I’m so sorry I didn’t see your reply earlier, I just came across it now. I truly appreciate how generous and detailed your reading list is. It was a joy to read, and I can already imagine Ingrid reading some of these writers with approval, especially Anaïs Nin and Chekhov. I recognize some names but many are new to me, and I’m excited to explore them through her lens. I have a few questions I’ve been thinking about, and I hope it’s okay to share them. I’ve been really absorbed in understanding Ingrid more deeply, not just through her actions but her principles, aesthetic, and inner world.
1. Tennessee Williams and sentimentality I was surprised (and intrigued) to see Tennessee Williams on the list, because Ingrid says she values “the sensual over sentimental”. I’ve always felt that Williams’ work leans toward the emotional and the fragile, not necessarily what Ingrid would admire. Do you imagine she’d resonate with any of his plays in particular? My personal favorite is Summer and Smoke, and I wondered whether Ingrid might see a younger version of herself in someone like Alma. Would she be drawn to a character like that, not because it reflects who she is now, but because it reminds her of who she refused to remain? Would Williams perhaps be one of her guilty pleasures, something she secretly allows herself to enjoy, even if it doesn't fit her stated philosophy? I’m also curious about how Ingrid would respond to a character like John. He’s confident and charismatic on the outside but also classically emotionally avoidant. I wonder that would Ingrid, maybe in her younger years, have been attracted to someone like that? And what about her now? Would she see him as a challenge, or would she instantly recognize the emotional cowardice beneath the charm and walk away? Could she have once fallen for that kind of man, and later learned to harden herself because of it? Or more darkly, would she now entertain a “John” type for amusement or control, knowing exactly how to manipulate someone like that, never letting herself be touched?
2. Ingrid's refusal to capitalize on her beauty Ingrid is clearly beautiful, intelligent, and powerful, and I always wondered why she doesn’t use that to her advantage in a more material way. She could easily be taken care of by a wealthy man, or even pursue a career in acting if that’s in her field of interests. Especially when she has a daughter, a somewhat wealthier life could be such a benefit- in that way she wouldn’t have to work a crappy job or eat canned food for meals. Is this because she values her freedom above all else? Does she perhaps have too much pride to leverage her looks for survival? It made me wonder whether part of Ingrid’s lesson to Astrid is about not selling oneself not in the obvious, dramatic way, but in all the small, socially acceptable compromises we make every day.
3. Why does Ingrid reject Christ but accept other gods? In the book, she introduces Astrid to Norse mythology, Hinduism, even Satan in a symbolic way, but never to Jesus. Is that because Ingrid sees Christianity as too exclusive, too moralizing? Is it in her mind, a religion for the guilty and the obedient, for people seeking redemption and comfort? I can imagine Ingrid rejecting it not for theological reasons, but because it asks you to surrender your thinking, your pride, your individuality. Does that feel true to you?
4. The "evil list", why does she write it? Astrid mentions Ingrid keeping a list of wicked little pranks, things like giving homeless people foreign coins and waiting for a "thank you, god bless you miss.”It made me laugh and squirm. I wondered, is that Ingrid indulging in a kind of dark amusement, because she doesn't feel bound by conventional morals? Or is it something deeper, a sensation for power over the vulnerable, a need to test people’s responses to power and cruelty? Does she write this list for pleasure, or as a private rebellion against the moral performance of modern society?
I'm sorry for raising so many questions, but Ingrid really has a gravitational pull for me. She’s strategic, intelligent, hypnotic, and sometimes absurd in a funny way. I feel like I could write a thesis on her and still not be done. Thank you again for bringing this excellent book and full of live characters into the world. And thank you for engaging so thoughtful with your readers, your generosity really means a lot.
I’m so sorry I didn’t see your reply earlier, I just came across it now. I truly appreciate how generous and detailed your reading list is. It was a joy to read, and I can already imagine Ingrid reading some of these writers with approval, especially Anaïs Nin and Chekhov. I recognize some names but many are new to me, and I’m excited to explore them through her lens.
I have a few questions I’ve been thinking about, and I hope it’s okay to share them. I’ve been really absorbed in understanding Ingrid more deeply, not just through her actions but her principles, aesthetic, and inner world.
1. Tennessee Williams and sentimentality
I was surprised (and intrigued) to see Tennessee Williams on the list, because Ingrid says she values “the sensual over sentimental”. I’ve always felt that Williams’ work leans toward the emotional and the fragile, not necessarily what Ingrid would admire. Do you imagine she’d resonate with any of his plays in particular? My personal favorite is Summer and Smoke, and I wondered whether Ingrid might see a younger version of herself in someone like Alma. Would she be drawn to a character like that, not because it reflects who she is now, but because it reminds her of who she refused to remain?
Would Williams perhaps be one of her guilty pleasures, something she secretly allows herself to enjoy, even if it doesn't fit her stated philosophy?
I’m also curious about how Ingrid would respond to a character like John. He’s confident and charismatic on the outside but also classically emotionally avoidant. I wonder that would Ingrid, maybe in her younger years, have been attracted to someone like that?
And what about her now? Would she see him as a challenge, or would she instantly recognize the emotional cowardice beneath the charm and walk away? Could she have once fallen for that kind of man, and later learned to harden herself because of it?
Or more darkly, would she now entertain a “John” type for amusement or control, knowing exactly how to manipulate someone like that, never letting herself be touched?
2. Ingrid's refusal to capitalize on her beauty
Ingrid is clearly beautiful, intelligent, and powerful, and I always wondered why she doesn’t use that to her advantage in a more material way. She could easily be taken care of by a wealthy man, or even pursue a career in acting if that’s in her field of interests. Especially when she has a daughter, a somewhat wealthier life could be such a benefit- in that way she wouldn’t have to work a crappy job or eat canned food for meals.
Is this because she values her freedom above all else? Does she perhaps have too much pride to leverage her looks for survival?
It made me wonder whether part of Ingrid’s lesson to Astrid is about not selling oneself not in the obvious, dramatic way, but in all the small, socially acceptable compromises we make every day.
3. Why does Ingrid reject Christ but accept other gods?
In the book, she introduces Astrid to Norse mythology, Hinduism, even Satan in a symbolic way, but never to Jesus. Is that because Ingrid sees Christianity as too exclusive, too moralizing? Is it in her mind, a religion for the guilty and the obedient, for people seeking redemption and comfort? I can imagine Ingrid rejecting it not for theological reasons, but because it asks you to surrender your thinking, your pride, your individuality. Does that feel true to you?
4. The "evil list", why does she write it?
Astrid mentions Ingrid keeping a list of wicked little pranks, things like giving homeless people foreign coins and waiting for a "thank you, god bless you miss.”It made me laugh and squirm. I wondered, is that Ingrid indulging in a kind of dark amusement, because she doesn't feel bound by conventional morals? Or is it something deeper, a sensation for power over the vulnerable, a need to test people’s responses to power and cruelty? Does she write this list for pleasure, or as a private rebellion against the moral performance of modern society?
I'm sorry for raising so many questions, but Ingrid really has a gravitational pull for me. She’s strategic, intelligent, hypnotic, and sometimes absurd in a funny way. I feel like I could write a thesis on her and still not be done. Thank you again for bringing this excellent book and full of live characters into the world. And thank you for engaging so thoughtful with your readers, your generosity really means a lot.
Warmly,
Ying