De woorden in haar hand

by Guinevere Glasfurd, Lara Visser (Translator)

1630, Amsterdam. Helena werkt bij een uitgever aan de Westermarkt 6, als dienstmeisje. Ze is intelligent en leert zichzelf lezen door woorden in haar hand te schrijven. In hetzelfde pand woont een excentrieke Fransman, René Descartes. Hun gesprekken leiden tot echte liefde - maar dan moet Helena vertrekken. Vrijheid zoals Descartes die in Amsterdam vindt, bestaat in de Gouden Eeuw niet voor vrouwen. Na jaren van verwijdering zien ze elkaar weer. Hun liefde heeft standgehouden, maar de wereld blijkt veranderd.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, 17th Century, Book Club, Roman

352 pages, Paperback

First published August 7, 2015

Reviews

[Helene Jeppesen · Rating 3 out of 5]

After having finished this book, I am left somewhat confused. This is a historical novel based on René Descartes and his secret love affair with a woman named Helena. It is set in The Netherlands, and the first half of the novel was beautiful. The tension between Helena and Descartes was nicely depicted, and the way things developed had me hooked.
However, having now finished the book I can't help but wonder what was the purpose? I feel like the book is too accurate a depiction of their relationship, and the outcome is a somewhat meaningless story with no real conclusion. With books like these, you have to ask yourself: Are you looking for a true depiction of what happened? Or are you looking for a more loose depiction but a great story? I have to admit I vote for the latter; otherwise I would have picked up a factual history book.
That being said, I do think this book comes with its beauty, and I enjoyed large parts of it. I just feel like it lacked something that would have made it a complete story.

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning description of Amsterdam was truly lovely. Description of the other Dutch cities (Deventer, Leiden and Santpoort) fall short.

I am not convinced that the author has correctly drawn the relationship between René Descartes and Helena Jans van der Strom. We know that in the year 1634 she was a maid in the house of English bookseller Thomas Sergeant at Westermarkt 6, Amsterdam, while Descartes was in residence there too. We also know that he was the father of the child she gave birth to in 1635. The child, Francine, only lived for five years. The author has drawn a story that may explain these bare facts. I have a problem with what we are told. Descartes questioned all the truths of the day. Now if he was such a free-thinker and if his love for Helena was as strong as it was drawn here in this book, then why didn't he marry her? Maybe he quite simply wasn't all that much in love with her! This doesn't make for a good story, but it makes a lot more sense.

The beginning of the story is engaging. It is a pure delight to watch as Helena learns to write; women in the 1600s were considered incapable of such skills. The end of the story is drawn too fast; I needed to know much more.

Did I come to feel for the characters? No.

The reader learns very little about Descartes.

The audiobook narration by Abigail Hollick was good. It wouldn't have been inappropriate if Helena's anger and frustration toward Descartes had been allowed to be heard more blatantly.

[Pilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maravilloso, de verdad. Es de lo mejorcito que he leído en los últimos tiempos. El libro está narrado en primera persona por Helena, que es la protagonista absoluta de la obra, una simple doncella en el siglo XVII que sabe lo que la lectura y la escritura pueden cambiar el mundo, el de las mujeres, su mundo. Está escrito de forma maravillosa, mostrándonos la forma en la que ser mujer significaba ser nada en esos tiempos, y ser mujer humilde era ser menos todavía. Pero Helena no es una mujer normal de su época, sabe lo que es, cual es su sitio, pero no se resiste a no saber, no se resiste a no escribir palabras en sus manos. La manera en la que, con los pocos datos que se tienen de la relación entre ella y Descartes, la autora crea un libro precioso, me ha alucinado.
Descartes y ella tienen una historia común, que nos muestra la forma en la que el pensador también vivía torturado por la sociedad de entonces, una sociedad que no le comprendía y le hacía vivir oculto un amor que se supone no debía sentir.
Me ha gustado mucho la forma en la que Helena se va haciendo fuerte conforme la vida la va baqueteando de un lugar a otro, sabiendo encontrar su sitio en cualquier parte, sabiendo lo que los demás quieren de ella, cómo tiene que comportarse, por qué y por quién ha de hacerlo, pero no aceptándolo, reconociéndose ante ella misma sus debilidades, pero también su fuerza. Me ha enamorado que luche por hacerse un lugar en un lugar de hombres, que pelee por esas letras que cree tan necesarias, que comprenda que el mundo es más de lo que ve aunque no siempre la dejen verlo. Quiero poneros un pedacito de esta historia que creo que la representa muy bien y que define la fortaleza de Helena:
"Más tarde, bien entrada la noche, después de que el señor Sergeant se hubiera ido a la cama y a la falta de un soporte mejor, me enrollé la manga. Aquellas primeras palabras me hicieron muchas cosquillas. Cuando me quedé sin espacio, me levanté la falda y escribí por encima de la rodilla y luego en el muslo. Escribí, escribí y escribí sin parar"

[Myriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ma chronique : http://unjour-unlivre.fr/2016/10/les-...
Magnifique et bouleversant, ce roman revient sur la mystérieuse idylle entre Descartes et une jeune servante hollandaise.
J'ai été prise dans un tourbillon d'émotions à la lecture de ce livre, qui m'aura beaucoup rappelé Une Vie de Maupassant : une femme qui rêve de savoirs et de connaissances mais qui est systématiquement rappelée à sa condition féminine par les hommes qui l'entourent.
C'est un roman basé sur des faits historiques réels, à lire pour redécouvrir Descartes sous un nouveau jour, mais aussi vous émouvoir du combat d'une femme pour l'éducation et la liberté.

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully observed and written book, about the love of science, writing, nature, and the human side of a historical figure that remains fascinating to this day. This fictionalization gives a good introduction to some of the Descartes ideas and is great for learning about another woman whose place in history has only been a footnote until now. A great read recommended to those who love historical fiction and are intrigued by Descartes and XVII century Holland.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Words in My Hand piqued my interest because it’s a reimagining of a relationship between a Dutch maid and René Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician who is on my radar because The Spouse is studying him this year at Monash. If you’ve read Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (or seen the film) then you know the script: domestic servant to Somebody Eminent forms special relationship and in some way contributes to The Work of the Great Man but slips back into obscurity because women are always unrecognised for their contribution.

Well, in this case there really was a Helena Jans, and she really was employed by a bookseller called Thomas Sergeant in Amsterdam, and Descartes was a lodger there in 1634. Like any number of domestic servants all over the world, yes, she did bear the gentleman a child, but here the historical record varies from the script for unwed mothers. The child was born in 1635, acknowledged by Descartes, and he was named, albeit obliquely, on her baptismal certificate. Scraps of information hint at cohabitation at least for a time, and there is a record of Descartes paying a substantial dowry to an eventual husband for Helena.

Out of this scanty record, British author Guinevere Glasfurd has woven a satisfying debut novel which celebrates the thirst for knowledge in a world where women were denied it and men were constrained by church ideology.

To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.com/2016/02/19/th...

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Helena Jans and her love with René Descartes. That in itself makes it an interesting read, with the time period written about beautifully- I felt I was there. Anyone can understand Helena's hunger for more, for her passions but we live in a different time (world) therefore, reading about it from her perspective gave the story a far more personal touch. Does she have hardships? Naturally. It ended up being sadder than I expected, and who doesn't love a story about a woman who wants to fill her mind and soul regardless of other's expectations? There is just something gorgeous about a man like Descartes falling for someone like Helena- which made him more respectable in my eyes.
While this is a love story, it is a heavy one and the sad ending isn't quite in keeping with 'romances' because in real life beautiful love stories can break your heart. It's the sort of story where one thinks 'if you could see the end, would you still take that first step into your own love story?' And I think she still would have.

[Jasminka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kad sam pročitala da je ovo knjiga u kojoj je jedan od likova Rene Dekart, znala sam da je moram pročitati. Baš je ovaj mesec jedan moj učenik imao za seminarski rad temu naslovljenu “Rene Dekart, osnovač analitičke geometrije”, imali smo gomilu izvora za čitanje o njegovom doprinosu pre svega u matematici. Iako fikcija, ipak je temeljena na istorijskim činjenicama. Dopao mi se i stil i sadržaj, interesantno za pročitati.

