Splitting

by Fay Weldon

A sharp and funny portrait of divorce. Splitting captures the chaotic rhythms of a woman in crisis as it chronicles Angelica's disintegration into a handful of "perforated" personalities.

Genres: Fiction, Literature, Feminism, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, British Literature

246 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Fay Weldon CBE was an English author, essayist and playwright, whose work has been associated with feminism. In her fiction, Weldon typically portrayed contemporary women who find themselves trapped in oppressive situations caused by the patriarchal structure of British society.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fay_Weldon

Reviews

[Ingrida Lisauskiene · Rating 3 out of 5]

65-oji XX a. Aukso fondo knyga. Apis sunkų gyvenimo periodą skyrybas piktai ir su ironija. Skyrybų krizę išgyvenanti moteris suskyla į keletą prieštaringų asmenybių nuo kekšės iki išlaikytos verkiančios dėl praeities aristokratės. Kiekviena iš jų yra kitokia ir savarankiška, tačiau turi sutilpti viename kūne. Idėja gera, įgyvendinimas silpnokas.

[Майя Ставитская · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Splitting" (1995) Is a divorce that is not a Greek tragedy, but a farce, buffoonery, black humor. Ironic, sarcastic, bitter, but also cheerful, hopeful, optimistic. Young Angelica, pretty and enchantingly talented, broke the charts with her rock band "Crazy Virgin" and the hit of the same name, earned 837,000 pounds, and fell in love with the fat little guy Edwin Rice, the third son of Lord Rice from the dilapidated Rice Court (the two older twins fell from their father to the antipodes). Yes, she's just the daughter of a choir director and a housewife, but she brings all her money into the dowry, and Parvenu has always been paid for the title. And yet, she has taste and flair, she is energetic and can turn a house falling apart into a tour estate, working 24/7. What, what receipts?

And it wasn't her fault (although it was partly her fault, she shouldn't have lied to Edwin about the contraceptive implant, but which of us tells our men absolutely everything?) that he started looking towards a woman from among her friends who had proven the ability to procreate. In fact, what happens to Lady Angelica is no less terrifying than what happens to Anetta, who takes a blow with her whole nature and is almost killed by it. Angelica splits, divides into subpersonalities, passing deadly force through the perforation - her name is very suitable for that (although there will be another explanation in the finale, an anti-scientific one): Angie, Jelly, Angel, Lady Rice, and even Ajax, the warrior. You can call her a multiple personality, you can call her schizophrenia, and it's very hard for her when her husband, dragging her out of the marital bed by her hair, files for divorce, accusing her of all possible and impossible sins - "he claimed that the kisses she showered on their dog were tantamount to bestiality, and the way she hugged female guests. — lesbianism."

But she has Jelly, a shy girl with secretarial skills and a love of old-fashioned respectable clothes. Jelly, who will work as a secretary for Edwin's lawyer, who is leading the divorce proceedings. And there is a nymphomaniac Angel. And quite a young, wildly talented Angie. She will not disappear and will cheer you up, although in part it will be laughter through tears. If you've been through a divorce or are trying to get over it right now, or are thinking about it for the future, I recommend it.

"Расщепление" (1995) Это развод, который не греческая трагедия, а фарс, буффонада, черный юмор. Иронично, саркастично, горько, но и бодро, обнадеживающе, оптимистично. Юная Анджелика, хорошенькая и феерически талантливая порвала чарты со своей рок-группой "Свихнутая целка" и одноименным хитом, заработала 837 000 фунтов, и полюбила толстоватого пентюха Эдвина Райса, третьего сына лорда Райса из обветшалого Райс-Корта (двое старших близнецов свалили от папаши к антиподам). Да, она всего лишь дочь регента церковного хора и домохозяйки, но в приданное приносит все свои деньги, парвеню испокон века платили за титул. А еще, у нее есть вкус и чутье, она энергична и может превратить разваливающийся на куски дом в экскурсионное поместье, работая 24/7. Что, какие расписки?

И не ее вина (хотя отчасти и ее, не надо было врать Эдвину про контрацептивный имплант, но кто из нас говорит своим мужчинам абсолютно все?), что он начал посматривать в сторону женщины из числа ее подруг, доказавшей способность к деторождению. На самом деле то, что происходит с леди Анджеликой не менее страшно, чем то, что с Анеттой, принимающей удар своей цельной натурой и едва не убитой им. Анджелика сплитует, разделяется на субличности, пропуская убойную силу сквозь перфорацию - имя у нее уж очень для того подходящее (хотя в финале будет и другое объяснение, антинаучное): Анджи, Джелли, Ангел, леди Райс и даже Аякс, воин. Можно назвать множественной личностью, можно шизофренией, и ей очень несладко, когда муж, выволокши за волосы из супружеской постели, подает на развод, обвинив во всех возможных и невозможных грехах - "он утверждал, что поцелуи, которыми она осыпала их собаку, равносильны скотоложству, а то, как она обнимала гостей женского пола, — лесбиянству."

