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Indelible
Magdalena has an unsettling gift. She sees writing on the body of everyone she meets - names, dates, details both banal and profound - and her only relief from the onslaught of information is to take off her glasses and let the world recede. Mercifully, her own skin is blank.
When she meets Neil, she is intrigued to see her name on his cheek. He's in Paris for the summer, studying a medieval pilgrimage to the rocky coast of Spain, where the body of Saint Jacques was said to have washed ashore, covered in scallop shells. Desperate to make things right after her best friend dies - a loss she might have prevented - Magdalena embarks on her own pilgrimage, but not before Neil falls for her, captivated by her pale eyes, charming Eastern European accent, and aura of heartbreak.
Neil's father, Richard, is also in Paris, searching for the truth about his late mother, a famous expatriate American novelist who abandoned him at birth. All his life Richard has clung to a single striking memory - his mother's red shoes, which her biographers agree he never could have seen.
Despite misunderstandings and miscommunications, these unforgettable characters converge, by chance or perhaps by fate, and Magdalena's uncanny ability may prove to be the key to their happiness. Indelible pulses with humanity and breathes life into unexpected fragments of history, illustrating our urgent need to connect with others and the past.
When she meets Neil, she is intrigued to see her name on his cheek. He's in Paris for the summer, studying a medieval pilgrimage to the rocky coast of Spain, where the body of Saint Jacques was said to have washed ashore, covered in scallop shells. Desperate to make things right after her best friend dies - a loss she might have prevented - Magdalena embarks on her own pilgrimage, but not before Neil falls for her, captivated by her pale eyes, charming Eastern European accent, and aura of heartbreak.
Neil's father, Richard, is also in Paris, searching for the truth about his late mother, a famous expatriate American novelist who abandoned him at birth. All his life Richard has clung to a single striking memory - his mother's red shoes, which her biographers agree he never could have seen.
Despite misunderstandings and miscommunications, these unforgettable characters converge, by chance or perhaps by fate, and Magdalena's uncanny ability may prove to be the key to their happiness. Indelible pulses with humanity and breathes life into unexpected fragments of history, illustrating our urgent need to connect with others and the past.
271 pages, Hardcover
First published January 17, 2017
28 people are currently reading
2860 people want to read
About the author
Adelia Saunders
2 books22 followersAdelia Saunders has a master's degree in international relations from Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She has taught English in Paris, written for an independent newswire at the United Nations, and assisted an agricultural economist in Uganda. She grew up in Durango, Colorado, and lives with her husband and two children in New York City. INDELIBLE is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
March 9, 2017
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in return for an honest review.
A strange, meandering novel, with moments of real beauty, but a little bit too much confusing waffle!
There was much about Indelible that I really enjoyed, and sadly, some that I didn't.
Firstly, let's start with the premise itself, which really lured me in. A girl from Lithuania finds that she can 'read' people's histories and futures on their skin. Lovely idea - I was totally sold on it.
And indeed, that aspect of the book worked really well. I loved the character of Magdalena, I adored the idea of being able to 'see' random phrases like tattoos on people's skin, and I think the idea was executed brilliantly, in a very unsettling, haunting way.
Whenever the book was focused on Magdalena (one third of the time) things were good. Then we moved on to Neil, and I felt my interest flag a little. Not because he wasn't a good character; in fact I liked his bumbling personality - it's always nice to see a male protagonist that is a bit more than your average dishy Mr Nice Guy. However, his trajectory path in the book just felt a little bit flat for me, plus he kept doing things that didn't seem very plausible. I mean, heading off to Lithuania to find a girl you'd only met once, but not calling her first (despite having her number)? It just didn't seem very rational to me.
I'm afraid I found the third perspective in the book, Neil's dad, even more frustrating. It was a shame, because I loved the idea of this man tracking down the truth about his absent, celebrity mother - such a good idea. But it just didn't quite come off.
And the ending - oh I would have liked to see more! Again, it just meandered a bit, and left me feeling a tad unsatisfied.
Overall - I'd still say it's worth reading, because my word, it's such a good idea for a plot. LOVE the concept. Like the characters too - just wish the narrative had been tightened and that it had been a bit more dynamic. I'd definitely look out for more from this author though, as she clearly has great ability. (Maybe this was a case of, it's not you... it's me!).
A strange, meandering novel, with moments of real beauty, but a little bit too much confusing waffle!
There was much about Indelible that I really enjoyed, and sadly, some that I didn't.
Firstly, let's start with the premise itself, which really lured me in. A girl from Lithuania finds that she can 'read' people's histories and futures on their skin. Lovely idea - I was totally sold on it.
And indeed, that aspect of the book worked really well. I loved the character of Magdalena, I adored the idea of being able to 'see' random phrases like tattoos on people's skin, and I think the idea was executed brilliantly, in a very unsettling, haunting way.
Whenever the book was focused on Magdalena (one third of the time) things were good. Then we moved on to Neil, and I felt my interest flag a little. Not because he wasn't a good character; in fact I liked his bumbling personality - it's always nice to see a male protagonist that is a bit more than your average dishy Mr Nice Guy. However, his trajectory path in the book just felt a little bit flat for me, plus he kept doing things that didn't seem very plausible. I mean, heading off to Lithuania to find a girl you'd only met once, but not calling her first (despite having her number)? It just didn't seem very rational to me.
I'm afraid I found the third perspective in the book, Neil's dad, even more frustrating. It was a shame, because I loved the idea of this man tracking down the truth about his absent, celebrity mother - such a good idea. But it just didn't quite come off.
And the ending - oh I would have liked to see more! Again, it just meandered a bit, and left me feeling a tad unsatisfied.
Overall - I'd still say it's worth reading, because my word, it's such a good idea for a plot. LOVE the concept. Like the characters too - just wish the narrative had been tightened and that it had been a bit more dynamic. I'd definitely look out for more from this author though, as she clearly has great ability. (Maybe this was a case of, it's not you... it's me!).
March 12, 2017
Be prepared: "Indelible" is a slow burn of a novel, wending its way through cities, countries, the past and present with three people who each have a piece to stoke the fire, until its final illuminating blaze. It is a kind of mystery, surrounding an otherworldly and not altogether wonderful gift of the senses, which somehow makes perfect "sense", grounding the story in a fragile beauty and urgency. It isn't fluffy, or magical, in that Cinderella sense, but rather is touched with the darker edge of old superstitions and a whiff of Grimms.
Magdalena sees words- on people's skin. Much of what she reads is incomprehensible to her, without context, but some words- cancer, kill- stand alone. She wears her contact lenses or glasses as little as possible so that she doesn't have to face the writing she meets on everyone's face. Richard is in Paris to research the life of the famous mother who abandoned him at birth, in 1950. He is sure she returned to the USA when he was three, because he can still visualize her red shoes; he is looking for any connection. Neil is Richard's son, at college in London, but on a work study project in Paris.
Step by step, more is revealed. Bit by bit, the reader sees connections develop. As each character follows their individual search, each unlocks a piece of self inspiration. Magdalena knows that there are others like her, whose fate has not been pleasant. But the three of these rootless people must search, must look, must try, must see.
I liked this novel - unique, moving characters, touching themes and gorgeous locales. 4.00 stars
Magdalena sees words- on people's skin. Much of what she reads is incomprehensible to her, without context, but some words- cancer, kill- stand alone. She wears her contact lenses or glasses as little as possible so that she doesn't have to face the writing she meets on everyone's face. Richard is in Paris to research the life of the famous mother who abandoned him at birth, in 1950. He is sure she returned to the USA when he was three, because he can still visualize her red shoes; he is looking for any connection. Neil is Richard's son, at college in London, but on a work study project in Paris.
Step by step, more is revealed. Bit by bit, the reader sees connections develop. As each character follows their individual search, each unlocks a piece of self inspiration. Magdalena knows that there are others like her, whose fate has not been pleasant. But the three of these rootless people must search, must look, must try, must see.
I liked this novel - unique, moving characters, touching themes and gorgeous locales. 4.00 stars
August 10, 2016
This story felt very original. Magdalena is a woman who possesses a gift - she sees words on the bodies of others, describing life events, how they will die, who they will love, sins they have committed. One day she meets a man whose name is written underneath his eye (but he can't see it.)
Richard is a retired teacher, in Paris looking for information about his famous mother in an archive. She abandoned him as a child but the latest biography about her triggered a memory he has that may reveal some details of his past.
Neil, Richard's son, is traveling with a history professor as he does the work for his PhD.
The three intertwine, there are a lot of scenes in archives and libraries, and I just really enjoyed reading it.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy through Edelweiss.
Richard is a retired teacher, in Paris looking for information about his famous mother in an archive. She abandoned him as a child but the latest biography about her triggered a memory he has that may reveal some details of his past.
Neil, Richard's son, is traveling with a history professor as he does the work for his PhD.
The three intertwine, there are a lot of scenes in archives and libraries, and I just really enjoyed reading it.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy through Edelweiss.
February 7, 2017
Very unique. Haunting, at times very bleak, poignant. It then has very inspiring moments. Sometimes I had to just stop and read a paragraph or sentence again and again because it resonated so much with me and it was so beautifully written. I really look forward to reading whatever else this author comes up with! It's not quite perfect and some parts bothered me, I wished a few things were different, but it was really a great story and deserves a strong four and a half stars. Make sure to give it all of your attention, this is not a book to speed read.
Magdalena has an interesting and heartbreaking ability: she sees words written on everyone's skin. They can be names of those important to them, dates, events, and even the cause of their own death. How terrible it would be to know exactly how most everyone you see will die. What a crushing reminder of mortality! Thankfully, her vision requires glasses. She regularly chooses to leave them off so the words on everyone are blurred, even though it makes travel difficult. She would rather take photos of people, since the words don't show up on film.
Neil is an American student studying in Paris. He meets Magdalena in order to exchange Christmas presents from his father to her mother, who know each other. He feels strangely drawn to the woman who removes her glasses as soon as he gets close. Magdalena is left confused by what she did manage to see on Neil's skin: her own name written on his face.
Richard, Neil's father, is also in Paris. He's a teacher who retired after some kind of scandal with a student. Neil doesn't even know he's in Paris. Their relationship seems fairly strained. He's there researching his own mother... a famous author who gave him away as soon as he was born and wanted nothing to do with him. Richard is convinced that she returned once when he was a child, and seeks proof... even though everyone, including the author of the newest biography of his mother, insists he's mistaken.
These three very interesting people all come together and separate in different ways. It seems they're meant to have an effect on each other's lives... and we wonder exactly what will happen the whole book. Very intriguing.