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tripping back in time to early 17th Century NETHERLANDS

I had been eyeing this novel up for a while, having been drawn to the fetching cover of the hardback edition. My interest was further piqued when it was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2016.

It is a story based on the relationship that developed between Helena Jans and the philosopher René Descartes. Helena arrives in Amsterdam in 1634, and is taken into service as a scullery maid by Englishman Mr Sergeant, the owner of a bookshop. It’s a rather chaotic set-up, the whole interior needs the delicate touch of a woman, particularly as The Monsieur is coming to stay. René Descartes himself is due to spend a little time at these lodgings in Amsterdam.

The harshness of Helena’s life and her ilk is painstakingly described, the details of her daily routines, the grim routines, squalor and hardship of life. She can already write, and being in a literary household, she longs to further her skils, experimenting to find suitable inks amongst the everyday household items. This is a time when the printed word is in its infancy and the tools for writing were at a premium. Women, and especially women of a lowly class, did not have the opportunity to learn the skills of penmanship. Beetroot ink as a substitute? Perfectly possible.

After a dinner in the household, and an unwanted advance from a male guest, the relationship between the two starts to take shape. Theirs, of course, is a liaison that is best kept under wraps, even though they sire a child between them.

Moving from Amsterdam to Deventer, Leiden, Santpoort and Amersfoort, there is a rich fabric that rolls the relationship along at a languorous pace, ever conscious of the restrictive mores of the time, and always with an eye on the play and use of words. The content of the book is reflected in a beautiful writing style that brings the period to vibrant life.

I personally did struggle, at times, to connect with the characters and their relationships, although really appreciated the meticulous research of time and place. At times the narrative felt just a little flat, flat like the landscape in which the novel is set. Yet, it remains hauntingly with me long after I read it. It deserves a much wider audience than it is perhaps currently getting.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive this as an ARC through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review, but I would happily have paid for it. This book interested me because of its fictional telling of a period in the life of Rene Descartes. As someone with a philosophy degree and a massive fan of Descartes it intrigued me. I was not disappointed. The author takes some historical facts and imagines how they may have come to be. The novel revolves around Descartes’ relationship with Helena Jans and is told from Helena’s viewpoint. This is essentially a love story but a difficult love story. It also deals with his work, attitudes towards him at the time and gives a possible insight into what he may have been like as a man. The book is well written with some engaging characters and vividly depicted scenery which at one point had me wondering whether I was reading a book or watching a film. This covers so many genres, historical, philosophical, and romance that it is a must read for everyone. As a debut novel it is a real tour de force and I wholeheartedly recommend buying it when it is published in January 2016.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts brilliantly, very well written but turns into a Mills & Boon romance, yuck.

[Hermien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and the historical Dutch setting, especially as it was based on a true story.

[Elayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story based in speculation about facts – what caused Descartes to have a friendship with Helena, a maid? And how did Helena manage to learn to read and write when it was extremely uncommon amongst women of the Quality, let alone a maid?
Well, the author has made some suggestions within this book that link the facts in a way that makes total sense – with perhaps a little embroidery here and there, just to flesh out the known characters and known occurrences.
This is a sensitive tale of a young girl, Helena, who is forced by family circumstances to become a maid in the household of a bookseller in 1635.
Helena narrates this story as it happens to her and she tells us of the way in which she manages the household and her work, and how she learnt the rudiments of reading and writing (on her hand for lack of knowledge or access to, paper, quills, and ink) from her brother who was schooled by tutors.
The bookseller, Mr Sergeant, ekes out his living by renting the attic rooms of his house to like minded gentlemen and thus Descartes comes to stay. And Helena encounters him and his servant, and learns to write properly. All this at a time when paper was extremely expensive and not for the ‘common sort’ to have access to.
Helena and her maid friend, who she teaches to read and write, wonder what life would be like if all women could read and write. Perhaps they could then manage their own businesses and not be dependent on men for their livelihood and income? A world that they do not get to see. As they live in a world where books are still extremely expensive and a man (never a woman) who has a library of 100 books is considered a scholar and wealthy.
Meeting Descartes changes Helena’s life forever, and not just because she learns to read and write properly.
I found this a fascinating and sensitive story and could not put it down. I wanted to know more of this strange relationship between the maid and the renowned scholar.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely and wonderfully atmospheric. I couldn't put it down. Based on the real story of Renè Descartes and Helena Jans. The mood of the book reminded me a bit of "The girl with the pearl earring ".

