Tristana, Benito Pérez Galdós (trans. Margaret Jull Costa)

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Tristana is young when she is orphaned and taken into the care of Don Lope, a family friend and fading Don Juan. Sadly, it’s not long before he turns his wiles on her and she becomes a possession to him. He is willing to sacrifice his own comfort by spending his dwindling fortune on her, but the price she pays for his attentions is heavy. As she grows into a young woman she begins to question their relationship and the control he exercises over her. She has great ambitions, wanting to make her own money through creative endeavours mostly shut off to women at the time. When she meets a handsome artist named Horacio she believes she’s found her soulmate, but how will Don Lope react to the news that he is losing her, and will their love stand the test of the challenges of life?

Tristana is an interesting character. Despite an unfortunate start in life she is headstrong and talented, excelling at almost anything she turns her hand to. She is, nonetheless, in an unenviable position. She has no money of her own, her relationship with Don Lope means many men would not wish to marry her (although she does not want to marry, rejecting the idea of being under the power of another man), and as a woman in nineteenth century Spain has very little in the way of career prospects. Her relationship with Horacio has all the hallmarks of impassioned first love and there is an innocence about her despite her maturity in some respects. Sadly, she has more hardship to come that will once again alter the course of her life. She is stoic yet feels the weight of the limits placed on her. 

Don Lope is fairly repugnant. Some find him charming and enticing, as the women in the novel are meant to, but his abuse of the power he holds over Tristana and the short period it takes for him to claim her as a conquest when he is meant to be playing the role of guardian makes it hard to sympathise with him. There are moments in the novel where he acknowledges his glee at knowing Tristana is trapped, that she will not be able to leave him, is not admirable. He does seem to care for her, and at times he seems to put his own feelings aside for her sake, but for the most part he is jealous and possessive. 

Horacio makes less of an impression. He is idealistic and dreams of a pastoral future. He appears completely smitten with Tristana and is happy to forgo his desire to marry her, respecting her autonomy and desires. The way their relationship progresses however becomes unsatisfying and he doesn’t feel as well developed as some of the other characters. 

There are many themes in this short novel that feel familiar to regular readers of nineteenth century literature. We have a talented, ambitious female protagonist whose life is limited by unfortunate circumstances and societal expectations. We have a youthful romance doomed to fail, and a possessive ‘protector’ whose actions have limited Tristana’s opportunities further. There is passion and overblown emotion, but nothing extraordinary happens, they are merely trying to find their way through the life they’ve been given. Nicely written with some interesting ideas. Not many of Galdós’ novels seem to be readily available in English, but it’s worth picking this one up.

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Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert

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We first meet Charles Bovary as a schoolboy mocked for his outlandish fashion and an unfortunate mispronunciation of his name due to nerves. His mother dotes on him, focusing her attention on him and the running of their household instead of her increasing frustration with her husband. After one short marriage he finds himself enjoying the freedoms of single life, but then he meets Emma Rouault. He is completely besotted with her and she assents to marriage, imagining her life as a newlywed will meet all of her romantic dreams. Unsurprisingly, life doesn’t quite match up to her imagination, and she embarks on a series of affairs with tragic consequences.

Emma is immature, vain, and foolish. She abuses her husband’s naivety and love for her, thrusting them into grave financial difficulties. She tries only vaguely to conceal her misdemeanours and many of their friends suspect her indiscretions. Charles is loyal and blind to the reality of his marriage. Emma resents him for his happiness while she is so disappointed in her choice of spouse. Her expectations, however, were unlikely to be met, believing that he should know everything and excel in many fields. Charles is broadly mediocre, but in her distress she misses the value of his devotion. Despite her many flaws, Emma is not an unlikable character. Indeed, her belief that everyone else is living a far more exciting, lavish life is one that many can relate to. For those who have felt the depths of darkness descend, her despair at thinking about a future of misery will be familiar, the feeling of panic and helplessness at a future she does not want is claustrophobic and intensely upsetting.

This is a book of high drama and hoped-for passion. Emma does not do emotions by half, imagining herself in a great romantic story. It also deals with the more mundane aspects of married life, so despised by Emma. Charles feels the familiar conflict between pleasing his wife and obeying his mother’s wishes. He is stuck in a difficult situation with a demanding wife who doesn’t love him (a fact he remains blissfully unaware of for the most part) and a mother jealous of the affection he has for his wife, perceiving it to be a rejection of the love she has provided. He is no great romantic hero, but he is kind and loyal. Unfortunately, his story is never destined to end well. He is somewhat reminiscent of Emily Brontë’s Edgar Linton.

