Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing

Rating:
Summary: we enter life naked but leave cloaked in pain.
Review: about life, poetry...

this was an incredible book. not based as much on plot as ideas, this book uses f. hilary stevens, an accomplished poet, as a medium through which we see that life, despite its inherent pain, is amazing and beautiful once viewed in the right way. eloquently written, and hard to put down.

Rating:
Summary: we enter life naked but leave cloaked in pain.
Review: about life, poetry...

this was an incredible book. not based as much on plot as ideas, this book uses f. hilary stevens, an accomplished poet, as a medium through which we see that life, despite its inherent pain, is amazing and beautiful once viewed in the right way. eloquently written, and hard to put down.

Rating:
Summary: A fascinating look at being a woman and a writer
Review: May Sarton's novel "Mrs. Stevens Hears the Mermaids Singing" tells the story of Hilary Stevens, a 70-year old poet and novelist who lives in a house by the sea with her cat, Sirenica. When a two-person team comes to interview her, she reflects on her life, love affairs, and literary career.

"Mrs. Stevens" is a fascinating fictional portrait of a woman writer. It's fun to hear the characters discuss the novels and poetry books written by this invented character; the book has an almost Borgesian flavor in parts as this imaginary oeuvre is explored. In this book Sarton also explores sexual and romantic love in its various permutations: male-male, female-male, and female-female. Along the way the characters invoke a number of important female writers: Sappho, Jane Austen, Colette, etc.

Sarton deals with a number of compelling issues in this book: the tension between female creativity and procreativity; women's mental health; the fickle fortunes of the literary world; and the impact of a book's reception on its author. Sarton has a satiric touch in her look at the literary/publishing establishment, a gentle touch in her look at human relations. And throughout there are some nice touches, like details about Hilary's work in her garden. Overall, a solid achievement from an impressively prolific writer.

Rating:
Summary: A Meditation on art and life
Review: This book is wonderful for all readers. Detailing the experiences of a lesbian woman coming to terms with the terminus of her life and the art she has produced, this book bridges ideas and generations. There is so much there that this is a must for any person who wants to think seriously about art and life.