Moja ocjena: 5 / 5
Goodreads ocjena: 4,22 / 5
Izdavač: Sonatina naklada
Žanr: povijesno-fantastični roman
Glavne misli vodilje, prožete vidljivim nitima unutar svakog retka ovog djela, usmjerene su prvenstveno ka osjećaju pripadnosti i mogućnosti ostavljanja traga na ovom svijetu. Treća misao, koja se pojavila tokom čitanja, veže se uz osjećaj ljubavi prema nekomu tko samog sebe doživljava nedovoljno dobrim.
Moram priznati kako nisam razmišljala o tomu, a zapravo se radi o iznimno važnim stavkama u životu. Sama osjećam da pripadam - u raznim aspektima života. Ali sam probala kako je to kada se trudiš biti dio zajednice, a ta sama zajednica te čini nevažnom i izoliranom. Vidljiva sam, a ipak osjetim kako na momente moj glas ne prodire kroz buku drugih ljudi. A što je najgore, osjetila sam kako je kad nisi dovoljno dobar, unatoč tomu što se trudiš i daješ sve svoje snage da drugima daš do znanja kako ipak vrijediš, a zauzvrat samo tražiš priznanje da si ipak uspio biti dovoljno dobar. Jer vjeruješ da ćeš time konačno doći na svoje, zauzeti mjesto koje ti pripada.
Čitajući Nevidljivi život Addie LaRue, moje se shvaćanje i svjesnost o tim temama uvelike dovela u stanje razumijevanja, ali i primjene u svakodnevnom životu. Povrh toga, postala sam zahvalnija što neke stvari vidim drugim očima...
Da vas priupitam, kako biste se osjećali da vas se odjednom nitko ne sjeća - roditelji, prijatelji, obitelj, susjedi. Nitko nema pojma tko ste. Više nemate krov nad glavom. Nemate mogućnost naručiti obrok u restoranu. Ne možete kupiti nekretninu. Nemate mogućnost kod nekoga prespavati. Zašto? Jer vas se nitko ne sjeća. Nitko ne može u svome umu zadržati vašu sliku dulje od par sekundi, a čim vas izgubi iz vida, nestaje i vaša slika. Nema traga da se ikad postojali... Kakav god trag u svijetu nastojali ostaviti, on nestaje...
S druge strane, biste li prodali svoju dušu za godinu dana sreće? Ni manje, ni više od godine dana. Samo toliko. Pa što? Godina je duga. A u toj godini, koga god susretnete, svi će u vama vidjeti ono što žele i vole najviše na svijetu, a to je upravo ono što ste i sami željeli - pripadati i biti voljeni, prihvaćeni od strane društva. I sva su vam vrata otvorena. Godina dana apsolutne sreće i ljubavi. Dovoljno, zar ne?
A nakon toga? Što slijedi po isteku dogovorenog roka? Mrak. Čisti i apsolutni mrak za sva vremena. Pitam vas - bi li vrijedilo? Biti voljen godinu dana ili proživjeti cijeli život, kakav god on bio? Biti nevidljiv za sve i svakoga, a živjeti stotinama godina? Prodati svoju dušu, najdragocjenije što imate, za tih par trenutaka slave, za sreću, za ljubav, za slobodu? Biste li se odvažili takvo što napraviti, samo kako bi vam se ostvarila najveća želja koju imate?
Addie LaRue željela je slobodu, željela je biti gospodar svog vremena, slobodno udisati zrak i samostalno slagati svoj dan. Željela je biti nesputana željama svojih roditelja i normama društva.
Odlučila je otvoreno prkositi tom društvenom zakonu da se mlada žena treba udati za onoga koga joj je selo namijenilo, rađati mu djecu kako bi se loza nastavila i podrediti svoj život tomu. Ona nije bila za to. Njoj je takav oblik života i svakodnevice bio mrzak i odbojan.