" "Loneliness is not the same as being alone; one can choose to be alone, seek it out, desire it perhaps. Loneliness asserts itself...The feeling, it is a weight, here". He pressed his hand where his ribs met. "It is suffocation." "

[Thebooktrail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visit the Netherlands as you have never seen it before! Meet Descartes and the woman who changed his life Come to Amsterdam with Guinevere Glasfurd

This novel is by far one of the most beautifully written, evocative and stunning I’ve ever read. Oh to see such a world through the eyes of Helena was a magical and fascinating journey. I felt as if the writer picked me up and put me in the costumes, the rooms of the day and I too left my slippers in the room when Helena did as she had to leave quickly.

The attention to detail is quite amazing – Helena falls asleep with her head in the flour on the table, the colour of the tea is like that of an old shoe, and words seem to be made of prickles. This is to read, touch, feel and imagine the world of 1600s Amsterdam and I was captivated as like a film, each scene filtered past my eyes. The way with words is to weave mystery, surprise, wonder and awe into each and every page.

Descartes might put some off reading this novel – I knew very little about him apart from what I covered in French at university but I’d never really thought about him as a man – rather just a figure and historical character – I feel as if I’ve met him now and got to really see inside his mind. Helena being a real person was fascinating and to see the world through her eyes was a treat. I felt as immersed in a character’s mind, thoughts and inner feeling than ever before.

This is a novel to savour – there are so many sentences, images, thoughts which need to be said aloud and savoured. The references to lines I particularly loved – lines which were not to be crossed, lines as boundaries, or the curve of a pregnant stomach. Oh and the quills – the exquisite way of how they’re prepared, cared for, the art of writing and how Helena banished from this world resorts to using beetroot on her skin…

I loved every layer, every page of this novel. It’s like a warm bath filled with the most delicious of aromas and relaxing oils. Lie back and allow it to wash over you. This is not a read to be rushed. Hypnotic and like the sun dancing across a stained glass window, the true beauty of the many colours lingers long after you’ve read the last page.

[A Reader's Heaven · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

THE WORDS IN MY HAND is the reimagined true story of Helena Jans, a Dutch maid in 17th century Amsterdam, who works for Mr Sergeant the English bookseller. When a mysterious and reclusive lodger arrives - the Monsieur - Mr Sergeant insists everything must be just so. It transpires that the Monsieur is René Descartes.
This is Helena's story: the woman in front of Descartes, a young woman who yearns for knowledge, who wants to write so badly she makes ink from beetroot and writes in secret on her skin - only to be held back by her position in society.
Weaving together the story of Descartes' quest for reason with Helena's struggle for literacy, their worlds overlap as their feelings deepen; yet remain sharply divided. For all Descartes' learning, it is Helena he seeks out as she reveals the surprise in the everyday world that surrounds him.
When reputation is everything and with so much to lose, some truths must remain hidden. Helena and Descartes face a terrible tragedy and ultimately have to decide if their love is possible at all.

I really wanted to love this story - fictionalised account of a true story is something worth reading. Especially one revolving around such a significant historical figure as René Descartes.

...and the first half of the book was quite captivating. The history, the setting, the relationship between Descartes and Helena - all wonderfully told and worth the price of admission...

...and then, what? Nothing really. It was basically a re-telling of the story as history knows it...and left me wondering - why? I could have picked up a history book for that. The story itself, the thing that had me hooked, seemed to fall by the wayside for the sake of "keeping it real."

A disappointing end to a book that I thought promised so much more...


Paul
ARH

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical novel, based on the few facts that are known about a maid who gave birth to Rene Descartes daughter. Set in 1600s Netherlands, you get a very real sense of how the lives of women were restricted, by class as well as by society in general. Helena is unusual in that she was able to write but her life was still largely dictated by the men around her. A tragic love story that will appeal to fans of The Girl With A Pearl Earring and to those who enjoyed The Minaturist.

