“At that moment she felt an imperative need to believe that the stricken beast had a Maker, and her own eyes grew bright, but with blinding tears because of her mighty need to believe, a need that was sharper than physical pain, being born of the pain of the spirit.”

“They were pawns in the ruthless and complicated game of existence, moved hither and thither on the board by a unseen hand, yet moved side by side, so that they grew to expect each other.”

The reason I bought this book is because on the back it says that it was banned at one time. And of course, a banned book is immediately more interesting than the never controversial book next to it.

The thing is though, I can’t relate to being gay, and the feelings of repression that go along with it. Maybe if I could, I would have liked the book better.  I really don’t think that’s the problem though.

The entire first three hundred or so pages are filled with angsty, emo rubbish. On and on about this poor adolescent that nobody understood. How alone she felt. How sad she was. I wasn’t at all interested in the story until she was an adult, and then there actually was a story. Less of the poor, poor her whining, and a plot!  And it was good.

It was about a lesbian couple living in Paris post WWI. Then, the problems seemed real. They couldn’t marry each other, and they weren’t welcome in “polite” society. It wore on both of the women. They dealt with it in different ways.

Basically, the first 321 pages I hated. Then, when the story finally progressed, I got into it.

I’m not pissed off that I read it, but I’m not especially glad, either. I could have done without reading it. But, my curiosity has at least been satisfied.