Reading Marion Zimmer Bradley is like reading a drug. I honestly don't know if this is praise or criticism, but its the only way I can think to describe what it's like to get lost in her world. This is added to by her style of writing, which can only be described as "mystical". She's not good, she's not bad - I didn't like it, I didn't dislike it - I was only in awe of her. Standing in awe of her work seems to be the only thing a person can do.
I think I know one reason why this book was so strange to me. Bradley's style is very vague, pretty much the whole way through. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, for her words were poetical and . . . well, mystical in their own way. Also, I think there's a certain virtue in vagueness because it allows the reader to fill in the gaps with their own imagination, but this needs to be balanced out with moments of detail, which this book wasn't. There were times when I didn't understand what was happening. Having read the whole story, there are a few things I didn't understand the purpose for or why the characters thought it was necessary, but apparently, they did. More than that, Bradley's worlds are so entirely unique, that there's little to no familiar grounding when you first step into it. Entering her world is like floating around in space, never knowing which way is up or down, which way you're going, and there's nothing solid to hold onto to keep you anchored in this reality. It's a jarring experience all around.
And her style is just so strange if I haven't alluded to that enough. There were moments when it seemed almost amateurish to me, except for the content was entirely void of innocence and couldn't have been imagined by a timid amateur. She told the story that was there and she told it completely, from all sides, leaving the reader with a sense of . . . I'm not even sure what it is. Wonder? Awe? Hope? I don't know, but it leaves you feeling something that no other book can do.
Part of me felt like the falling action of the book was too long at first, but I was later glad for it. I think the readers need that time to heal alongside the characters because they'd been through so much tremendous heartbreak.
Reading this book was a strange experience. Good, bad, I don't know, but one of a kind for certain. At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read any of her books again, but I've had a day away from it now and I find myself feeling curious as to what other worlds this remarkable writer has in store, just waiting for me to greet them.
Feminism Redefined