[John Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Words In My Hand

An historic novel

As a schoolboy in the 1940s, I loved mathematics and the sciences. I learned, too, the great difficulty Renaissance minds faced getting their radical thinking accepted. Many were scorned, jailed and, at times, put to death for daring advance their philosophical theses against the religious dogma of the day. Copernicus, through mathematics and observation, had proven the Earth was not stationary. It went so much against the church that, when Galileo Galilei refined Copernicus’ work, proving the planets orbit around the sun, it was considered heretical. In 1633, the Inquisition condemned the work and he was placed under house arrest.

The early 17th century was also the halcyon days of the VOC (the Dutch East India Company). Thanks to the company, Amsterdam was thriving, with public money aplenty. It is in this setting that an expatriate Englishman, a bookseller named Mr Sergeant, whose home is in the shadows of the still under construction Westerkerk, employs Helena.

Although from a poor household, Helena is advanced for a young woman of her time and has taught herself to write. Part of her duty to her employer is to strip feathers and produce quills, an art he teaches her. (A quill) …must be smooth. A quill must have grace. A quill without grace is a duck, Mr Sergeant said, and laughed at his own joke. “This time, bring me a swan!”

So intent is she on writing, Helena produces her own quills and ink, including a pretty red liquid made by boiling down beetroot. Mr Sergeant is not happy about this and confiscates her supplies. It is not her place to write, not appropriate to her position in life. To preserve her ability, now stripped of her essential writing needs, Helena secretly continues writing with a finger on her hand

Financial returns for a small bookseller are fraught, so, to remain financially afloat, Mr Sergeant must take in lodgers. He has his maid prepare the two rooms on the top floor of the house for ‘the Monsieur’ who is almost due. When he arrives, the guest is none other than Rene Descartes.

Prior to his arrival, Mr Sergeant gets Helena to place a glass of flowers in the guest’s room. A day or two later, on entering the room to clean and tidy, she notices the lavender she so recently placed in the glass thrown aside, leaving just one stem protruding. Nearing the table, she sees a drawing of the single stem but it has not been drawn straight: it has been cut and offset where it passes into the water. Stooping and looking at that stem in the glass, she sees the same effect and wonders why she has never observed it before.

The author’s research and writing have crafted a realistic setting in which Helena and Descartes become lovers. Rather than overdo dialogue, putting assumed words in the mouths of real people from four hundred years past, she uses a more narrative approach. Even so, and in French, their discussions can be humorous. In one scene, they are arguing:

I knew then he was angry.
He slapped the desk. ‘Tu est impossible!’
‘Et vous, et vous etes – ’
‘Oui? Quoi?’
The word came to me, quick as the animal I saw dart in my mind. ‘Une souris. Oui, Monsieur Souris… Hiding. Like a mouse.’
I turned and went out, rattling the door behind me.

I enjoyed and greatly recommend The Words In My Hand. Snippets of information have been known about Descartes and the maid, Helena Jans from Leiden, but Guinevere Glasfurd has researched Helena’s background and her relationship with ‘the Monsieur,’ writing an historical novel linking it all together.

I have written very little about the storyline because, even though it tells of historic events, the book is, after all, a novel. Whatever I say could act as a spoiler, and that would be a great pity. Sit back and enjoy the tale. It is well told, informative, entertaining, educational, and greatly involving.

Descartes? I'd never given any real thought to the man as a person. That has now changed, and not entirely for the good.

4 1/2 stars

[M.J. Mallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. I enjoyed reading this novel but somehow it didn't reach my favourites list which surprised and disappointed me a bit. The premise sounded so interesting and it was, but yet I felt a little removed from the characters in the story rather than immersed in it. But, on the positive side there is much to recommend this novel. It is interesting how the author focuses on Descartes's lover, a maid, and her child,) rather than Descartes himself. One that philosophy students and historians will no doubt find interesting. It brings to the forefront many questions about the character of Descarte, his lover and their love child. So, in this respect it thoroughly deserves its nomination as a Costa First Novel Award. I loved the first half of the book. It really worked for me, perhaps because the maid in question loves to write, and I do too!