I was given an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Bloomsbury USA, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
Magdalena has an interesting and heartbreaking ability: she sees words written on everyone's skin. They can be names of those important to them, dates, events, and even the cause of their own death. How terrible it would be to know exactly how most everyone you see will die. What a crushing reminder of mortality! Thankfully, her vision requires glasses. She regularly chooses to leave them off so the words on everyone are blurred, even though it makes travel difficult. She would rather take photos of people, since the words don't show up on film.
Neil is an American student studying in Paris. He meets Magdalena in order to exchange Christmas presents from his father to her mother, who know each other. He feels strangely drawn to the woman who removes her glasses as soon as he gets close. Magdalena is left confused by what she did manage to see on Neil's skin: her own name written on his face.
Richard, Neil's father, is also in Paris. He's a teacher who retired after some kind of scandal with a student. Neil doesn't even know he's in Paris. Their relationship seems fairly strained. He's there researching his own mother... a famous author who gave him away as soon as he was born and wanted nothing to do with him. Richard is convinced that she returned once when he was a child, and seeks proof... even though everyone, including the author of the newest biography of his mother, insists he's mistaken.
These three very interesting people all come together and separate in different ways. It seems they're meant to have an effect on each other's lives... and we wonder exactly what will happen the whole book. Very intriguing.
I was given an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Bloomsbury USA, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
February 10, 2017
Trigger warning: suicide, suicide attempt, and sexual harassment
3.5 stars. The premise of this novel greatly intrigued me. What would it be like to see words on someone's skin and know their fate? How would I respond to that kind of gift? How does Magdalena respond? I thought this would encompass the bulk of the novel based on the synopsis but the story centers more on Magdalena, Richard, and Neil and how their paths intertwine.
Magdalena lives a diminished life because of her gift. She quickly learned as a child it wasn't normal to see words written on skin and that no one else could see them. She stops telling people the stories written on their skin and she even starts wearing strong prescription glasses so the world becomes blurry and she can't see the words at all. She carries a great deal of guilt with her after her best friend dies, feeling the clues were there all along on Lina's skin and she could have prevented it. This was the most interesting part of the novel, though trigger warnings abound. The tone of the novel made some of the content choices extremely unexpected and hard to read at times and for that reason, I recommend this with reservations.
Magdalena, Richard, and Neil are all waking up to their lives in different ways and much of this awakening predicates on how their paths cross. There was strong character development throughout, particularly as Magdalena grappled with her ability, but the story moved slower than I would have liked. I did, however, like how the author lets us come to our own conclusions about each character's history and choices. There are no tidy conclusions But as they began to move forward, I was left with a sense of hope.
Disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars. The premise of this novel greatly intrigued me. What would it be like to see words on someone's skin and know their fate? How would I respond to that kind of gift? How does Magdalena respond? I thought this would encompass the bulk of the novel based on the synopsis but the story centers more on Magdalena, Richard, and Neil and how their paths intertwine.
Magdalena lives a diminished life because of her gift. She quickly learned as a child it wasn't normal to see words written on skin and that no one else could see them. She stops telling people the stories written on their skin and she even starts wearing strong prescription glasses so the world becomes blurry and she can't see the words at all. She carries a great deal of guilt with her after her best friend dies, feeling the clues were there all along on Lina's skin and she could have prevented it. This was the most interesting part of the novel, though trigger warnings abound. The tone of the novel made some of the content choices extremely unexpected and hard to read at times and for that reason, I recommend this with reservations.
Magdalena, Richard, and Neil are all waking up to their lives in different ways and much of this awakening predicates on how their paths cross. There was strong character development throughout, particularly as Magdalena grappled with her ability, but the story moved slower than I would have liked. I did, however, like how the author lets us come to our own conclusions about each character's history and choices. There are no tidy conclusions But as they began to move forward, I was left with a sense of hope.
Disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 13, 2017
Dark, but also lovely and haunting! This novel has an original, fresh hook in its concept, yet tackles the evergreen questions of love, loss, and human connection.
did-not-finish
January 9, 2017**I received this as an egalley from Edelweiss in return for an honest review.**
I know I didn't even make it through the second chapter, but I can already decide that this book is not what I expected, nor is it something I really want to read at the moment. I can easily tell that the part about Magdalena's ability to see words written on people's skin is not going to play as major of a role in this book as I thought it would, which saddens me because it is what attracted me to this book in the first place. Already in the first few chapters I have issues with the ramblings-on of the paragraphs, with characters' thoughts going off on long tangents. Not to mention that two of the characters are written in third person POV, and one is written in first person - an immediate no-no in my book.
This one just is not for me right now.
I know I didn't even make it through the second chapter, but I can already decide that this book is not what I expected, nor is it something I really want to read at the moment. I can easily tell that the part about Magdalena's ability to see words written on people's skin is not going to play as major of a role in this book as I thought it would, which saddens me because it is what attracted me to this book in the first place. Already in the first few chapters I have issues with the ramblings-on of the paragraphs, with characters' thoughts going off on long tangents. Not to mention that two of the characters are written in third person POV, and one is written in first person - an immediate no-no in my book.
This one just is not for me right now.
September 6, 2016
What an accomplished, fascinating debut novel! It definitely held my pulsating attention from start to end.
Can't wait to read what's up and coming next from this new author!
Can't wait to read what's up and coming next from this new author!
December 31, 2018
Sowohl das wunderschöne, blaue Cover als auch der Klappentext machten mich sofort neugierig, als mir „Die Worte, die das Leben schreibt“ zum ersten Mal ins Auge fiel. Eine Geschichte über eine junge Frau, die eine besondere Gabe hat und die Geschichten fremder Menschen auf deren Haut liest? Wow, das klingt doch magisch und vielversprechend, oder?
Auf den ersten Seiten begegnen wir Richard, einem Mann, der seine bereits verstorbene Mutter nie kennenlernte und auf der Suche nach Spuren aus der Vergangenheit durch Paris reist. Ihn beschäftigt der Gedanke, ob seine Mutter ihn wirklich nie wollte und wieso sie ihn als Baby fort gab. Anschließend lernen wir den Studenten Neil kennen, der sich für Geschichte interessiert und kein sonderlich inniges Verhältnis zu seinem Vater pflegt. Und dann ist da noch Magdalena, die junge Frau aus Litauen, die von der Haut fremder Menschen lesen kann. Alle drei Figuren erzählen abwechselnd ihre Geschichte, wobei Richard aus der Ich-Perspektive erzählt, während Adelia Saunders bei Neil und Magdalena in die dritte Person wechselt. Alle drei Figuren berichten aus ihrem Leben, was sie bewegt und welche Last sie auf ihren Schultern tragen. Dabei wechseln wir nicht nur die Erzähl-Perspektive, sondern auch Ort und Zeit.
„Die Worte, die das Leben schreibt“ ist ein Buch der ruhigen Töne und mutet stellenweise poetisch an. Es versucht nicht durch Spannung und Action zu fesseln, sondern durch die Charaktere und wie diese zu sich selbst finden. Durch die wechselnden Perspektiven, die Sprünge in Zeit, Erzähler und Ort, verlor ich jedoch häufig den Überblick. Wo bin ich nun? In welcher Zeit? Wie passt das zum Rest? Ich hatte dabei das Gefühl als würden sich die verschiedenen Erzählstränge sicherlich bald auf eine besondere Art zusammenfügen, wie ein Puzzle und alles eine runde Sachen werden. Stattdessen stellte sich mit fortschreitender Seitenzahl Enttäuschung ein.
Magdalenas Gabe, die so magisch klingt ist nur ein kleiner Bestandteil dieses Buchs und bewegt sich im Hintergrund. Neils Liebe zu historischen Fakten, bringt diese sowieso schon sehr langsam voranschreitende Geschichte weiter vom Kurs ab und dann entwickeln sich Gefühle und Verhaltensweisen, die für mich nicht nachvollziehbar sind. Im Grund war ich plötzlich noch verwirrter als zuvor und Verlor langsam die Lust an diesem Buch.
Ich hätte so gerne mehr über Magdalena und ihre Gabe erfahren. Richard ist zwar eine authentische Figur, der die Zurückweisung seiner Mutter nicht verkraftet, doch sympathisch war er mir nicht. Auch Neil schaffte es nicht, dass ich mich für ihn, sein Schicksal und seine Sorgen interessierte. Dass Adelia Saunders die offenen Fragen schlussendlich nicht alle beantwortet, macht den Gesamteindruck dann leider nicht mehr besser.
Fazit:
Zum Ende hin bleibt nur festzuhalten, dass die großen Erwartungen nicht erfüllt wurden und der Klappentext irreführend ist. Mir fehlte die Magie, die spannende Handlung und ich wollte so gerne mehr über diese besondere Gabe von Magdalena erfahren. Das ist insgesamt sehr schade, aber dieses Buch war einfach nichts für mich.
Auf den ersten Seiten begegnen wir Richard, einem Mann, der seine bereits verstorbene Mutter nie kennenlernte und auf der Suche nach Spuren aus der Vergangenheit durch Paris reist. Ihn beschäftigt der Gedanke, ob seine Mutter ihn wirklich nie wollte und wieso sie ihn als Baby fort gab. Anschließend lernen wir den Studenten Neil kennen, der sich für Geschichte interessiert und kein sonderlich inniges Verhältnis zu seinem Vater pflegt. Und dann ist da noch Magdalena, die junge Frau aus Litauen, die von der Haut fremder Menschen lesen kann. Alle drei Figuren erzählen abwechselnd ihre Geschichte, wobei Richard aus der Ich-Perspektive erzählt, während Adelia Saunders bei Neil und Magdalena in die dritte Person wechselt. Alle drei Figuren berichten aus ihrem Leben, was sie bewegt und welche Last sie auf ihren Schultern tragen. Dabei wechseln wir nicht nur die Erzähl-Perspektive, sondern auch Ort und Zeit.
„Die Worte, die das Leben schreibt“ ist ein Buch der ruhigen Töne und mutet stellenweise poetisch an. Es versucht nicht durch Spannung und Action zu fesseln, sondern durch die Charaktere und wie diese zu sich selbst finden. Durch die wechselnden Perspektiven, die Sprünge in Zeit, Erzähler und Ort, verlor ich jedoch häufig den Überblick. Wo bin ich nun? In welcher Zeit? Wie passt das zum Rest? Ich hatte dabei das Gefühl als würden sich die verschiedenen Erzählstränge sicherlich bald auf eine besondere Art zusammenfügen, wie ein Puzzle und alles eine runde Sachen werden. Stattdessen stellte sich mit fortschreitender Seitenzahl Enttäuschung ein.