Но у нее есть Джелли, скромница с секретарскими навыками и любовью к старомодно респектабельной одежде. Джелли, которая проберется секретаршей к адвокату Эдвина, ведущему бракоразводный процесс. И есть нимфоманка Ангел. И вполне еще молодая, дико талантливая Анджи. Она не пропадет и поднимет вам настроение, хотя отчасти это будет смехом сквозь слезы. Если вы проходили через развод или пытаетесь пережить его прямо сейчас, или подумываете о нем на будущее - рекомендую.

[N Young · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was billed as being witty and comic. I found it a sad story of a woman being divorced who developed multiple personalities in order to deal with various traumas and aspects of herself she couldn't reconcile. How this is supposed to be a feminist piece when she ends up with one of her personalities regularly giving her boss oral sex and letting him degrade her I have no idea. For no good reason at all it finishes with a bizarre sex party taking place at a brothel with many of the characters involved in the female protagonist's life taking part. Awful.

[Cait · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't understand the ending since I skipped so much so quickly. Yea, this wasn't for me. Didn't quite like the whole multiple personality things. Wanted her to get something in the divorce. Ending in cliff hanger

[Freddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The dynamics between the main character's "perforated" personalities is very interestingly written. The book does get to a bizarre territory towards the end which makes the resolution feel slightly unsatisfying...

[Colleen Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in need of a light read with some depth to it. 'Splitting" fitted the bill perfectly.

The young and beautiful Lady Angelica Rice (nee Lamb) is freshly separated from her husband of eight years, Lord Rice. Holed up in five star comfort at London's Claremont Hotel, (the bill for which is paid by her unsuspecting husband's company while he, lax in the extreme in matters financial ((and otherwise)), wonders where she has gone to ground).

From here, Lady Rice licks her wounds and wallows in the ruins of her life. She spends hours at a time in bed, weeping uncontrollably. However, deep inside her being, there's a rebellion taking place. Lady Rice may be a product of her marriage, but previous personas are clamouring to re-emerge..

This is not a story of a true split personality. All personas remain aware of their own actions and those of the others. In fact, they discuss each other and can be highly critical, tolerant or even compassionate towards one another. She is, in her own words, perforated, not split.

Already on the scene when we first meet Lady Rice, is her alter-ego, Jelly Lamb. Efficient, resourceful, manipulative and vengeful, Jelly has already found a job as assistant to her husband's lawyer. From this position, she is able to engineer outcomes to suit her interests. But who's interests is she serving? Sometimes, Lady Rice's need for restitution are met, sometimes Jelly's own need for control. Another alter-ego, is Angelica, who insists on maintaining 'standards' (she is the voice of reason) And then there's the lusty Angel whose carnal urges (much to the disgust of all the other personas) are prone to lead to sordid little trysts.Oh, and be aware that these are only the main players, others make cameo appearances.

So who holds the majority stake in the primary being? Why does the answer to that question seem to change? And where have they come from? (hint: the name of each persona was adopted at a different life stage and was bestowed by a man or a paternalistic social construct). And what universal truths are being explored here? Fay Weldon is after all a famously feminist author.

Will the personalities merge in the end? Will vengeance be had? You will need to read the book to answer the questions ... and it's worth taking the time to do so.

[Angie Kariofilli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ένα βιβλίο που μιλάει για ψυχικές διαταραχές. Μια γυναίκα που στο σώμα της κατοικούν πολλές προσωπικότητες. Η κάθε μία με εντελώς διαφορετικό χαρακτήρα. Κάνουν την εμφάνιση τους, ακριβώς μετά την ξαφνική αίτηση διαζυγίου που της γίνεται. Σε όλο το βιβλίο η συγγραφέας δίνει όλους τους διαλόγους που συμβαίνουν στο μυαλό της ηρωίδας.Προσπαθεί και πολλές φορές το καταφέρνει να δείξει σε πόσο μεγάλη αντίκρουση βρίσκονται μέσα της.Στο τέλος μόνο μετά την αποκάλυψη που της γίνεται από τη μητέρα της,σιγά σιγά αποχωρούν για να την αφήσουν ήσυχη?
Δε μπορώ να πω οτι με ενθουσίασε όσο το διάβαζα.Απλά δεν ήταν απογοητευτικό.Ίσως κάποιος που είναι το γνωστικό του αντικείμενο οι ψυχικές διαταραχές, να βρεί παραπάνω λόγους να το αγαπήσει.

[Marina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is strange. I thought the story had a lot of potential after I read the synopsis. Instead it turned out more like some sexually charged slapstick drama about marriage. don't get me started about the ending... I mean what the heck?

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of her best.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty funny story about a woman with split personalities. At first, the disorder is problematic, but later each personality ends up pitching in to help the main character.

[Joan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my thing at all - infact I'm giving up half way through. I think I prefer something with an identifiable story

[Jane Matteis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Time for me to stop reading this author for a while. They are all getting too samey.
This is not one of her best.

[Nelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about marital dissolution and betrayal and what it does to a woman's psyche. Feminist, pointed,playful and darkly humorous, as all Weldon's novels are.

[Helen Stanton]

Abandoned ......dated and a bit silly

[Therese Bergwall · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Läst på svenska: Söndring