Stoga je odlučila obratiti se višim silama. Onima koji mogu učiniti ono za što ona sama nije imala snage. Samo što cijena takve želje nije bila malena, dok je odluka bila lagana, bez razmišljanja o posljedicama. Dobila je željenu slobodu, ali pod cijenu toga da ju nitko ne pamti, nikomu ne pripada i ne ostavlja trag svog postojanja u svijetu.
S druge strane pratimo Henryja, još jednu dušu koja se prodala mraku, poput Addie. Ali on nije baš bistro razmislio kada je sklapao pogodbu. Henry je veliki emotivac i sve što mu se dogodi malo previše uzima srcu. Pritom, smatra da koliko se god trudio u životu, nikako ne uspijeva biti dovoljno dobar - svojim roditeljima, na fakultetu, ljudima koje susretne, pa čak ni prijateljima koji su se voljeli družiti s njime, a opet ga promatrali sa određenom dozom sažaljenja.
Sve dok nije sklopio pogodbu života - dobio je godinu dana tijekom koje je konačno dovoljno dobar svima, svi ga vole, smiju se njegovim šalama, slušaju što im ima za reći... Njegov se glas konačno čuje i uvažava. Mali trenutak sreće koji život znači, a nakon toga... što bude, bit će. Takvo je bilo njegovo razmišljanje. Sve dok ga život nije spojio sa Addie LaRue. Koja ga nije vidjela idealiziranog, nego upravo onakvog kakav je uistinu - i njoj je bio i više, nego dovoljno dobar.
I unatoč tomu što Addie nije mogla ostaviti traga na drugima, na meni je definitivno uspjela. Nimalo kaotična, već mirna i staložena, Addie je na mene djelovala umirujuće. Umjesto da se nalazim u grču i strahu za njezin nevidljivi život i neprilike u koje se sama dovodila, ja sam se osjećala uljuljkano i smireno.
Tih 500 stranica čistog mira i ugode, sa povremenim trzavicama ostavljenim po strani, dale su mi misliti o samom osjećaju pripadnosti, mogućnosti ostavljanja traga u povijesti, ali i upravljanju osjećajem vlastite vrijednosti.
Malo je reći da mi se priča svidjela. Uistinu jest i žalim što mi je trebala (samo) godina dana da mi dođe na red za čitanje. Uljuljkana i mirna, a opet turbulentna, jer autorica ne želi biti dosadna i predvidljiva, ova je priča jedna od najboljih i najdražih ove godine. I definitivno vam ju preporučam za čitanje - vjerujte mi, svidjet će vam se. :)
I za kraj objave, htjela bih podijeliti neke misli s vama. :)
Težite tomu da nekomu pripadate, ali prvenstveno trebate pripadati sami sebi. Budite zahvalni na tomu što imate krov nad glavom i što ostavljate trag u svijetu. A, što je najvažnije, budite svjesni da ste voljeni i da ste i više nego dovoljni. I nitko nema pravo mjeriti vašu vrijednost na temelju svojih mjerila. Jedina mjerila koja postoje su ona unutar vas samih, a ona kažu kako ste oduvijek bili, jeste i zauvijek ćete biti i više nego dovoljno dobri, ali i voljeni.
Do iduće objave,
Voli vas vaša Goga
My rating: 5 / 5
Goodreads rating: 4.22 / 5
Publisher: Sonatina naklada
Genre: a historical-fantasy novel
The main guiding thoughts, imbued with visible threads within each line of this work, are aimed primarily at the feeling of belonging and the possibility of leaving a mark on this world. The third thought, which appeared during the reading, is related to the feeling of love for someone who perceives himself as not good enough.
I have to admit that I didn't think about it, but in fact it is about extremely important items in life. I myself feel that I belong - in various aspects of life. But I experienced what it's like when you try to be part of a community, and that same community makes you feel unimportant and isolated. I am visible, and yet I feel that at times my voice does not penetrate through the noise of other people. And what's worst, I felt what it's like when you're not good enough, despite the fact that you're trying and giving all your strength to let others know that you're worth it, and in return you're just asking for recognition that you managed to be good enough. Because you believe that you will finally take the place that you feel belongs to you.
By reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, my understanding and awareness of these topics was brought to a state of understanding and application in everyday life. On top of that, I've become more grateful to see things with different eyes...
Let me ask you, how would you feel if suddenly nobody remembers you - parents, friends, family, neighbors. No one has a clue who you are. You no longer have a roof over your head. You do not have the option to order a meal in a restaurant. You cannot buy real estate. You don't have the possibility to sleep over at someone's place. Why? Because nobody remembers you. No one can keep your image in their mind for more than a few seconds, and as soon as they lose sight of you, your image disappears too. There is no trace that you ever existed... Whatever trace you try to leave in the world, it disappears...
On the other hand, would you sell your soul for a year of happiness? No less, no more than a year. Just that much. So what? The year is long. And in that year, whoever you meet, everyone will see in you what they want and love the most in the world, and that is exactly what you yourself wanted - to belong and be loved, accepted by society. And all doors are open to you. A year of absolute happiness and love. Enough, right?
And after that? What happens after the agreed deadline? Dark. Pure and absolute darkness for all eternity. I ask you - would it be worth it? To be loved for a year or to live a lifetime, whatever it may be? To be invisible to everyone and everything, and live for hundreds of years? To sell your soul, the most precious thing you have, for those few moments of glory, for happiness, for love, for freedom? Would you dare to do such a thing, just to make your greatest wish come true?
Addie LaRue wanted freedom, she wanted to be the master of her time, to breathe air freely and organize her day independently. She wanted to be unfettered by her parents' wishes and society's norms.
She decided to openly defy that social law that a young woman should marry the one whom the village intended for her, bear children to him in order to continue the lineage and submit her life to him. She was not for that. Such a form of everyday life was hateful and repulsive to her.
Therefore, she decided to turn to higher powers. To those who can do what she herself did not have the strength to do. It's just that the price of such a wish was not small, while the decision was easy, without thinking about the consequences. She got the desired freedom, but at the cost of not being remembered by anyone, not belonging to anyone and not leaving a trace of her existence in the world.
On the other hand, we follow Henry, another soul who has sold himself to the darkness, like Addie. But he didn't think clearly when he made the deal. Henry is very emotional and takes everything that happens to him a little too much to heart. At the same time, he believes that no matter how hard he tries in life, he never manages to be good enough - to his parents, to the university, to the people he meets, and not even to his friends who liked to hang out with him, but still looked at him with a certain amount of pity.
Until he made the bargain of a lifetime - he got a year during which he is finally good enough for everyone, everyone loves him, laughs at his jokes, listens to what he has to say... His voice is finally heard and respected. A small moment of happiness that life means, and after that... what will be, will be. That was his thinking. Until life brought him together with Addie LaRue. Who didn't see him idealized, but exactly as he really is - and he was more than good enough for her.
And despite the fact that Addie couldn't leave a mark on others, she definitely did on me. Not at all chaotic, but calm and composed, Addie had a calming effect on me. Instead of being in agony and fear for her invisible life and the troubles she was getting herself into, I felt lulled and calm.
Those 500 pages of pure peace and comfort, with occasional conflicts left aside, made me think about the very feeling of belonging, the possibility of leaving a mark in history, but also about managing the sense of self-worth.
To say that I liked the story is an understatement. It really is, and I regret that it took me (only) a year to get around to reading it. Lulled and calm, yet turbulent, because the author does not want to be boring and predictable, this story is one of the best and favorite this year. And I definitely recommend it for you to read - trust me, you will love it.:)
And to end the post, I would like to share some thoughts with you.:)
You strive to belong to someone, but primarily you need to belong to yourself. Be grateful for having a roof over your head and making a mark on the world. And, most importantly, be aware that you are loved and that you are more than enough. And no one has the right to measure your worth based on their standards. The only standards that exist are those within yourself, and they say that you have always been, are and will forever be more than good enough, but also loved.
Until the next post,
Your Goga loves you
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