Magdalenas Gabe, die so magisch klingt ist nur ein kleiner Bestandteil dieses Buchs und bewegt sich im Hintergrund. Neils Liebe zu historischen Fakten, bringt diese sowieso schon sehr langsam voranschreitende Geschichte weiter vom Kurs ab und dann entwickeln sich Gefühle und Verhaltensweisen, die für mich nicht nachvollziehbar sind. Im Grund war ich plötzlich noch verwirrter als zuvor und Verlor langsam die Lust an diesem Buch.
Ich hätte so gerne mehr über Magdalena und ihre Gabe erfahren. Richard ist zwar eine authentische Figur, der die Zurückweisung seiner Mutter nicht verkraftet, doch sympathisch war er mir nicht. Auch Neil schaffte es nicht, dass ich mich für ihn, sein Schicksal und seine Sorgen interessierte. Dass Adelia Saunders die offenen Fragen schlussendlich nicht alle beantwortet, macht den Gesamteindruck dann leider nicht mehr besser.
Fazit:
Zum Ende hin bleibt nur festzuhalten, dass die großen Erwartungen nicht erfüllt wurden und der Klappentext irreführend ist. Mir fehlte die Magie, die spannende Handlung und ich wollte so gerne mehr über diese besondere Gabe von Magdalena erfahren. Das ist insgesamt sehr schade, aber dieses Buch war einfach nichts für mich.
November 20, 2016
"Indelible" was not what I expected. We follow three characters as their lives collide and separate. I found it to be overall a somewhat dark and depressing read. Magdalena is a young woman who has the ability to read what fate or "Luck" has written all over a person's skin. Sometimes this is useful information and sometimes not. Sometimes it is written in a language she can read, but sometimes not. Regardless, she finds that it is more of a burden than an aid, and so she avoids reading or acting on what other people's skins say. This brings the guilt she feels about her best friend Lina, who dies accidentally, but whose death was written plainly on her skin. Could Magdalena have prevented it? This is unknown/unclear.
We also follow Richard Beart fairly often. He is on a quest in Paris to learn more about his mother, Inga Beart, who was a famous novelist and who gave him up when he was a baby/had no interest in him. He believes that she actually came to see him when he was two and he remembers her red shoes. His life has turned into a quest to discover if such a thing was possible/true. He was disgraced and had to leave his job as a teacher (unclear if the accusation of sexual assault was true or not) and his son has little interest in him. He is alone and clings to the idea that his mother did love him, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
Richard's son, Neil, is the third person which we sometimes follow. He is a college student in London and meets Magdalena briefly when she is carrying Lina's ashes. He calls her Magdute for a while until she corrects him, but he actually has her name written on him. Magdalena is too preoccupied/upset about Lina to really pay too much attention to what it means, but we learn that Neil becomes interested in her very quickly and imagines their meeting going a different way.
There should be some content warnings for this book, including for attempted suicide, sexual assault/harassment, and voyeurism. This is definitely written for a mature audience. I found it to be rather slow moving and depressing on the whole as many of these characters seem to be stuck in the past/weighed down by their lives. Magdalena's gift is a very, very small part of the plot, which surprised me because from the synopsis, I thought this would be the main part of the book. It more follows these character's links with history and with each other, how briefly or not. I did find it to be similar in feel to "Cloud Atlas" in some ways.
Overall, it's an intriguing book about missed connections and how we relate to history and others, but I found it a little too slow and depressing for my liking. That being said, I read the whole thing and was curious to see what would happen to these characters, so I would give it 3.5 stars.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
We also follow Richard Beart fairly often. He is on a quest in Paris to learn more about his mother, Inga Beart, who was a famous novelist and who gave him up when he was a baby/had no interest in him. He believes that she actually came to see him when he was two and he remembers her red shoes. His life has turned into a quest to discover if such a thing was possible/true. He was disgraced and had to leave his job as a teacher (unclear if the accusation of sexual assault was true or not) and his son has little interest in him. He is alone and clings to the idea that his mother did love him, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
Richard's son, Neil, is the third person which we sometimes follow. He is a college student in London and meets Magdalena briefly when she is carrying Lina's ashes. He calls her Magdute for a while until she corrects him, but he actually has her name written on him. Magdalena is too preoccupied/upset about Lina to really pay too much attention to what it means, but we learn that Neil becomes interested in her very quickly and imagines their meeting going a different way.
There should be some content warnings for this book, including for attempted suicide, sexual assault/harassment, and voyeurism. This is definitely written for a mature audience. I found it to be rather slow moving and depressing on the whole as many of these characters seem to be stuck in the past/weighed down by their lives. Magdalena's gift is a very, very small part of the plot, which surprised me because from the synopsis, I thought this would be the main part of the book. It more follows these character's links with history and with each other, how briefly or not. I did find it to be similar in feel to "Cloud Atlas" in some ways.
Overall, it's an intriguing book about missed connections and how we relate to history and others, but I found it a little too slow and depressing for my liking. That being said, I read the whole thing and was curious to see what would happen to these characters, so I would give it 3.5 stars.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
February 7, 2017
This was not quite what I expected. I was hoping the book would focus more on the writing Magdalena sees on other people's skin, but it felt like such a minor detail at times (even though it was a key part of the story). The book is told from the POV of three characters. Magdalena, Neil, and Neil's dad Richard. I flip flopped between being engrossed and being bored. It all depended on the character speaking. The pacing was very slow during parts of the novel, especially Richard's chapters.
All three characters have some issues. Richard being the one carrying the greatest baggage, which is a surprise since Magdalena can tell you when you'll die (and how). Poor Neil just seemed sick of dealing with his dad's continuously resurfacing mommy issues. Magdalena was fascinating and I enjoyed her chapters the most. Her struggles with knowing everything about a person's past, present, and future by reading the words on their skin couldn't be easy, but she seemed so well adjusted considering.
The historical aspects of the novel were fascinating. I was intrigued by the pilgrimage that was discussed. I also enjoyed the Paris setting. I enjoyed seeing how the character's lives and paths intertwined. The writing was nice and descriptive, but the novel never fully grabbed me like I was hoping it would.
The ending was a bit too convenient as far as Richard's mom's story was concerned. I very much enjoyed the finale to Magdalena's long journey. I am glad everyone seemed to get the closure they needed.
All three characters have some issues. Richard being the one carrying the greatest baggage, which is a surprise since Magdalena can tell you when you'll die (and how). Poor Neil just seemed sick of dealing with his dad's continuously resurfacing mommy issues. Magdalena was fascinating and I enjoyed her chapters the most. Her struggles with knowing everything about a person's past, present, and future by reading the words on their skin couldn't be easy, but she seemed so well adjusted considering.
The historical aspects of the novel were fascinating. I was intrigued by the pilgrimage that was discussed. I also enjoyed the Paris setting. I enjoyed seeing how the character's lives and paths intertwined. The writing was nice and descriptive, but the novel never fully grabbed me like I was hoping it would.
The ending was a bit too convenient as far as Richard's mom's story was concerned. I very much enjoyed the finale to Magdalena's long journey. I am glad everyone seemed to get the closure they needed.
February 5, 2017
I got an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
The very premise of this book is at once familiar and new, which is to say Saunders' particular take of seeing-people's-fates-when-you-look-at-them isn't completely unprecedented, but the idea of seeing random facts on them isn't something I've really come across before, and is a very interesting concept. However, this concept isn't as much of a starring character as I expected it to be.
The main character isn't a superhero- in fact, the main character is a man who's just trying to finding where he came from, which does get a little confusing because an omniscient narrator who is not this first-person narration character narrates the lives of another two key characters. I think the way I wrote that is about as confusing as I found it reading it- well maybe more bemusing than plain confusing, as it didn't really disrupt the story too much, and the story would definitely be missing an intriguing layer without these other narratives. Nonetheless, the characters who have this strange power are achingly realistically portrayed as struggling to come to terms with this strange ability. They also learn to use it to their advantage in a range of ingenious ways.
If you were to just read one of the narratives alone, or even if you just left out Magdalena's part, this story would make just as much sense. However, by adding in this supernatural side, Saunders has brought a new dimension to the story, and given these other two stories an extra meaning that the characters aren't aware of. It's quite fun, really, trying to pick out who might have the same magical sight as Magdalena.
So, overall, "Indelible" is a complex, well woven and slightly haphazard tale of love, loss and learning who you're meant to be, with a little predestination sprinkles in there just for luck.
The very premise of this book is at once familiar and new, which is to say Saunders' particular take of seeing-people's-fates-when-you-look-at-them isn't completely unprecedented, but the idea of seeing random facts on them isn't something I've really come across before, and is a very interesting concept. However, this concept isn't as much of a starring character as I expected it to be.
The main character isn't a superhero- in fact, the main character is a man who's just trying to finding where he came from, which does get a little confusing because an omniscient narrator who is not this first-person narration character narrates the lives of another two key characters. I think the way I wrote that is about as confusing as I found it reading it- well maybe more bemusing than plain confusing, as it didn't really disrupt the story too much, and the story would definitely be missing an intriguing layer without these other narratives. Nonetheless, the characters who have this strange power are achingly realistically portrayed as struggling to come to terms with this strange ability. They also learn to use it to their advantage in a range of ingenious ways.
If you were to just read one of the narratives alone, or even if you just left out Magdalena's part, this story would make just as much sense. However, by adding in this supernatural side, Saunders has brought a new dimension to the story, and given these other two stories an extra meaning that the characters aren't aware of. It's quite fun, really, trying to pick out who might have the same magical sight as Magdalena.
So, overall, "Indelible" is a complex, well woven and slightly haphazard tale of love, loss and learning who you're meant to be, with a little predestination sprinkles in there just for luck.
September 12, 2016
review to follow tomorrow.
February 1, 2017
I read this debut novel slowly, stopping to consider the development of the story lines, the memories of each of the characters, knowing that each was harboring secrets and that their stories were interconnected. A certain grace and dignity permeates this novel not so much through the characters but through the language and writing that describe their thinking, observations, and memories.
Magdalena, who has migrated from Lithuania to the UK, sees words and phrases written all over people that tell a person’s life story, what has come before and what is ahead. So disturbing is this to her that she wears glasses to blur her vision. An even heavier burden is her friend’s death, a death that had for me a medieval overtone, for which she feels responsible, and thus, she carries Lina’s ashes searching for a final resting place. Early in the novel, she meets Neil, a graduate student who has been chosen to be part of a research team in Paris studying medieval pilgrimages devoted to St. Jacques, who has tracked her down to deliver long overdue Christmas gifts from his father to her mother. Her name is written on Neil’s cheekbone. She later meets an older man, Richard, on a Paris street; an expression her mother often used, “If the eyes don’t see, the heart doesn’t hurt” is written on his face. She is mystified by these encounters but is driven by her task to settle her friend’s ashes, which she decides to do by making the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela after learning the story from Neil. The pilgrimage seems to be the most deliberate decision Magdalena has made to this point in her life, which seemed to be more a series of random choices.