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Loneliness is not the same as being alone; one can choose to be alone, seek it out, desire it perhaps. Loneliness assert itself. The feeling, it is a weight, here." He pressed his hands where his ribs met. "It is suffocation" (168)

Dit boek vertelt het verhaal van Helena Jans, een dienstmeisje in de 17e eeuw in Amsterdam. Glasfurd weet Amsterdam levendig te schetsen, voelt tijdens het lezen alsof je er zelf rondloopt. Leuk om de woonhuizen en kerken te (her)kennen die vandaag de dag nog bestaan.

Als liefhebber van filosofie zou ik het leuker hebben gevonden als er wat meer van de denkbeelden van Descartes in het verhaal werden vervlochten. 'Monsieur' blijft op afstand. Maar misschien is dat ook wel de essentie van de verhouding tussen Helena en Descartes: een (onoverbrugbare) afstand tussen een jonge dienstmeid en een oudere filosoof.

[Jane Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Engaging. Moving.

But....

I always find myself irritated by fiction that involves a real historical figure. It makes me think "Can't the author invent their own characters instead of making up stories about ones who already exist?". So I wish the author's note had been at the beginning of the book instead of at the end. Had I known that the story was based around a real but little documented part of Descartes life, that little niggle that was trying to stop me from enjoying this beautiful book would never have been there.

It's as if history provided the outline for the book and Glasfurd expanded it into a novel. For that, and for this stunning book, I applaud her.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Andrijana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lepa priča. Zanimljiva, napisana solidnim stilom. Podsetila me na „Devojku sa bisernom minđušom".

[Elsbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story. Well written. Only the dialogues with Francine annoyed me. No 2 year old talks like that!

[Emma Broesder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een van de mooiste boeken die ik ooit heb gelezen. Spannend, ontroerend. Echt een aanrader!

[Ladylike0 · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3,5 Sterne*

Klappentext:

„René Descartes und Helena Jans van der Strom – eine nie erzählte wahre Geschichte
Helena Jans van der Strom arbeitet als Magd bei einem Buchhändler in Amsterdam. Ein großes Glück für sie, denn sie liest und schreibt und kann ihrer Leidenschaft heimlich nachgehen. Der neue Hausgast ihres Herrn fasziniert sie: Er arbeitet ununterbrochen, und er zieht viele Besucher an. Sie erfährt seinen Namen: René Descartes. Sie ist zu neugierig, um Distanz zu wahren. Und auch Descartes ist schon bald von ihrem Charme und Wissensdurst eingenommen. Sie verlieben sich, was nicht sein darf. Die Geschichte einer Frau, die mehr vom Leben verlangt, als ihre Zeit ihr bereit ist zu geben.“

Meinung:

Worte sind schon so ewig da. Schätzen wir sie überhaupt richtig? Sie haben so viel Macht und trotzdem auch Grenzen. Wie viele Gedanken machen wir uns schon über ein einfaches Wort? Dass wir frei über sie verfügen? Das Buch war ein wahrer Denkanstoß!

Was man sich hier aber bewusst machen muss ist, dass es Helenas Geschichte ist. Es geht um ihr „erlebtes“ und da kommt René Descartes nun mal vor, spielt aber nicht die Hauptrolle darin. Wer sich also einen Perspektivenwechsel oder einen näheren Einblick in sein Leben erhofft, macht sich bei diesem Buch falsche Hoffnungen. Mich hat es persönlich aber nicht so gestört, denn Helena hat mir größtenteils als Person richtig gut gefallen. Für diese Zeit eine sehr aufgeweckte, wissensdurstige und starke Frau!

Der Schreibstil war in diesem Buch ebenfalls ein wahres Highlight! Eine wirkliche Sprachgewalt! Er ist außerdem so bildhaft, dass selbst der Fantasieloseste noch die Szenen vor sich sehen müsste.
Auch historisch gesehen ist dieses Buch ziemlich genial. Man hat die damalige Zeit, deren Sitten und Umgang sehr gut vor Augen gehabt. Die Lebenssituation von Helena, einer Magd wurde sehr deutlich beschrieben und somit wurde einem die damalige Zeit sehr gut herüber gebracht.

