How do I even begin. First, the title was cheesy. I heard about the book from a friend who was reading Fifty Shades at that time. At first, I thought it was of the same genre, my apologies. That has always been one of my flaws, being judgmental to people, book titles and reading choices. I am trying my best to be a changed person now though.
So there was the story, SS. I first read a HM book years ago before the incident, out of whim, and before the SJ era. I even forgot the title of that book. The only feeling that the book left me was of confusion. The girl in the story somehow disappeared and vanished in her room??! That story was also narrated through a male's point of view. Is this a recurring theme in HM books? Well, maybe I am getting ahead of myself.
Here are my thoughts/realizations/and fifty cents on the book SS by HM:
1. It was the first time I have read about girl to girl relationship. (though I really deeply believe it wasn’t that. Well, that’s just me of course.) But what I do really think is that Miu was a symbolism for a mother in Sumire's life. With an added bit of an Electra complex( which isn't really Electra complex but kinda like it). Sumire lost her mother at an early age. To me, her personality seems underdeveloped due to having such experience in her life. Of course, she doesn't know this. Maybe I am too Eriksonian in this thinking(?), but if we miss a stage in our lifecycle, we are too complete this stage in life one way or another.
As for Sumire's attraction to Miu, this can be explained by her confusion on what she thinks she wants in her life, and what she really needs ( i e a mother figure).
This is evident in K's observations on Sumire's writing that it seems to lack cohesion or that something. K and Sumire talked about this in terms of Time and Experience.
Sumire's confession to Miu, that night in Greece, seems so symbolical. Sumire just had a nightmare about her mother and then she wakes up with all these feelings and there Miu is.
The way Miu had to take care of the estranged, out-of-the-loop Sumire, it seems like a mother taking care of her daughter.
As for the attraction part in the later part of the scene, to me, this occurred because Sumire was, at first and deeply, wondering and (maybe needing) a mother figure in her life. She finds this person (Miu) who unknowingly fits the bill. But this is all in her psyche. The other world, the other her, that she's unaware of.
Then there is also the Sumire at present, needing what she needs at this point in her physical age. Through the haze of it all, the present Sumire sees and interprets her appreciate for Miu as romantic love.
It is expected, of course.
2. Let's talk about Miu. Her hair turning all white all of a sudden, seeing herself at another place while she is at a different place. This can clearly be seen as reawakening, a rebirth. While riding the Ferris Wheel, she saw herself amidst all. She uses the words, "I lost a part of myself 14 years ago." I felt Miu had felt a great loss when she realized that what she was dreaming for isn't what she really is supposed to do, she lost the drive to live but she has to live. She was ruined by the things that she has been doing to get to the place she is at. Then it is all not greener or better a place.
But we all got to go on, right? So… Rebirth it is called. because we are indeed born again. Nothing of our old selves in us. The only difference is that we know what we had, only this time, we cant bring it all back, and we cant turn our backs from the now.
But we all got to go on, right? So… Rebirth it is called. because we are indeed born again. Nothing of our old selves in us. The only difference is that we know what we had, only this time, we cant bring it all back, and we cant turn our backs from the now.
3. The narrator, K! I like his personality. A side note is that, did he (the narrator) reveal his name, at all? Like used it in a sentence somewhere in the story? Maybe I am just too forgetful. But I can only remember his name as "K" on Sumire's diary entries.
4. The Other Place. This place has been frequently referred to. Also, is this a recurring theme in HM books? Anyhow, this place really intrigues me. More on this later.
5. Writing struggles. Time & Experience. What kind of experience? Like the ones Sumire had? Well, maybe. Time? I guess I just have to be more patient.
6. Loneliness. Our place in this world. I always liked how this is depicted in the story. Through Sumire’s, Miu’s, K’s or even K’s girlfriend’s point of view. It seems I feel what they were saying, and that they will understand what I feel too.
7. Lastly, I will leave you with these words taken from the story.
So that’s how we live our lives. No matter how deep and fatal the loss, no matter how important the thing that’s stolen from us – that’s snatched right of our hands – even if we are left completely changed people with only the outer layer of skin from before, we continue to play out our lives this way. We draw nearer to our allotted span of time, bidding farewell to its trails off behind. Repeating, often adroitly, the endless deeds of everyday. Leaving behind a feeling of immeasurable emptiness.
And Oops. Spoiler.
Of course, Sumire is alive.
We all got to live. Some things will never be the same again though for sure. Because we could all either go on without our other self. Or. We could find and make it all whole again. I go for the latter. But that’s just me ;-P