Pilgrimage 3 (Pilgrimage, #6-8) in Reading 1001

Dec 17, 2019 Pip rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1001-books-challenge

I have fallen far behind in my reading and reviewing, but I felt well pleased when I finished Deadlock today. I am reading through the lens of thinking how my granddaughter, who is living in London at the moment, might read this book. I justified the purchase by thinking I would pass the books on to her, and have already given her the first two volumes. I continue to marvel how Richardson can sum up internal dialogues in ways that remind me of my own thoughts, particularly when she is feeling un I have fallen far behind in my reading and reviewing, but I felt well pleased when I finished Deadlock today. I am reading through the lens of thinking how my granddaughter, who is living in London at the moment, might read this book. I justified the purchase by thinking I would pass the books on to her, and have already given her the first two volumes. I continue to marvel how Richardson can sum up internal dialogues in ways that remind me of my own thoughts, particularly when she is feeling uncomfortable in social situations. Her discussions about race a la Nietzsche, and the pull between religion, philosophy and science were the most intriguing part of this volume. She fell in love with Shatov through their parrying about ideas but then "Love was the secret of things". I am interrupted again - will return another day!
Other quotes i enjoyed: In discussing gender roles, "At least she saw. But what was the use of not being deceived? How in the vast spread of humanity expose the sham? How escape, without surrendering life itself, treachourous countenancing of the fiendish spectacle? What good would death do?' "That men never have, never can, understand the least thing about even the worst woman in the world?" "It was not fair that men did not know the whole of this secret place and its compact. Why was God in league only with women?'
I am still uncertain why this chapter was called Revolving Lights. Miriam explores the ideas of Lycurganism (was she meaning Fabianism which was very popular at the time?), Quakers, still explores ideas with Michael although she has broken off their engagement, apparently has a fling with a writer/critic at whose home she is holidaying, decides she does not care for Michael's Jewish friends, keeps her job at the dental surgery after all and may be moving to a new business with one of the partners. She has apparently published the review she agonised over in Deadlock. The critic, who turns out to be Hypo Wilson, apparently really H.G. Wells, encourages her to write, and they have facinating conversations about gender roles. Miriam argues that women do not need to be emancipated because they already are through their "pre-eminence in art. The art of making atmospheres". She contemplates how men and women seldom intersect socially and wonders whether gender differences are really natural or learned. She writes again about her love affair with London and writes several times that "women are Jesuits", a phrase that I found profoundly puzzling. What could she mean? And then, at the end, there is a teaser to read on....
The Trap of the title is probably the shared accommodation with a woman we have not met before (at least I don't think so) but it is also perhaps the situation Miriam would find herself in if she became a doctor's wife. She decided that she would be unable to fulfill that role adequately and decided to break off her relationship with Dr Densley. The living arrangement she set up with a curtain between the two women in one bedroom was intriguing, but unlikely to be successful. After they fought the proximity became predictably unbearable. Miriam joined a women's club and hosted a dinner party which included both Michael, the former fiance and Dr Densley, the new one. She basks in the success of this evening. It reminds me of the Helena May, a club for single women that I used to love visiting in Hong Kong. Hypo Wilson is only hinted at, despite the letter at the end of Revolving Lights. There is a brief mention of the death of her sister Eve, and the emigration of another sister, Harriet. I have become resigned to not knowing much about really important milestones while knowing exactly how Miriam feels waking up on a summer morning. The switching from first to third person or vice versa is beginning to really annoy me. I am, however, eager to start the next volume! ...more

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