Flaubert is famous for having spent years writing and re-writing Madame Bovary, obsessing over every sentence. The result is a compelling read with a dramatic conclusion. 

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The Age of Reason, Jean-Paul Sartre

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The first in Sartre’s Roads to Freedom series, The Age of Reason introduces us to Mathieu Delarue and his circle of friends in Paris, 1938. He is a philosophy teacher and obsessed with the idea of freedom, refusing to commit to his mistress of seven years, Marcelle. When he accidentally gets her pregnant he is forced to question his life decisions as he tries to raise the required sum for a relatively safe abortion. The action takes place over only a couple of days, a surprising fact to be reminded of when it feels so much has happened.

We never see Mathieu teaching but he does spend time with young students – Ivich who he loves and Boris who is so obsessed with youth he is convinced he will kill himself when he reaches thirty. They are immature and shallow and yet Mathieu clings to their company as a way of holding on to his now fading youth. His brother Jacques points out that his determination to retain freedom is really an attempt to escape responsibility and commitment.

‘I should myself have thought,’ said Jacques,’ that freedom consisted in frankly confronting situations into which one had deliberately entered, and accepting all one’s responsibilities. But that, no doubt, is not your view; you condemn capitalist society, and yet you are an official in that society; you display an abstract sympathy with Communists, but you take care not to commit yourself, you have never voted. You despise the bourgeois class, and yet you are a bourgeois, son and brother of a bourgeois, and you live like a bourgeois.’ (p.107)

In reality Jacques is little better than Mathieu. He lived carelessly and selfishly until the opportunity to marry into wealth presented itself.

There are not many likable characters in the book. Mathieu cares enough for Marcelle to try to secure a safe abortion but has not the presence of mind to ask if that is what she wants. Boris proves himself callous and foolish – believing a close acquaintance has died it is disgust rather than grief that he feels. Daniel manipulates Mathieu, refusing to lend money he easily could and attempting to trap him into marrying Marcelle. He plays with their lives for sport and although by the end seems to have gained something of a conscience, the solution he suggests foreshadows misery ahead.

An interesting novel set in a time of great turmoil for Europe with characters largely too wrapped up in their individual concerns to involve themselves in the wider world. War is at the periphery however and gives insight into some of the characters. Those reading the novel in their late 20s/early 30s will recognize the turmoil of transitioning into ‘the age of reason’ and it will make you question your own moral compass.

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The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery

Barbery’s critically acclaimed novel focuses on the residents of 7 Rue de Grenelle in Paris, specifically twelve year old Paloma Josse, daughter of wealthy parents, and Renée Michel, concierge for the apartment block. Paloma’s narrative sections are labeled as ‘Profound Thoughts’. Her first section is deeply philosophical and it is startling when you realise it is a child speaking. She has decided to commit suicide on her thirteenth birthday and to burn down the apartment. She aims to have and record as many profound thoughts before this time as possible. She plays down her intelligence at school, fearing she would get no peace if she showed her true capabilities. In this she has something in common with Renée who hides her love of great literature and classical music to maintain the façade of what she believes people expect from a concierge.

Both characters are fairly isolated in their own ways. Although Paloma lives with her parents and sister she does not feel part of their world, considering their concerns superficial and shallow. Renée has lived alone since the death of her husband, and in her refusal to show her true self is alone in her interests. She does have one friend, Manuela, who works in the same block as a cleaner but who hopes to leave France, much to the horror of Renée. Things begin to change when a long-term resident dies and the mysterious Kakuro Ozu moves into the vacant apartment. He sees beyond Renée's façade and extends the hand of friendship, something which she struggles to accept at first. Eventually their budding friendship leads to Paloma and Renée finding kindred spirits in each other.

It is touching to see Renée’s confidence grow and with it her happiness, though it takes sharing some upsetting memories with Paloma before she is able to see that all she has believed for many years may not be entirely true. These revelations are an important moment for understanding her character and the reasons behind her forced solitude. It is also heartening to see Paloma blossom with her new friends, beginning to see the world in a difference light and questioning her resolve to cut her life so short.

An interesting, unusual book which will challenge the mind, make you smile, and at times frustrate. In parts beautifully poetic, clearly borne of deep knowledge, it will toy with your emotions until the end.