Kommen wir zu meinen "kleinen" Meckerpunkten. Was ich aber ein wenig fehl leitend finde ist der Text auf dem Cover „ein literarischer Liebesroman“. Für jemanden mit einer romantischen Ader würde ich bei diesem Buch nämlich total abraten. Descartes fand ich nämlich auch als männlicher Part in dieser „Liebesgeschichte“ unsympathisch, wobei sein Verhalten der damaligen Zeit wahrscheinlich einfach entsprach und demnach wirklich nicht unrealistisch war.
Die französischen und holländischen Sätze haben hin und wieder auch meinen Lesefluss gestört, weil ich mit den beiden Sprachen wirklich nichts anfangen konnte. Einige wurden jedoch kurz danach übersetzt und hauptsächlich war das Buch doch schon auf Deutsch.

Am Anfang kommt man wirklich gut und schnell in die Geschichte, ab ungefähr der Hälfte ließ das immer wieder ein wenig nach. Es gab schon ein paar Längen, bei denen ich mich zum Lesen zwingen musste, wobei es zum Ende wieder richtig besser geworden ist und auch ein wenig emotionaler. Genau was ich mir gewünscht habe.

Fazit:

Schreibtechnisch und historisch ein richtig tolles Erlebnis, aber es hat auch einige Schwächen und Kritikpunkte. Trotzdem regt es zum nachdenken, denn Worte liegen letztendlich in unserer Hand. Wir entscheiden welches Ausmaß sie bekommen können.

Zitat:

"Verbittert und neidisch schaute ich auf die Briefe, die der Limousin in seinen Ranzen gleiten ließ. Wenn meine Botschaft doch auch nur dort hineinschlüpfen könnte. Wie leicht ihre Wörter von einem Ort zum anderen kamen. Meine Steckten in mir, kleben an meiner Zunge."

[Fiction Aficionado · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the moment I began reading this novel I was drawn into Helena Jans’ world. At the risk of sounding like I am overstating the matter, there was some stunningly beautiful writing. I cannot think of any other way to say it. Guinevere Glasfurd has taken what little we know of Helena Jans and woven an evocative story of a passionate thinker and the young maid whose simple observations and desire to learn capture his mind.

The entire novel is written in the first person from Helena’s point of view. We begin, briefly, in the middle of Helena’s story as she is taken away from Mr Sergeant’s book store where she worked as a maid. From there, we travel backwards slightly, becoming acquainted with her and her situation, before we are introduced to Monsieur – Rene Descartes. And the story flows from there.

One of the things I found so utterly enchanting about this book was the way in which there was an almost childlike simplicity about Helena’s observations, and yet a striking depth at the same time. Everyday life in 1630s Holland doesn’t just come alive, it breathes character. Helena herself is a complex mix of strength and vulnerability, intelligence and innocence, and a product of a time when women were not taught letters and numbers. But she had a hunger to learn and improve, satisfied first by her brother when she was a young girl, and later by using beetroot juice and writing on the only thing she has to hand. Literally.

Rene Descartes is perhaps most well-known for his conclusion Cogito, ergo sum (I think, therefore I am), and yet it would probably have been just as true for him to say ‘I am, therefore I think’, especially if his representation in this novel is anywhere close to the truth of his character. There was a kind of obsessiveness about his intellectual life that is probably true of all geniuses to varying extents, and it can’t help but impact those closest to them. Would Helena have made different choices if she could have looked into her future? I don’t know. I suspect not. Regardless of the outcome, the story was beautifully wrought.

Some readers may care to note there are a few instances of crass language and/or sexual references, and Helena and Monsieur’s physical relations occur on page on a few occasions (on the low end of the descriptive scale). These instances were infrequent and brief enough that they could be passed over, however they did temper my enjoyment of the novel slightly, as reflective by my four star rating rather than five.

[Linda Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

When housemaid Helena encounters the infamous René Descartes, two totally disparate world collide with surprising effects.

My goodness The Words in My Hand is a wonderful, wonderful book. Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award 2016 it represents the kind of novel that epitomises perfect literary fiction for me.

