A review by julienbakerstan69
The Beauty of the Husband by Anne Carson
4.0
quarantine 7: imo this is AC at her best
"i broke the glass and jumped.
now of course you know
that isn't the true story, what broke wasn't glass, what fell to earth wasn't body." — iii
"we have this deep sadness between us and its spells so habitual i
can't
tell it from love.
you want a clean life i live a dirty one old story. well.
not much use to you without you am i." — iv
"desire doubled is love and love doubled is madness." — viii
"why did nature give me over to this creature—don't call it my choice,
i was ventured:
by some pure gravity of existence itself,
conspiracy of being!
we were fifteen.
it was latin class, late spring, late afternoon, the passive periphrastic,
for some reason i turned in my seat
and there he was.
you know how they say a Zen butcher makes one correct cut and the whole ox
falls apart
like a puzzle." — xi
"it stung him,
the pathos of her keen hearing.
there she stood a person with particular traits,
a certain heart, life beating on its way in her." — xii
"her voice sounded broken into. where were you last night.
dread slits his breath.
oh no
he can hear her choosing another arrow now from the little quiver
and anger goes straight up like trees in her voice holding
his heart tall.
i only feel clean he says suddenly when i wake up with you." — xiv
"antilogic is the dance of the dog in hell happy to eat any food that grows but do they not say the same of a dog in heaven" — xv
"she looks up from her work, deep
in the pleasure of it as he can see, something about her
blinds him.
he's out she says.
together
they watch stray drops of this fact condense on the air between them.
some call it love
but those two whose souls knit at that moment
as the soul of jonathan was knit with the soul of david
did not love each other.
how much simpler that would have been." — xvi
"over and over in later years when she told this story she marvelled
at her husband's ability to place the world within brackets.
a bracket's worth of mirage! all he ever needed." — xxii
"watches him
bend slightly toward the woman then back. they are both serious.
their seriousness wracks her.
people who can be serious together, it goes deep.
they have a bottle of mineral water on the table between them
and two glasses.
no inebriants necessary!" — xxiv
"what are the alps like?
from the plane they look fragile like pieces of pottery. thin silences float inbetween." — xxv
"it was like a beautiful boiling dance where your partner
turns
and stabs you to death,
cauldron of red sicilian moon and white greek lips." — xxv
"physicists agree
there is something mysterious about the beginning of the universe.
its appearance of fine tuning they say needs to be explained.
looking back, its all so neat." — xxvii
"after all the heart is not a small stone
to be rolled this way and that.
the mind is not a box
to be shut fast.
and yet it is! it is!
well life has some risks. love is one. terrible risks." — xxix
"i broke the glass and jumped.
now of course you know
that isn't the true story, what broke wasn't glass, what fell to earth wasn't body." — iii
"we have this deep sadness between us and its spells so habitual i
can't
tell it from love.
you want a clean life i live a dirty one old story. well.
not much use to you without you am i." — iv
"desire doubled is love and love doubled is madness." — viii
"why did nature give me over to this creature—don't call it my choice,
i was ventured:
by some pure gravity of existence itself,
conspiracy of being!
we were fifteen.
it was latin class, late spring, late afternoon, the passive periphrastic,
for some reason i turned in my seat
and there he was.
you know how they say a Zen butcher makes one correct cut and the whole ox
falls apart
like a puzzle." — xi
"it stung him,
the pathos of her keen hearing.
there she stood a person with particular traits,
a certain heart, life beating on its way in her." — xii
"her voice sounded broken into. where were you last night.
dread slits his breath.
oh no
he can hear her choosing another arrow now from the little quiver
and anger goes straight up like trees in her voice holding
his heart tall.
i only feel clean he says suddenly when i wake up with you." — xiv
"antilogic is the dance of the dog in hell happy to eat any food that grows but do they not say the same of a dog in heaven" — xv
"she looks up from her work, deep
in the pleasure of it as he can see, something about her
blinds him.
he's out she says.
together
they watch stray drops of this fact condense on the air between them.
some call it love
but those two whose souls knit at that moment
as the soul of jonathan was knit with the soul of david
did not love each other.
how much simpler that would have been." — xvi
"over and over in later years when she told this story she marvelled
at her husband's ability to place the world within brackets.
a bracket's worth of mirage! all he ever needed." — xxii
"watches him
bend slightly toward the woman then back. they are both serious.
their seriousness wracks her.
people who can be serious together, it goes deep.
they have a bottle of mineral water on the table between them
and two glasses.
no inebriants necessary!" — xxiv
"what are the alps like?
from the plane they look fragile like pieces of pottery. thin silences float inbetween." — xxv
"it was like a beautiful boiling dance where your partner
turns
and stabs you to death,
cauldron of red sicilian moon and white greek lips." — xxv
"physicists agree
there is something mysterious about the beginning of the universe.
its appearance of fine tuning they say needs to be explained.
looking back, its all so neat." — xxvii
"after all the heart is not a small stone
to be rolled this way and that.
the mind is not a box
to be shut fast.
and yet it is! it is!
well life has some risks. love is one. terrible risks." — xxix