Ilse’s Reviews > Providence > Status Update
Ilse
is on page 49 of 192
She closed the book in front of her.She felt that she had left her onerous daily self behind,and with it all problems of nationality,religion,identity,her place in the world,what to cook for dinner,all thoughts of eventual loneliness and illness and death.She passed into a sphere of pure meaning, derived from words written nearly 200 years ago,and those very words, used for her enlightenment,did in fact enlighten her
— Jul 09, 2025 11:23PM
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Ilse’s Previous Updates
Ilse
is on page 114 of 192
Words meant such a very great deal to her - and more than that, information conveyed by means of words - that she wanted them to mean a great deal to everyone else.
— Jul 11, 2025 11:28PM
Ilse
is on page 87 of 192
She looked, thought Kitty, very English. Shy but invincible.
— Jul 11, 2025 12:56AM
Ilse
is on page 66 of 192
Kitty had frequently felt that she lacked some essential feminine quality, that this resided in the folklore passed on by women who possessed a knowledge that she was forced to supplement by reading books.
— Jul 10, 2025 02:13PM
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P.E.
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Jul 10, 2025 12:57PM
She is truly living the dream, isn't she, Ilse? =)
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P.E. wrote: "She is truly living the dream, isn't she, Ilse? =)"A book as a generous helpmate and a fruitful bookish discussionthat makes one forget everything and oneself, I thought Brookner’s description of the inner world of this lonely teacher quite relatable, P-E ;) It is not Kitty’s dream but at least gives her some moments of joy in her rather cheerless life…
This quote might have a specific meaning in the context of the novel (I see you mentioning her loneliness in the comment), but taken on its own, it speaks so much the truth about reaching the inner core in ourselves and, why not - by extension, in others too. Thank you for sharing it.
Vesna wrote: "This quote might have a specific meaning in the context of the novel (I see you mentioning her loneliness in the comment), but taken on its own, it speaks so much the truth about reaching the inner core in ourselves."Glad that Brooker's reflection struck you with a similar sense, dear Vesna. The protagonist finished a discussion session with three of her students on Benjamin Constant's novel Adolphe and in the afterglow of this encounter with kindred souls through this book, delights in further reflection on the book and what it unlocks in her, the meaning of the words, forgetting herself - a feeling that many a reader might be familiar with?