Unique in style, Guinevere Glasfurd has an authorial voice that is almost mystical and draws in the reader so that the more of Helena’s story was revealed, the more hypnotised by the writing I became. At the risk of sounding pretentious, the writing reminded me of a stained glass window lit by the sun. The variety of sentence length and structure in the first person narrative approach was so beautiful to read. So many things came into exquisite focus for me reading The Words in My Hand. The quality of the descriptions is such that I was there with Helena in Amsterdam and Sandpoort in particular. Also, I had studied Descartes at university but had never really got an impression of the man and had certainly not thought about the women of the time. However, Guinevere Glasfurd’s meticulous research and fabulous writing was both thought provoking – how might women have fared – and enlightening. I felt I really knew and understood the two main characters, Helena and Descartes perfectly. This really is history brought to vivid life.

Whilst there is a great plot as the relationship between Helena and Descartes develops, along with wonderful characterisation, what really made The Words in My Hand such an enthralling read for me was the exploration of language and the way in which it defines, constrains and liberates us as individuals. Helena’s desire for education and literacy underpin her entire being, and I felt there was a really intellignet feminist message without it being clumsy and inelegant. I found myself savouring the single word chapter titles, thinking back over the chapter and reflecting on how apt they were. The Words in My Hand is not a book to be rushed, but to be appreciated almost syllable by syllable. It is very special indeed and I adored it.
https://lindasbookbag.com/2017/01/04/...

[Roula Yasin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cette liaison est authentique et assez bien documentée. Suffisamment en tous cas pour pouvoir la reconstruire et lui faire prendre corps. Guinevere Glasfurd nous livre ici une oeuvre de fiction assise cependant solidement sur des bases historiques tangibles. Helena et Francine ont bien existé et permettent de mieux connaître un personnage important de notre Histoire scientifique et philosophique. Descartes devient un peu plus humain grâce à ce roman et l'quteure nous permet de le voir autrement qu'à travers ses œuvres, car derrière l'intellectuel et le penseur, il y'a aussi un homme qui aspirait, au-delà des controverses et disputes théologiques ou scientifiques, à mener une existence comme les autres.
Malgré tout, il ne trouvera pas la quiétude auprès d'Helena... la naissance de la petite Francine en juillet 1635 complique leur situation. Ils ne sont pas mariés et il n'en est pas question ; Helena se retrouve mère célibataire à une époque où l'on est pas tendre avec les femmes à plus forte raison si elles ont péché. Quant à Descartes, l'existence d'un enfant illégitime, si elle venait à se savoir, pourrait avoir des conséquences néfastes quant à sa carrière, car utilisée comme une arme contre lui par ses ennemis et adversaires : et ils sont nombreux. La différence de religion n'est pas non plus pour faciliter les choses.
Descartes et Helena vivront pourtant quelques années sinon dans le bonheur du moins avec stabilité. Partageant le même foyer, le philosophe prendra le temps d'enseigner et instruire la petite Francine, qu'il prévoit d'ailleurs d'envoyer parfaire son éducation en France, projet brutalement arrêté par la mort de l'enfant en septembre 1640. Ils seront soumis aux jugements impitoyables de la société mais connaîtront somme toute quelques épisodes amoureux plutôt harmonieux. La mort de leur enfant les unira aussi dans une même détresse.

[Lauredhel · Rating 5 out of 5]

DON'T read the book blurb above - there are spoilers!

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This is a lovely book, and very impressive for a debut novel. We know very little about Helena Jans, the woman who bore a child to René Descartes, so Glasfurd fills in the gaps with her imagination.

Helena was able to read and write, very rare for a maid of her time. Glasfurd's description of how she may have come by this knowledge and how she may have developed it, without access to paper or ink, is thoroughly engrossing. I saw Glasfurd do a reading at the Perth Writers' Festival, about Helena making ink from charcoal and beetroot and blood and tea, and writing on plates and pastry and skin, and I knew I had to read this book. Helena's synaesthetic observations of the world were beautifully written - they captivated me and kept me reading. Her relationship with Descartes was a stormy and often unsatisfactory one, so be aware that this is not a Romance.

Thoroughly recommended for fans of historical novels, and for those looking for an easy but satisfying read about how access to literacy, social class, and the privileges of gender influenced life opportunities in the 1600s.

Content note for child loss.