Told in alternating chapters (first person for Richard and third, for Magdalena and Neil,) clues sparingly offered as the plot unfolds, the reader slowly learns what has brought each to this moment in time. Richard, raised on a Colorado ranch by his Aunt Cat and Uncle Walt, was a school teacher who has been forced into retirement, the details explained later in the novel. He has lived all his life haunted by knowing his mother abandoned him at birth and a conflicting memory of seeing her in red high heeled shoes as a little boy. Inga Beart was an expatriate who lived in Europe writing noir novels in the 1950’s, which were celebrated in the literary world for a number of years before and after her 1954 death, her life and death the subject of speculation and biographies for years. Richard has come to Paris to resolve the questions he has about his mother, to finally find his truth and dispel the work of the biographers.
Completing the trinity of characters is Neil, Richard’s son, not necessarily a dutiful son, not necessarily at odds with his father, perhaps judgmental without having the understanding that comes with experience, and not very attentive or responsive to his father. Neil’s research focuses on a specific rebellious monk from Rouen who defies the thirteenth century edicts of the abbott of Vendome and the Pope forbidding monks to go on pilgrimages. This monk, who painfully wrote his story on eight pages of vellum and is still carefully archived, makes the pilgrimage from Paris to Santiago de Compostela in Spain in honor of Saint Jacques (or James) whose body was said to have washed up on the shore, protected by scallop shells, his legacy marked by miracles.
Wonderful metaphors are imbedded throughout the novel: the painstaking, detailed research of Neil, uncovering history and unlocking understanding for him…the burdens, physical and otherwise, Magdalena and Richard carry like pilgrims, looking for redemption…eyes “that never quite look at you”…”If the eyes don’t see, the heart doesn’t hurt”…the pilgrimage following the Milky Way, known as the Way of Saint James in medieval times, to the town of Santiago de Compostela, “the field of stars” and Finisterre, the final town on the pilgrimage, “the end of the earth.”
The plot lines remain complex right to the end where each of the characters gains a deeper understanding of the secrets and mysteries that have haunted their lives, freed from them to live a different life now. I am still thinking about Richard’s life in Colorado, his mother’s world in the 1950’s, the dots that connected Richard to Magdalena’s mother, to Magdalena, to Neil, and the circumstances that brought them together, and the relevance and significance of Saint James’ pilgrimage to people I know.
Magdalena, who has migrated from Lithuania to the UK, sees words and phrases written all over people that tell a person’s life story, what has come before and what is ahead. So disturbing is this to her that she wears glasses to blur her vision. An even heavier burden is her friend’s death, a death that had for me a medieval overtone, for which she feels responsible, and thus, she carries Lina’s ashes searching for a final resting place. Early in the novel, she meets Neil, a graduate student who has been chosen to be part of a research team in Paris studying medieval pilgrimages devoted to St. Jacques, who has tracked her down to deliver long overdue Christmas gifts from his father to her mother. Her name is written on Neil’s cheekbone. She later meets an older man, Richard, on a Paris street; an expression her mother often used, “If the eyes don’t see, the heart doesn’t hurt” is written on his face. She is mystified by these encounters but is driven by her task to settle her friend’s ashes, which she decides to do by making the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela after learning the story from Neil. The pilgrimage seems to be the most deliberate decision Magdalena has made to this point in her life, which seemed to be more a series of random choices.
Told in alternating chapters (first person for Richard and third, for Magdalena and Neil,) clues sparingly offered as the plot unfolds, the reader slowly learns what has brought each to this moment in time. Richard, raised on a Colorado ranch by his Aunt Cat and Uncle Walt, was a school teacher who has been forced into retirement, the details explained later in the novel. He has lived all his life haunted by knowing his mother abandoned him at birth and a conflicting memory of seeing her in red high heeled shoes as a little boy. Inga Beart was an expatriate who lived in Europe writing noir novels in the 1950’s, which were celebrated in the literary world for a number of years before and after her 1954 death, her life and death the subject of speculation and biographies for years. Richard has come to Paris to resolve the questions he has about his mother, to finally find his truth and dispel the work of the biographers.
Completing the trinity of characters is Neil, Richard’s son, not necessarily a dutiful son, not necessarily at odds with his father, perhaps judgmental without having the understanding that comes with experience, and not very attentive or responsive to his father. Neil’s research focuses on a specific rebellious monk from Rouen who defies the thirteenth century edicts of the abbott of Vendome and the Pope forbidding monks to go on pilgrimages. This monk, who painfully wrote his story on eight pages of vellum and is still carefully archived, makes the pilgrimage from Paris to Santiago de Compostela in Spain in honor of Saint Jacques (or James) whose body was said to have washed up on the shore, protected by scallop shells, his legacy marked by miracles.
Wonderful metaphors are imbedded throughout the novel: the painstaking, detailed research of Neil, uncovering history and unlocking understanding for him…the burdens, physical and otherwise, Magdalena and Richard carry like pilgrims, looking for redemption…eyes “that never quite look at you”…”If the eyes don’t see, the heart doesn’t hurt”…the pilgrimage following the Milky Way, known as the Way of Saint James in medieval times, to the town of Santiago de Compostela, “the field of stars” and Finisterre, the final town on the pilgrimage, “the end of the earth.”
The plot lines remain complex right to the end where each of the characters gains a deeper understanding of the secrets and mysteries that have haunted their lives, freed from them to live a different life now. I am still thinking about Richard’s life in Colorado, his mother’s world in the 1950’s, the dots that connected Richard to Magdalena’s mother, to Magdalena, to Neil, and the circumstances that brought them together, and the relevance and significance of Saint James’ pilgrimage to people I know.
March 27, 2017
Sometimes a reader gets lucky and finds the perfect book. It's a book that probably doesn't appeal to everyone but it has that special something that makes it just the thing for you.
Indelible is that book.
It is intelligent and savvy and eloquent.....and the list just goes on. The writing is sharp and flows beautifully. This story could have come across as ridiculous but it had the necessary grit that made it authentic, even with its elements of magical realism. Most of the time I had no idea where the story was going, and I didn't care. The interwoven narratives were so intriguing I forgot to question how they were related, it seemed secondary to the storytelling.
The intelligence of the author is mind boggling. I didn't fact check all the historical elements of the story but I didn't really need to. I loved all of the academic research, archival libraries and words in the book, this stuff is essentially a bibliophiles' dream. So I am fine if it is all make believe.
I will have Magdalena in my head for a long time. She is such a brilliant character with a damning gift. I was disappointed at first when the book did not focus entirely on Magdalena's ability to see the words covering the skin of other people. However, I soon got past this as I met Neil, his Father and their stories because they were equally interesting in very different but fascinating ways.
There is so much going on in this book that it should feel too busy, too cluttered, but because Adelina Saunders has told such a perfectly written, strange and mesmerizing story- it is just enough. There are a few things I wanted more information about but in the end that didn't change my mind about the book.
Honestly, I don't know who will find this book interesting. It's very quirky and highly original and unapologetically not your average novel. If you are looking for something a little off beat then Indelible is the book for you. I loved it, maybe you will too.
Last thought, the cover of the book is gorgeous and I found the way the title Indelible contained letters from the authors first name, Adelia, clever and playful. It seemed intentional but maybe it is just a lovely coincidence.
Indelible is that book.
It is intelligent and savvy and eloquent.....and the list just goes on. The writing is sharp and flows beautifully. This story could have come across as ridiculous but it had the necessary grit that made it authentic, even with its elements of magical realism. Most of the time I had no idea where the story was going, and I didn't care. The interwoven narratives were so intriguing I forgot to question how they were related, it seemed secondary to the storytelling.
The intelligence of the author is mind boggling. I didn't fact check all the historical elements of the story but I didn't really need to. I loved all of the academic research, archival libraries and words in the book, this stuff is essentially a bibliophiles' dream. So I am fine if it is all make believe.
I will have Magdalena in my head for a long time. She is such a brilliant character with a damning gift. I was disappointed at first when the book did not focus entirely on Magdalena's ability to see the words covering the skin of other people. However, I soon got past this as I met Neil, his Father and their stories because they were equally interesting in very different but fascinating ways.
There is so much going on in this book that it should feel too busy, too cluttered, but because Adelina Saunders has told such a perfectly written, strange and mesmerizing story- it is just enough. There are a few things I wanted more information about but in the end that didn't change my mind about the book.
Honestly, I don't know who will find this book interesting. It's very quirky and highly original and unapologetically not your average novel. If you are looking for something a little off beat then Indelible is the book for you. I loved it, maybe you will too.
Last thought, the cover of the book is gorgeous and I found the way the title Indelible contained letters from the authors first name, Adelia, clever and playful. It seemed intentional but maybe it is just a lovely coincidence.
August 6, 2018
Rezension zu "Die Worte die das Leben schreibt"
Von: Adelia Saunders
Verlag: Wunderraum-Verlag
Seitenzahl: 416
Preis: 25,00€ (Gebunden)
Kaufoption: https://www.amazon.de/Die-Worte-die-L...
Klappentext:
"Für alle, die an das Magische im Leben glauben.
Ein poetischer Roman mit einem Amélie-artigen Gefühl für das Wunderbare.
Magdalena hat eine eigentümliche Gabe. Die junge Frau kann die Geschichten fremder Menschen auf deren Haut lesen: Wie bei einem Tattoo, das nur sie sehen kann, erscheinen ihr Namen, Ereignisse, banale und tragische Details – Botschaften, die das Leben selbst mit Geheimtinte notiert zu haben scheint. Als sie in Paris einem amerikanischen Studenten begegnet, erkennt sie ihren eigenen Namen auf dessen Wange. Aber welche Rolle sollte sie im Schicksal von Neil spielen? Oder in dem von dessen Vater? Eine rätselhafte Geschichte verbindet das Leben dieser drei Menschen – und die Liebe. Denn Neil ist von der jungen Frau mit den hellen Augen ganz hingerissen."
Cover:
Das Cover ist simpel und ruhig gehalten. Es lässt den Inhalt völlig offen und man freut sich darauf, in die Geschichte einzutauchen. Die gebundene Ausgabe ist mit einem Leinenrücken und einem Lesebändchen ausgestattet, was es zu einem Highlight im Regal macht.
