Reaction to Story 1: Medusa's Ankles -- Northwest Nerds Bookclub

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 09:08:41 02/21/00 Mon
Author: Marla
Subject: Reaction to Story 1: Medusa's Ankles

So I read the first of the three Matisse stories last night ("Medusa's Ankles") and I suspect I may have missed something. The origin of the title (not the BOOK title, the story title)--and Byatt's reasoning for naming it as such--escapes me. Any ideas? HELP! I get the Medusa reference, but what's with the ankles?!?!

Aside from the obtuse title, I enjoyed this story and the imagery Byatt uses to bring it to life. Her use of color, shape, and sounds to describe the scene and advance the plot is almost poetic, and indeed "paints" a vivid picture (which, I suppose, is what Byatt intended...hence, the name of the book itself). For example, the description of the salon--both pre- and post-renovation--is particularly vivid in its pinks and roses and ultimately, grays and blacks. Maybe it mirrors the main character's own evolution through the course of her apparently unhappy marriage?

I also found the characters to be rather well-developed for a 20-page story. For instance, Lucian the hairdresser's manic handling of his personal affairs and, in contrast, understated reaction to Susannah's trashing of his salon, makes him a very strong, contradictory character...not because he's someone you'd necessarily want to spend a lot of time with (beyond your regular weekly hairstylings, I suppose), but because he's someone who's fun to observe since you never know what he'll do next.

And Susannah? Well, her breakdown over the new 'do to me represents what often happens to painfully depressed, unhappy people: it's not the big things that break you, but the little things. For instance, Susannah clearly has dealt with a lot in her relationship with her husband (though we never learn of any of it), but it only takes a relatively insignificant life experience like a bad haircut to send her over the edge. I think, for her, this loss of control over how her hair turned out clicks with her as a loss of all control over every aspect of her life. Hence, the tantrum at the salon. At the same time, it's this relatively insignificant "bad" haircut that brings her husband's attention--and affection--back again. Most ironic of all is that the very 'do she hates and struggles to accept wins his approval. Yeah, maybe that particular plot twist has been done before, but never with such a buildup.

So anyway, I'm liking the book so far. I'm curious to hear everyone else's thoughts on this one.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]