The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier

(tags book, English, French)

I just finished reading The Virgin Blue, a novel by Tracy Chevalier. I don't exactly remember when I got this book, but it must have been during a trip to Spain. I was enthralled by Chevalier's break out novel, Girl with a Pearl Earring, some years ago so I decided to get some more by this author. I finished this book within a day.

If you had an opportunity to find out more about your ancestors would you do it? This book seems to match some aspects of Chevalier's life: American living in Europe, infatuated with ancestors and/or history. It seems typical for a first novel. I was pleasantly suprised with the distant connection (as opposed to close) between the painting on the cover of the book and the actual story.

I drew some parallels to the 20th century's main character's plight of living in a foreign country and sticking out like a sore thumb, to my own experience. Are there some things that I do that label me as "foreigner" that I am not aware of? Well, I don't paint my shutters any ghastly colors, though. Still I can related to people insisting on speaking English to me when I try my best to speak their language.

Also, this book uses some French phrases that are beyond the reach of my high-school French, with no directly explanation in English as to what they mean. I felt dissatisfied with that, and with myself for forgetting the French. I did look up some place names that the book mentions. Ah France, shaped like a cow's head.

I want to scream at the irrationality of the people in the 16th century. Are we that close to animals? Maybe we are.

I am searching the reading guide questions now. It brings a little clarity to my "review". For example, I never considered the psoriasis as more of a coincidence between the 16th century heroine and her 20th century counterpart. Maybe she should just go back to the States because she never had the outbreak there. Haha, my attempts to keep this entry spoiler free make it irriatingly vague.