Inhalt:
Magdalena hat die Gabe, die Lebensgeschehnisse aller Menschen auf deren Haut zu lesen. Als Kind war es ihr unheimlich und sie fürchtet, Dinge zu lesen, die sie einfach gar nicht wissen möchte.
Sie begegnet Neil, welcher ihren Namen auf seiner Haut trägt, doch warum? Und dann gibt es noch Neils Vater, welcher wie verrückt nach Hinweisen zu seiner Mutter sucht, welche ihn als Baby weggegeben hat.
Meine Meinung:
Das Buch ist keine einfache Kost. Die Schreibweise ist ungewöhnlich, aber nicht schlecht. Mein Problem war es, dass die Sprünge zwischen den Charakteren und deren Orten und Zeiten völlig durcheinander waren, sodass man Probleme hatte überhaupt einen roten Faden zu finden und eine Beziehung zu den drei Protagonisten aufzubauen. Die Idee mit der Gabe, die Lebensprägenden Ereignisse auf der Haut zu lesen war toll, jedoch stand dies irgendwie nicht wirklich im Vordergrund.
Fazit:
Hat mich leider mehr verwirrt als mitgenommen!
Vielen Dank an den Wunderraum-Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar!
Klappentextquelle:https://www.amazon.de/Die-Worte-die-L...
Von: Adelia Saunders
Verlag: Wunderraum-Verlag
Seitenzahl: 416
Preis: 25,00€ (Gebunden)
Kaufoption: https://www.amazon.de/Die-Worte-die-L...
Klappentext:
"Für alle, die an das Magische im Leben glauben.
Ein poetischer Roman mit einem Amélie-artigen Gefühl für das Wunderbare.
Magdalena hat eine eigentümliche Gabe. Die junge Frau kann die Geschichten fremder Menschen auf deren Haut lesen: Wie bei einem Tattoo, das nur sie sehen kann, erscheinen ihr Namen, Ereignisse, banale und tragische Details – Botschaften, die das Leben selbst mit Geheimtinte notiert zu haben scheint. Als sie in Paris einem amerikanischen Studenten begegnet, erkennt sie ihren eigenen Namen auf dessen Wange. Aber welche Rolle sollte sie im Schicksal von Neil spielen? Oder in dem von dessen Vater? Eine rätselhafte Geschichte verbindet das Leben dieser drei Menschen – und die Liebe. Denn Neil ist von der jungen Frau mit den hellen Augen ganz hingerissen."
Cover:
Das Cover ist simpel und ruhig gehalten. Es lässt den Inhalt völlig offen und man freut sich darauf, in die Geschichte einzutauchen. Die gebundene Ausgabe ist mit einem Leinenrücken und einem Lesebändchen ausgestattet, was es zu einem Highlight im Regal macht.
Inhalt:
Magdalena hat die Gabe, die Lebensgeschehnisse aller Menschen auf deren Haut zu lesen. Als Kind war es ihr unheimlich und sie fürchtet, Dinge zu lesen, die sie einfach gar nicht wissen möchte.
Sie begegnet Neil, welcher ihren Namen auf seiner Haut trägt, doch warum? Und dann gibt es noch Neils Vater, welcher wie verrückt nach Hinweisen zu seiner Mutter sucht, welche ihn als Baby weggegeben hat.
Meine Meinung:
Das Buch ist keine einfache Kost. Die Schreibweise ist ungewöhnlich, aber nicht schlecht. Mein Problem war es, dass die Sprünge zwischen den Charakteren und deren Orten und Zeiten völlig durcheinander waren, sodass man Probleme hatte überhaupt einen roten Faden zu finden und eine Beziehung zu den drei Protagonisten aufzubauen. Die Idee mit der Gabe, die Lebensprägenden Ereignisse auf der Haut zu lesen war toll, jedoch stand dies irgendwie nicht wirklich im Vordergrund.
Fazit:
Hat mich leider mehr verwirrt als mitgenommen!
Vielen Dank an den Wunderraum-Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar!
Klappentextquelle:https://www.amazon.de/Die-Worte-die-L...
May 27, 2021
Eigentlich würde ich dem Buch lieber 3,5 Sterne geben als 4, das geht aber leider nicht, ich erkläre aber kurz warum : Als ich den Klappentext gelesen habe, war ich sehr interessiert und fand die Story direkt gut, dann habe ich angefangen zu lesen, konnte schnell lesen, das Buch hat meinen Lesefluss gefördert.
Achtung, kleiner Spoiler mit drin :
Ich hätte mir mehr von der Geschichte zwischen Neil und Magdalena erhofft, besonders am Ende. Ich hätte gerne gewusst, wie Magdalena darauf reagiert, dass Neil extra zu ihr gefahren ist. Das Buch war gut, das Ende leider etwas schwach.
Achtung, kleiner Spoiler mit drin :
Ich hätte mir mehr von der Geschichte zwischen Neil und Magdalena erhofft, besonders am Ende. Ich hätte gerne gewusst, wie Magdalena darauf reagiert, dass Neil extra zu ihr gefahren ist. Das Buch war gut, das Ende leider etwas schwach.
July 12, 2021
The book starts off slow, but eventually I was fully drawn into the lives of a Lithuanian woman named Magdalena, and American Neil and his father, and the way their lives intertwine. Magdalena can see words written on people’s skin, their secrets, their deaths, their pasts and future. When she meets Neil, she sees her name upon his cheek. Neil is a young historian who has a strained relationship with his father due to a misunderstanding, while his father is consumed with his famous mother’s tragic story- and why she abandoned him to his aunt and uncle.
September 2, 2017
Ok. Just ok.
October 2, 2020
I picked up this book because I was looking for a book with a Lithuanian main character. I’m half Lithuanian and I wanted some insight into the culture. This book provided some of that.
The beginning of this book was difficult to read. There are long chapters in which the scenes jump from the past to the present to the way past. The further you get into the book the easier it is to keep track of what is happening now and what is a memory. Then there’s a moment when all the pieces come together to make a beautiful picture. The idea of our lives written on our bodies is an interesting one. I feel sorry for Magdalena being able to read the writing when she doesn’t want to.
The beginning of this book was difficult to read. There are long chapters in which the scenes jump from the past to the present to the way past. The further you get into the book the easier it is to keep track of what is happening now and what is a memory. Then there’s a moment when all the pieces come together to make a beautiful picture. The idea of our lives written on our bodies is an interesting one. I feel sorry for Magdalena being able to read the writing when she doesn’t want to.
November 5, 2017
3.5 rounded to 3.
I was fascinated by the premise of this debut novel, where a young Lithuanian woman named Magdalena is trying to escape an unusual gift/curse. She can see words written on people’s skin – banal details or profound warnings – and she moves to a country where she can’t speak the language to get some respite from the onslaught of information. As she slowly learns English, she stops wearing her glasses in an attempt to avoid the words on faces and resorts to stumbling around short-sightedly rather than seeing clearly.
I expected the novel to follow Magdalena exclusively, but her story is mixed with two others – Neil, a history student who has Magdalena’s name written under his eye; and his father Richard, who is haunted by a memory of his mother visiting him as a child, even though all the biographers of the now famous writer and beauty say she abandoned him as a baby refusing to ever look at him. The linkages between their lives are developed as the book progresses.
I’ll be honest, I never much cared for Richard, and his passages dragged the novel down for me. Even though he had a better storyline than Neil, he was such a needy drip that I couldn’t warm to him or care about the ‘mystery’ of his mother. I would have liked to have spent more time with Magdalena; her beautiful tragic friend Lena; her mother and her grandmother and left the boys out of it. There is some great writing here, but there is also a lot of meandering and loose ends. It is worth reading, but I can’t say that I was wholly satisfied. That said – the premise was intriguing, the parts I enjoyed were excellent, poignant and haunting. I will be keeping an eye on what this author produces next.
Originally published on www.eatsplantsreadsbooks.wordpress.com. I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was fascinated by the premise of this debut novel, where a young Lithuanian woman named Magdalena is trying to escape an unusual gift/curse. She can see words written on people’s skin – banal details or profound warnings – and she moves to a country where she can’t speak the language to get some respite from the onslaught of information. As she slowly learns English, she stops wearing her glasses in an attempt to avoid the words on faces and resorts to stumbling around short-sightedly rather than seeing clearly.
I expected the novel to follow Magdalena exclusively, but her story is mixed with two others – Neil, a history student who has Magdalena’s name written under his eye; and his father Richard, who is haunted by a memory of his mother visiting him as a child, even though all the biographers of the now famous writer and beauty say she abandoned him as a baby refusing to ever look at him. The linkages between their lives are developed as the book progresses.
I’ll be honest, I never much cared for Richard, and his passages dragged the novel down for me. Even though he had a better storyline than Neil, he was such a needy drip that I couldn’t warm to him or care about the ‘mystery’ of his mother. I would have liked to have spent more time with Magdalena; her beautiful tragic friend Lena; her mother and her grandmother and left the boys out of it. There is some great writing here, but there is also a lot of meandering and loose ends. It is worth reading, but I can’t say that I was wholly satisfied. That said – the premise was intriguing, the parts I enjoyed were excellent, poignant and haunting. I will be keeping an eye on what this author produces next.
Originally published on www.eatsplantsreadsbooks.wordpress.com. I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2017
Indelible succeeds in ways that I find difficult to describe. I would love to know where Saunders got the idea for a protagonist who sees the future -- and the past -- written on people's skin. It's a very strange idea, but it worked for me. The three main characters, Neil, his father Richard, and Magdalena are intriguing, but the most beguiling of all is Richard's mother, Inga Beart. She is an American novelist who abandoned Richard upon his birth in 1949; she died not many years later of a self-inflicted injury. Although everyone tells Richard that she never saw him again, he has a vivid memory of seeing her when he was a young child. He remembers being under a kitchen table and seeing his mother's red shoes. He tells the story over and over again. Richard is obsessed with solving the mystery of his mother's visit, traveling to Paris to consult the archives of a woman with whom his mother supposedly had an intimate relationship. He's desperate to find evidence that his mother returned from Paris to see him before she died. Richard's son Neil is also in Paris, unbeknown to him, working on a summer research team from England, where he is a student; and so is Magdalena, a young woman from Lithuania with a disturbing ability. Their lives will intertwine. I was stunned that Saunders pulled this off successfully, but she did.
