A review by wiegold
Pure Colour by Sheila Heti

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Toes the line between pretention and profundity that it is actually baffling. There were occasions where I had to debate with myself whether I was actually enjoying reading this book, but then a beautiful passage would wash over me and I was engrossed again. The on-off flitting of my understanding of it is true to the book itself too, being framed by a narrator (and author, given the passing of Heti's father co-inciding with the writing of it) so stricken with love and grief that the early-middle portion of her life is captured in a tangential interlude, her conciousness trapped in a "leaf" alongside her perception of her dead father. The theological and philosophical accompaniments to the throughline are gorgeous, richly written and though slightly muddled, I think their most 'stumblingest' moments only reinforce Mira's deepest convictions as she tries to explain away the reasons she is unhappy with her life. The realisation that the happiest parts of life are those caused by things often inconsequential, like the leaves on trees, and the colour of lampshades, and shopping for chocolates, and not fulfilling some percieved life goal afforded to you by your "God", whatever that may be, is one that I always love to experience and reading about it always makes me so happy, no matter how jumbled in confusion and grief it may be. 
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