Providence (Isis (Audio))

Rating:
Summary: A Life Alone
Review: Never before have I read a book that has spoken so deeply to my heart. It is a book about a lonely academic woman who longs for love. She is extremely successful in the world of academia, but cannot reconcile her intellectual life with her love life. She doesn't believe she can start her life until she has found a man to live with and she gets all self-worth from the affirmation of Maurice, the man she pines away for. She hates leaving work for an empty home everyday and all she wants is to be loved in such a way that even when parted from the other she would never be alone. After reading this book, a person is left to wonder about the plight of the single life. Many questions arise such as: Can a single person be happy, fulfilled? Can academia fill emotional voids? Where does a person get self-worth? "Providence" is a love story. It's about a love freely given, but clearly denied. What makes "Providence such a profound and intriguing book is that it mirrors the author's life. Anita Brookner sees her life as a disappointment, noting that she never had a family because she never left school. She was an only child with a Polish-Jewish background who grew up in London. This left her feeling alienated and alone. She noted herself as being one of the lonliest women in London. All of her life experiences carry over to "Providence," and because they do, the novel is frighteningly real. If you're looking for a good read, "Providence's" theme deals with what the whole human race longs for...love.