I was drawn in by Saunder's beautiful writing, Magdalena strange malady, and the tragedy of Inga Beart. The story of Inga Beart was especially fascinating. I don't know if her character is based on a factual author -- I looked all over the internet for clues, unsuccessfully --, but it was strangely believable. It actually feels as though Saunders used elements of several authors to create a composite. Born around 1930 in Colorado, Inga leaves home young and never looks back. She finds early success as a writer but she is tormented by madness, alcohol, and drug abuse. But she is a prolific and celebrated writer, the kind who is read in school and whose name is a household word. She knows she cannot raise a child so Richard grows up back in Colorado in the household of his mother's sister Cat, feeling like a burden and resented by his cousins. He understands his mother's actions, but of course, that doesn't prevent his feelings of abandonment and rejection. Magdalena's mother Dijana has met Richard, because she was his uncle's housekeeper in Colorado after Aunt Cat's death. Dijana and Richard are a little in love with each other and I was hoping that they would be reunited. They both need a little positive energy in their lives. And then there's Neil and Magdalena. They meet in London and Paris...and more. Many dyads and many mysteries. All turn on the life stories told on skin. I would love to say more about this element, but that would require many spoilers.
I found this book to be oddly satisfying. The lives of these characters share a common thread. Saunders skillfully unravels that thread. I was crying my eyes out at the end. It was that good.
I was drawn in by Saunder's beautiful writing, Magdalena strange malady, and the tragedy of Inga Beart. The story of Inga Beart was especially fascinating. I don't know if her character is based on a factual author -- I looked all over the internet for clues, unsuccessfully --, but it was strangely believable. It actually feels as though Saunders used elements of several authors to create a composite. Born around 1930 in Colorado, Inga leaves home young and never looks back. She finds early success as a writer but she is tormented by madness, alcohol, and drug abuse. But she is a prolific and celebrated writer, the kind who is read in school and whose name is a household word. She knows she cannot raise a child so Richard grows up back in Colorado in the household of his mother's sister Cat, feeling like a burden and resented by his cousins. He understands his mother's actions, but of course, that doesn't prevent his feelings of abandonment and rejection. Magdalena's mother Dijana has met Richard, because she was his uncle's housekeeper in Colorado after Aunt Cat's death. Dijana and Richard are a little in love with each other and I was hoping that they would be reunited. They both need a little positive energy in their lives. And then there's Neil and Magdalena. They meet in London and Paris...and more. Many dyads and many mysteries. All turn on the life stories told on skin. I would love to say more about this element, but that would require many spoilers.
I found this book to be oddly satisfying. The lives of these characters share a common thread. Saunders skillfully unravels that thread. I was crying my eyes out at the end. It was that good.
August 11, 2018
Jak tylko przeczytałam, że główną bohaterką "Naznaczonej" jest dziewczyna, która widzi tajemnicze napisy na ciele innych ludzi, poniekąd opowiadające ich historię, to już wiedziałam, że w moje ręce wpadła interesująca powieść oparta na oryginalnym pomyśle. Odrobina magii, ciekawi, dobrze rozwinięci bohaterowie, tajemnica z przeszłości a na dokładkę wspaniały Paryż sprawiły, że książka Adelii Sounders trafiła prosto do mojego serca. Dodatkowym plusem była warstwa psychologiczna książki. Autorka zadawała pytania, skłaniała do przemyśleń i wyciągania wniosków. Takie połączenie rozrywki z grą umysłową lubię najbardziej.
Magdalena obdarzona została nietypowym darem. Widzi napisy na ciele innych ludzi. Są to szczegóły z życia, zarówno banalne jak i te istotne : imiona, daty, wydarzenia a nawet godziny śmierci. Pewnego dnia, w Paryżu, poznaje Neila, u którego dostrzega wypisane na policzku swoje imię. Mężczyzna, zauroczony urodą Magdaleny, zakochuje się. W stolicy Francji przebywa również ojciec mężczyzny, który przyjechał odkryć prawdę o swojej zmarłej matce, słynnej pisarce. Pewnego dnia drogi całej trójki krzyżują się.
Bohaterowie, bohaterowie i bohaterowie. To właśnie oni są najmocniejszych ogniwem tej powieści. Jak widzicie po opisie, mamy tutaj do czynienia z nietypową, bo z elementami magii, powieścią obyczajową, a jak wiadomo książki tego gatunku raczej nie słyną z szybkości akcji czy mnogości jej
zwrotów. W zamian za to dostaliśmy powieść wielowątkową, której akcja rozwija się powoli jednak w dość nieoczekiwanym kierunku. Autorka posłużyła się tutaj metodą małych kroczków. Powolutku dokładając puzzel do puzzla wyłania nam się obraz większej całości widziany z trzech perspektyw. Każdy z naszej trójki bohaterów czegoś szuka, pozostaje pytanie : czy uda im się to znaleźć?
Zdecydowanie najbardziej barwną i wywołującą emocje postacią była Magdalena. Jeśli ktoś by mnie spytał, co do niej poczułam, już podczas pierwszego spotkania, to bez wahania bym powiedziała, że współczucie. Wyobraźcie sobie, że posiadacie dar (lub przekleństwo) widzenia wypisanych na skórze innych, wyrazów. Jeśli to nazwa miejsca, imię ukochanej osoby czy data ważnego wydarzenia to jest wam łatwo przejść nad tym do porządku dziennego. Gorzej jeśli napis opowiada historię smutną bądź przerażającą. Wyobraźcie sobie, że na klatce piersiowej waszego męża lub żony widnieje data jej śmierci i nie możecie zrobić nic żeby temu zapobiec. Kochacie wiedząc, że wasze szczęście będzie krótkotrwałe. Zamiast na miłości skupiacie się na odmierzaniu czasu do tej strasznej godziny zero. Magdalena miała wyrzuty sumienia po śmierci przyjaciółki. To właśnie siebie obwiniała za to co się stało. Wie, że mogła zapobiec tragedii, przecież miała wypisane wszystko czarno na białym. Historia Magdaleny to próba odnalezienia spokoju duszy, otrząśnięcia się po tragicznych wydarzeniach. Kobieta nienawidzi daru z którym przyszło jej żyć. Czuje się naznaczona, wyobcowana, a wszechobecne wyrazy pogłębiają jej paranoję. Pewnego dnia przestaje nosić, zalecone przez lekarza okulary. W konsekwencji słowa są rozmazane. Świat również. Jednak woli pozbawić otoczenia szczegółów a zachować zdrowie psychiczne. Droga Magdaleny to droga trudnych wyborów.
Postać Neila, najsłabsza w całej książce, wydaje mi się przerysowana, momentami karykaturalna. Owszem jego też pokochałam jednak z większym dystansem i przymrużeniem oka. Oczywiście każdy z nas wie, że istnieje coś takiego jak miłość od pierwszego wrażenia. Co prawda 99 procent ludzkości nigdy tego nie doświadczy ale możemy się cieszyć szczęściem tego jednego procenta. Jednak czy człowiek, nawet ten co się momentalnie zakochał, od razu traci rozum? Na przykładzie Neila widać, że istotnie tak się dzieje, bo chłopak przemierza pół Europy, by stanąć u drzwi kobiety, którą widział raz w życiu. Nieprawdopodobne jest to o tyle, że posiadał jej numer telefonu więc zamiast jechać w ciemno mógł się przecież umówić? Takich "spontanów", jak przystało na rasowego studenta historii, jest tutaj o wiele więcej, co daje czytelnikowi okazję się przyzwyczaić.
I oczywiście Richard. Jego historia opowiedziana jest w pierwszej osobie i to właśnie on jest tak naprawdę głównym bohaterem powieści. W tej części autorka mogła się pochwalić lirycznością swojego języka, znakomitym warsztatem i stylem. Richard przeżywa swoje dzieciństwo,brak obecności matki, która nawet "nigdy na niego nie spojrzała". Od razu po porodzie wyjechała do Paryża by brylować na salonach i pławić się w blasku reflektorów. Dla dla nich były jej uśmiechy i uwaga. Dorosły już mężczyzna przyjeżdża do Paryża w poszukiwaniu fotografii buta. Znalezienie trzewika z jego odległych wspomnień ma mu udowodnić, że jego matka choć raz wróciła do domu. Widział ją siedząc pod stołem i patrząc na czerwone pantofelki. Dlaczego wróciła? Czemu siedziała z ciotką przy kuchennym stole? Jaką tajemnicę skrywa ta scena? Muszę powiedzieć, że czytając historię Richarda płakałam. Ból odrzucenia przez matkę musi być niewyobrażalny. Sama mam dwie córki i kiedy starsza wyjeżdża do dziadków to mam wrażenie, że w walizce zabrała cząstkę mnie. Nie wiem jak można odwrócić się od własnego dziecka, zostawić na pastwę krewnych czy domu dziecka. Pozwolić by widziało cię w gazetach, w objęciach innych. Książka z pewnością dostarczyła mi masę emocji i niektóre z nich do głębi mnie poruszyły.
Trzeba zaznaczyć, że "Naznaczona" jest lekturą dla dorosłych, dojrzałych czytelników, ze względu na zawarte w niej szokujące treści, nieodpowiednie dla młodszych odbiorców. Próby samobójcze, napaści na tle seksualnym, inwigilacja-to właśnie te tematy stanowią tak zwane "mięso" powieści. Sam "dar" Magdaleny zajmuje w książce dość mało miejsca, odnosi się głównie do wydarzeń z przeszłości oraz połączeń pomiędzy poszczególnymi bohaterami. "Naznaczona" to kompleksowa powieść przypominająca swoją budową "Atlas Chmur". Mamy tutaj bardzo dużo odnośników do przeszłości, czasem wręcz odnosiłam wrażenie, że bohaterowie wprost są w niej zakotwiczeni. Wprost nie mogłam uwierzyć, że fabuła toczy się w 2008 roku bo nie ma tutaj nic z wszechobecnej nowoczesności. Pomimo pięknej okładki, która stwarza wrażenie, że mamy będziemy mieć do czynienia z lekką powieścią kobiecą, książka ta jest naprawdę trudna, depresyjna jednak niezwykle ważna i szlachetna. To rzecz, nad którą trzeba przysiąść, zadumać się. To przede wszystkim wspaniała książka o ludziach i ich wewnętrznych przemianach. Już dawno nie spotkałam się z tak dobrze przedstawionymi profilami psychologicznymi postaci i ich metamorfozami. Dlatego jeszcze raz przypomnę : bohaterowie, bohaterowie, bohaterowie.
