end of the book, literally.

Here's the thing. This is, on one level, a book with a plot, characters and a story. But not a lot of effort has been put into that. On another level it is a book of ideas. Some of those ideas are shallow and out of place - global warming? - and some are very interesting - the fluidity of sexual identity, the nature of sexual yearning, friendship, love, and so on. In fact, many of the ideas are just sparked off with a line or two before the writer and reader move on. Finally, this is a book of metaphors, of indirection, and of suggested possibilities. Lots of things happen during the course of this fairly brief work, and some of it feels very realistic and some of it is dreamy, hyperbolic, and intentionally vague.

This can be maddening, rewarding, entertaining or annoying depending on the reader's mood and inclinations. I liked it mostly because it was playful and just a bit ironic, and not too impressed with itself. I liked it because it was interesting and because the author tried to do something new with old cloth. What more can you ask for?


Tags : Amazon.com: What I Was: A Novel (9780670018444): Meg Rosoff: Books,Meg Rosoff,What I Was: A Novel,Viking Adult,0670018449,Social Themes - General (see also headings under Family),Boarding schools;Fiction.,Coming of age;Fiction.,Friendship;Fiction.,AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY FICTION,American Contemporary Fiction - Individual Authors +,Boarding schools,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12),Coming of age,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction Literary,Fiction-Literary,Friendship,GENERAL,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Grades 10-12 Ages 15+,Literary,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes General (see also headings under Family)

What I Was A Novel Meg Rosoff Books Reviews

Anyone who has ever experienced a longing to escape their life, to escape society, to change their life into something free and wild, will find something wonderful in this book. Rosoff has captured that sense of longing so realiztically it felt like she had read my mind.
When H discovers Finn living in an abandoned, sinking fishing village, he becomes obsessed. Maybe with the boy, maybe with his life, maybe with his freedom, his comfort in his own skin, in who he is, and his complete lack of need to become part of society. What does H decide to do when Finn shows very little interest in befriending him? He stalks him. He follows Finn everywhere, and eventually, like the cat that Finn lives with, Finn allows this boy into his life without ever giving any sign of needing or wanting him around. That's enough for H, who is so desperate to escape his life that just the fact that Finn doesn't send him away when he sneaks away from his boarding school to visit, that he is happy with that. Eventually Finn does develop a bit of a friendship with the boy, until by the end Finn is showing H how to crab, navigate a kayak, etc, al the while laughing at H's attempts which are not anything close to the natural skills Finn has.
H adores Finn. Finn is everything H is not. H is impressed by Finn's abilities, knowledge, freedom, and is also very taken with Finn's beauty, even as we wonder what this says about H - is H falling in love with this boy?
I read this book quickly as I could not put it down. I was saddened by the fact that after reading the ending I know I cannot read it again with the same wonderment I read it with the first time. Not because the ending is awful, but only because the ending changes everything you have just read and you can't go back to that wonderful fantasy. But this book moved me and maybe someday when I have forgotten the ending (as if that would happen), I will again be able to enter H's world and empathize with his longing, his confusion, his adoration and desire to be not only with this boy but to BE this boy Finn.
I am 44 years old. This is not only a book for young adults.
It's hard not to think of John Knowles's classic A Separate Peace, or even more, L. P. Hartley's The Go-Between , while reading this book. That's fine. Melancholy reminiscences about coming of age during some golden or transitional period of English history are a specialty of English writers, (or as in Rosoff's case - adopted English writers), and there are many fine examples.

This book falls gently into that category, but it is both more predictable and yet more idiosyncratic than you might expect. As required, the pace is sedate; the tone is chilly. Our hero/narrator is self-centered in an age appropriate manner, (both as a youth and as an old man), and his powers of observation are both probing and yet myopic. He sees and relates much more than he understands. He is adrift, both metaphorically and, toward the end of the book, literally.

Here's the thing. This is, on one level, a book with a plot, characters and a story. But not a lot of effort has been put into that. On another level it is a book of ideas. Some of those ideas are shallow and out of place - global warming? - and some are very interesting - the fluidity of sexual identity, the nature of sexual yearning, friendship, love, and so on. In fact, many of the ideas are just sparked off with a line or two before the writer and reader move on. Finally, this is a book of metaphors, of indirection, and of suggested possibilities. Lots of things happen during the course of this fairly brief work, and some of it feels very realistic and some of it is dreamy, hyperbolic, and intentionally vague.

This can be maddening, rewarding, entertaining or annoying depending on the reader's mood and inclinations. I liked it mostly because it was playful and just a bit ironic, and not too impressed with itself. I liked it because it was interesting and because the author tried to do something new with old cloth. What more can you ask for?