Jeśli uważacie, że ze względu na szczególny, magiczny dar naszej głównej bohaterki, wolicie sobie tę lekturę odpuścić bo jest zbyt "fantastyczna" to robiąc tak bardzo dużo stracicie. Widzenie słów potraktujcie jako osobliwy dodatek, motor całej powieści a nawet jej symbol. Jednak to nie on jest tutaj ważny tylko wędrówka naszych bohaterów ku wolności i szczęściu. "Naznaczona" to złożona, dobrze napisana choć nieco "przypadkowa" powieść o miłości, stracie i odkrywaniu tego kim naprawdę jesteśmy. Polecam wymagającym czytelnikom. Zdecydowanie była to jedna z piękniejszych przeczytanych przeze mnie w tym roku książek.
Magdalena obdarzona została nietypowym darem. Widzi napisy na ciele innych ludzi. Są to szczegóły z życia, zarówno banalne jak i te istotne : imiona, daty, wydarzenia a nawet godziny śmierci. Pewnego dnia, w Paryżu, poznaje Neila, u którego dostrzega wypisane na policzku swoje imię. Mężczyzna, zauroczony urodą Magdaleny, zakochuje się. W stolicy Francji przebywa również ojciec mężczyzny, który przyjechał odkryć prawdę o swojej zmarłej matce, słynnej pisarce. Pewnego dnia drogi całej trójki krzyżują się.
Bohaterowie, bohaterowie i bohaterowie. To właśnie oni są najmocniejszych ogniwem tej powieści. Jak widzicie po opisie, mamy tutaj do czynienia z nietypową, bo z elementami magii, powieścią obyczajową, a jak wiadomo książki tego gatunku raczej nie słyną z szybkości akcji czy mnogości jej
zwrotów. W zamian za to dostaliśmy powieść wielowątkową, której akcja rozwija się powoli jednak w dość nieoczekiwanym kierunku. Autorka posłużyła się tutaj metodą małych kroczków. Powolutku dokładając puzzel do puzzla wyłania nam się obraz większej całości widziany z trzech perspektyw. Każdy z naszej trójki bohaterów czegoś szuka, pozostaje pytanie : czy uda im się to znaleźć?
Zdecydowanie najbardziej barwną i wywołującą emocje postacią była Magdalena. Jeśli ktoś by mnie spytał, co do niej poczułam, już podczas pierwszego spotkania, to bez wahania bym powiedziała, że współczucie. Wyobraźcie sobie, że posiadacie dar (lub przekleństwo) widzenia wypisanych na skórze innych, wyrazów. Jeśli to nazwa miejsca, imię ukochanej osoby czy data ważnego wydarzenia to jest wam łatwo przejść nad tym do porządku dziennego. Gorzej jeśli napis opowiada historię smutną bądź przerażającą. Wyobraźcie sobie, że na klatce piersiowej waszego męża lub żony widnieje data jej śmierci i nie możecie zrobić nic żeby temu zapobiec. Kochacie wiedząc, że wasze szczęście będzie krótkotrwałe. Zamiast na miłości skupiacie się na odmierzaniu czasu do tej strasznej godziny zero. Magdalena miała wyrzuty sumienia po śmierci przyjaciółki. To właśnie siebie obwiniała za to co się stało. Wie, że mogła zapobiec tragedii, przecież miała wypisane wszystko czarno na białym. Historia Magdaleny to próba odnalezienia spokoju duszy, otrząśnięcia się po tragicznych wydarzeniach. Kobieta nienawidzi daru z którym przyszło jej żyć. Czuje się naznaczona, wyobcowana, a wszechobecne wyrazy pogłębiają jej paranoję. Pewnego dnia przestaje nosić, zalecone przez lekarza okulary. W konsekwencji słowa są rozmazane. Świat również. Jednak woli pozbawić otoczenia szczegółów a zachować zdrowie psychiczne. Droga Magdaleny to droga trudnych wyborów.
Postać Neila, najsłabsza w całej książce, wydaje mi się przerysowana, momentami karykaturalna. Owszem jego też pokochałam jednak z większym dystansem i przymrużeniem oka. Oczywiście każdy z nas wie, że istnieje coś takiego jak miłość od pierwszego wrażenia. Co prawda 99 procent ludzkości nigdy tego nie doświadczy ale możemy się cieszyć szczęściem tego jednego procenta. Jednak czy człowiek, nawet ten co się momentalnie zakochał, od razu traci rozum? Na przykładzie Neila widać, że istotnie tak się dzieje, bo chłopak przemierza pół Europy, by stanąć u drzwi kobiety, którą widział raz w życiu. Nieprawdopodobne jest to o tyle, że posiadał jej numer telefonu więc zamiast jechać w ciemno mógł się przecież umówić? Takich "spontanów", jak przystało na rasowego studenta historii, jest tutaj o wiele więcej, co daje czytelnikowi okazję się przyzwyczaić.
I oczywiście Richard. Jego historia opowiedziana jest w pierwszej osobie i to właśnie on jest tak naprawdę głównym bohaterem powieści. W tej części autorka mogła się pochwalić lirycznością swojego języka, znakomitym warsztatem i stylem. Richard przeżywa swoje dzieciństwo,brak obecności matki, która nawet "nigdy na niego nie spojrzała". Od razu po porodzie wyjechała do Paryża by brylować na salonach i pławić się w blasku reflektorów. Dla dla nich były jej uśmiechy i uwaga. Dorosły już mężczyzna przyjeżdża do Paryża w poszukiwaniu fotografii buta. Znalezienie trzewika z jego odległych wspomnień ma mu udowodnić, że jego matka choć raz wróciła do domu. Widział ją siedząc pod stołem i patrząc na czerwone pantofelki. Dlaczego wróciła? Czemu siedziała z ciotką przy kuchennym stole? Jaką tajemnicę skrywa ta scena? Muszę powiedzieć, że czytając historię Richarda płakałam. Ból odrzucenia przez matkę musi być niewyobrażalny. Sama mam dwie córki i kiedy starsza wyjeżdża do dziadków to mam wrażenie, że w walizce zabrała cząstkę mnie. Nie wiem jak można odwrócić się od własnego dziecka, zostawić na pastwę krewnych czy domu dziecka. Pozwolić by widziało cię w gazetach, w objęciach innych. Książka z pewnością dostarczyła mi masę emocji i niektóre z nich do głębi mnie poruszyły.
Trzeba zaznaczyć, że "Naznaczona" jest lekturą dla dorosłych, dojrzałych czytelników, ze względu na zawarte w niej szokujące treści, nieodpowiednie dla młodszych odbiorców. Próby samobójcze, napaści na tle seksualnym, inwigilacja-to właśnie te tematy stanowią tak zwane "mięso" powieści. Sam "dar" Magdaleny zajmuje w książce dość mało miejsca, odnosi się głównie do wydarzeń z przeszłości oraz połączeń pomiędzy poszczególnymi bohaterami. "Naznaczona" to kompleksowa powieść przypominająca swoją budową "Atlas Chmur". Mamy tutaj bardzo dużo odnośników do przeszłości, czasem wręcz odnosiłam wrażenie, że bohaterowie wprost są w niej zakotwiczeni. Wprost nie mogłam uwierzyć, że fabuła toczy się w 2008 roku bo nie ma tutaj nic z wszechobecnej nowoczesności. Pomimo pięknej okładki, która stwarza wrażenie, że mamy będziemy mieć do czynienia z lekką powieścią kobiecą, książka ta jest naprawdę trudna, depresyjna jednak niezwykle ważna i szlachetna. To rzecz, nad którą trzeba przysiąść, zadumać się. To przede wszystkim wspaniała książka o ludziach i ich wewnętrznych przemianach. Już dawno nie spotkałam się z tak dobrze przedstawionymi profilami psychologicznymi postaci i ich metamorfozami. Dlatego jeszcze raz przypomnę : bohaterowie, bohaterowie, bohaterowie.
Jeśli uważacie, że ze względu na szczególny, magiczny dar naszej głównej bohaterki, wolicie sobie tę lekturę odpuścić bo jest zbyt "fantastyczna" to robiąc tak bardzo dużo stracicie. Widzenie słów potraktujcie jako osobliwy dodatek, motor całej powieści a nawet jej symbol. Jednak to nie on jest tutaj ważny tylko wędrówka naszych bohaterów ku wolności i szczęściu. "Naznaczona" to złożona, dobrze napisana choć nieco "przypadkowa" powieść o miłości, stracie i odkrywaniu tego kim naprawdę jesteśmy. Polecam wymagającym czytelnikom. Zdecydowanie była to jedna z piękniejszych przeczytanych przeze mnie w tym roku książek.
Read
March 27, 2017A gorgeously written and well-packaged novel but with a meandering narrative that makes it a challenge to follow.
I'll admit it: I was taken by the cover. We're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I did. So does Magdalena, one of three 'main' characters in INDELIBLE who claims to be able to read people based on the visible-to-her-only words and dates appearing on the skin of strangers, almost like tattoos.
We also follow along--in Paris and London, and on into Spain--the lives of Neil and his father, Richard.
INDELIBLE is a slow burn. It's well-written, there are parts of real beauty, but I had difficulty with the meandering tone and lack of cohesion; it almost felt as if I were reading several different books and waiting for them all to converge. I'm usually okay with multiple POVs, and even stories told cross-gender, but this one had me scratching my head on more than one occasion. Perhaps there's more to the story than I realized and others may not have this concern.
Still, Adelia Saunders is so very talented with the heft of story, the originality, setting, and overall 'smarts' of the story. I would compare her writing to that of Elizabeth Kostova/SWAN THIEVES and in terms of subject, it might be loosely comparable to Lisa Unger's INK & BONE
For more reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com
I'll admit it: I was taken by the cover. We're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I did. So does Magdalena, one of three 'main' characters in INDELIBLE who claims to be able to read people based on the visible-to-her-only words and dates appearing on the skin of strangers, almost like tattoos.
We also follow along--in Paris and London, and on into Spain--the lives of Neil and his father, Richard.
INDELIBLE is a slow burn. It's well-written, there are parts of real beauty, but I had difficulty with the meandering tone and lack of cohesion; it almost felt as if I were reading several different books and waiting for them all to converge. I'm usually okay with multiple POVs, and even stories told cross-gender, but this one had me scratching my head on more than one occasion. Perhaps there's more to the story than I realized and others may not have this concern.
Still, Adelia Saunders is so very talented with the heft of story, the originality, setting, and overall 'smarts' of the story. I would compare her writing to that of Elizabeth Kostova/SWAN THIEVES and in terms of subject, it might be loosely comparable to Lisa Unger's INK & BONE
For more reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com
December 27, 2016
I won this in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway - thanks, Goodreads! Great plot conceit was used to little effect - it could have been, done, and explained so much more. And it could have been explained better - we never learn why Magdalene and some others can see writing on people's skin, we never learn why she has none, we never get to see her do anything with her gift/curse that's interesting or story-changing (she ends up working at least briefly as a psychic/tarot-card reader; great idea, but why not flesh it out and make the plot turn on it?). The characters are flat, and I couldn't come to care about any of them. A first effort that feels like it needed more work before it could come to life. I'd give Saunders another chance, but this book? I'm not sure why it garnered the jacket praise it did.
June 26, 2016
In Indelible, Adelia Saunders has created a stunning debut novel so beautifully written, richly plotted and dense with secrets that the moment I finished reading it, I wanted to pick it up and start again. The premise is fascinating—one of the main characters sees names, facts and dates written on the skin of every person she meets—but the novel is about so much more than that. The true delight in reading Indelible lies in untangling the delicately woven connections between characters, between the past and the present, and between what we think we know and what we discover is true. This is the kind of book that I had been waiting to read, and I know I’ll love it more each time I pick it up.
November 11, 2016
This is a novel that will attract many young adult readers. The cover makes this a book that shouts, "Open Me!" Unique story line involving the ability to see words written on others. Magdalena has a very unique gift and/or curse; she sees words on people and the words tell stories. Magdalena gets to the point of not wanting to see/read people, but can she really live like that? Add to the mix, two additional characters; Richard, a retired teachers who is searching for clues about his mother, and Richard's son, Neil. Saunders has done a great job of bringing all three characters together and having their individual stories weave and twist into a fascinating read. Recommend this one to high school librarians
October 20, 2016
eARC: Netgalley
An absolute treasure.
This is one of those few truly original books that come along so rarely . I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to read such a find. Thank you, Netgalley...and thank you, Adelia Saunders, for creating such an interesting story that will live on in my mind for years to come.
An absolute treasure.
This is one of those few truly original books that come along so rarely . I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to read such a find. Thank you, Netgalley...and thank you, Adelia Saunders, for creating such an interesting story that will live on in my mind for years to come.
August 16, 2018
Pełna recenzja: https://toreador-nottoread.blogspot.c...
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Już na samym początku byłam zaskoczona i trochę rozczarowana, gdy okazało się, że to nie jest tylko historia Magdaleny. Dziewczyna jest jedną z trzech głównych bohaterów; pozostali dwaj to Neil i Richard, ojciec Neila, których perspektywy także tu dostaniemy. Tak naprawdę te trzy wątki mają ze sobą niewiele wspólnego, każdy biegnie swoim torem i nie wchodzi innym w drogę. Można zauważyć drobne powiązania między nimi, ale naprawdę są one bardzo delikatne. I to by było na tyle, jeśli chodzi o moje oczekiwania względem książki z wątkiem fantastycznym o dziewczynie, która widzi napisy na ludzkich ciałach.
Cała fabuła skupia się głównie wokół historii Richarda, mężczyzny próbującego dociec, o co tak naprawdę chodziło z jego matką, jej macierzyństwem i śmiercią. Czytało mi się o jego drodze do poznania prawdy naprawdę przyjemnie. Byłam ciekawa, co wydarzyło się przed laty, a rozwiązanie całej zagadki, wow. Do tego mamy wątek Neila, który… nie potrafię powiedzieć nawet o czym tak naprawdę był, bo zasadniczo nic nie wnosił do fabuły, a rozdziały z jego perspektywy tylko wybijały mnie z rytmu, denerwowały i nudziły, bo ten bohater nie miał nic ciekawego do powiedzenia. Jest jeszcze Magdalena, nasza dziewczyna z darem, który stanowi dodatek do całej historii, a który na samym początku mnie irytował. Sięgamy do dzieciństwa bohaterki, by lepiej poznać jej niecodzienną umiejętność, co może działać na nerwy, bo młoda Magdalena nie była błyskotliwym dzieckiem. Na szczęście z tego wyrosła i stała się całkiem znośnym dorosłym, o którym później już z przyjemnością się czyta. Szkoda tylko, że nie poświęcono trochę więcej czasu jej darowi, bo jak w pierwszej połowie mówi się o nim trochę, to w drugiej zapomina się o nim zupełnie. Także Magdalena i Richard na plus, bo ich historie są ciekawe, ale Neil do odstrzału.
Wiecie, co jeszcze jest ciekawe? Magdalena gdzieś tam się przewija w rozdziałach opowiadanych z perspektywy Neila, ale ja miałam wrażenie, że to zupełnie inna osoba niż ta, o której czytamy we fragmentach strikte o niej. Nie wiem, czy to wynika ze sposobu postrzegania jej przez Neila, czy co, chociaż w sumie nie powinno, bo historie obu postaci opowiadane są przez trzecioosobowego narratora, który powinien zachować dystans do nich obojga.
Za to mój największy problem dotyczący tej powieści wynika ze stylu pisania autorki. Panuje tu straszny chaos! Adelia Saunders chce zawszeć jak najwięcej treści w jak najmniejszej objętości tekstu, przez co rzuca mnóstwem faktów, ale w żaden sposób nie łączy ich ze sobą. Miałam przez to wrażenie, że czytam jakąś wyliczankę, a nie spójną, fabularną powieść.
Słowem podsumowania, żałuję, że Adelia Saunders nie wykorzystała pełni potencjału, który tkwił w pomyśle na Naznaczoną. Brakuje mi tu „tego czegoś”. Do tego dar Magdaleny spokojnie można byłoby trochę rozwinąć, czym bym nie pogardziła, bo tak naprawdę cały ten wątek nie ma zbyt jasnej konkluzji. Losy Richarda należą do tych „raczej ciekawych”, za to historia Neila… no cóż, te rozdziały fundują rozrywkę pokroju kopania ziemniaków.
Jeśli tak jak ja, zwróciliście uwagę na Naznaczoną z powodu nietypowego pomysłu na dar głównej bohaterki, to ostrzegam, że możecie się mocno rozczarować. Niewiele tu elementów fantastyki, przynajmniej w porównaniu do tego, co sugeruje opis z okładki. Za to jeśli odstraszał was ten nadnaturalny wątek, bo nie ma się czego bać, jest go tu naprawdę niewiele i nie powinien was razić w oczy. I poleciłabym tę książkę właśnie takim osobom, nastawionym na lekką i przyjemną powieść obyczajową o odkrywaniu tajemnic, poznawaniu swojej przeszłości, zabarwioną delikatnymi elementami realizmu magicznego.
(...)
Już na samym początku byłam zaskoczona i trochę rozczarowana, gdy okazało się, że to nie jest tylko historia Magdaleny. Dziewczyna jest jedną z trzech głównych bohaterów; pozostali dwaj to Neil i Richard, ojciec Neila, których perspektywy także tu dostaniemy. Tak naprawdę te trzy wątki mają ze sobą niewiele wspólnego, każdy biegnie swoim torem i nie wchodzi innym w drogę. Można zauważyć drobne powiązania między nimi, ale naprawdę są one bardzo delikatne. I to by było na tyle, jeśli chodzi o moje oczekiwania względem książki z wątkiem fantastycznym o dziewczynie, która widzi napisy na ludzkich ciałach.
Cała fabuła skupia się głównie wokół historii Richarda, mężczyzny próbującego dociec, o co tak naprawdę chodziło z jego matką, jej macierzyństwem i śmiercią. Czytało mi się o jego drodze do poznania prawdy naprawdę przyjemnie. Byłam ciekawa, co wydarzyło się przed laty, a rozwiązanie całej zagadki, wow. Do tego mamy wątek Neila, który… nie potrafię powiedzieć nawet o czym tak naprawdę był, bo zasadniczo nic nie wnosił do fabuły, a rozdziały z jego perspektywy tylko wybijały mnie z rytmu, denerwowały i nudziły, bo ten bohater nie miał nic ciekawego do powiedzenia. Jest jeszcze Magdalena, nasza dziewczyna z darem, który stanowi dodatek do całej historii, a który na samym początku mnie irytował. Sięgamy do dzieciństwa bohaterki, by lepiej poznać jej niecodzienną umiejętność, co może działać na nerwy, bo młoda Magdalena nie była błyskotliwym dzieckiem. Na szczęście z tego wyrosła i stała się całkiem znośnym dorosłym, o którym później już z przyjemnością się czyta. Szkoda tylko, że nie poświęcono trochę więcej czasu jej darowi, bo jak w pierwszej połowie mówi się o nim trochę, to w drugiej zapomina się o nim zupełnie. Także Magdalena i Richard na plus, bo ich historie są ciekawe, ale Neil do odstrzału.
Wiecie, co jeszcze jest ciekawe? Magdalena gdzieś tam się przewija w rozdziałach opowiadanych z perspektywy Neila, ale ja miałam wrażenie, że to zupełnie inna osoba niż ta, o której czytamy we fragmentach strikte o niej. Nie wiem, czy to wynika ze sposobu postrzegania jej przez Neila, czy co, chociaż w sumie nie powinno, bo historie obu postaci opowiadane są przez trzecioosobowego narratora, który powinien zachować dystans do nich obojga.
Za to mój największy problem dotyczący tej powieści wynika ze stylu pisania autorki. Panuje tu straszny chaos! Adelia Saunders chce zawszeć jak najwięcej treści w jak najmniejszej objętości tekstu, przez co rzuca mnóstwem faktów, ale w żaden sposób nie łączy ich ze sobą. Miałam przez to wrażenie, że czytam jakąś wyliczankę, a nie spójną, fabularną powieść.
Słowem podsumowania, żałuję, że Adelia Saunders nie wykorzystała pełni potencjału, który tkwił w pomyśle na Naznaczoną. Brakuje mi tu „tego czegoś”. Do tego dar Magdaleny spokojnie można byłoby trochę rozwinąć, czym bym nie pogardziła, bo tak naprawdę cały ten wątek nie ma zbyt jasnej konkluzji. Losy Richarda należą do tych „raczej ciekawych”, za to historia Neila… no cóż, te rozdziały fundują rozrywkę pokroju kopania ziemniaków.
Jeśli tak jak ja, zwróciliście uwagę na Naznaczoną z powodu nietypowego pomysłu na dar głównej bohaterki, to ostrzegam, że możecie się mocno rozczarować. Niewiele tu elementów fantastyki, przynajmniej w porównaniu do tego, co sugeruje opis z okładki. Za to jeśli odstraszał was ten nadnaturalny wątek, bo nie ma się czego bać, jest go tu naprawdę niewiele i nie powinien was razić w oczy. I poleciłabym tę książkę właśnie takim osobom, nastawionym na lekką i przyjemną powieść obyczajową o odkrywaniu tajemnic, poznawaniu swojej przeszłości, zabarwioną delikatnymi elementami realizmu magicznego.
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