Summary
In this story, a middle aged stay at home mom (until recently), named Ella, is forced to confront her failing marriage and unsatisfying life when her eldest daughter announces her engagement. The announcement starts an argument, in which Jeannette (the eldest) accuses her mother of trying to make her and “unhappy housewife” just like her. She also raises the question of if her mother has ever been in love. Coincidentally, Ella’s new job requires her to read a manuscript of a story titled Sweet Blasphemy. The story she reads follows the characters journey to happiness and the lessons they learn, one of the biggest being the importance of love. She quickly realized that this story mirrors her own. This story shows two parallel narratives unraveling together as Sweet Blasphemy helps Ella answer all her suppressed questions and find her own happiness.
my thoughts
The lay out of this story is very interesting. I don’t think I have ever read a novel that contained a story within a story. I think this is a true testament to Elif Şafak’s skill as a writer. She didn’t just put a story within a story. Şafak was able to intertwin two parallel narratives in such a way that allows the reader to grasp the harmony between the two, as well as capture the affect Sweet Blasphemy has on Ella.
I found the beginning of the Prologue very interesting. Şafak writes,
“Between your fingers you hold a stone and throw it into flowing water. The effect might not be easy to see. There will be a small ripple where the stone breaks the surface and then a splash, muffled by the rush of the surrounding river. That’s all.
Throw a stone into a lake. The effect will be not only visible but also far more lasting. The stone will disrupt the still waters. A circle will form where the stone hit the water, and in a flash that circle will multiply into another, then another. Before long the ripples caused by one plop will expand until they can be felt everywhere along the mirrored surface of the water. Only when the circles reach the shore will they stop and die out.
If a stone hits a river, the river will treat it as yet another commotion in its already tumultuous course. Nothing unusual. Nothing unmanageable.
If a stone hits a lake, however, the lake will never be the same again.“
This seems to be saying life is either a roaring river or a calm like. In each comparison stones represent challenges and obstacles in life. Şafak writes that when a stone is thrown into a roaring river it only has a small, momentary affect before it is masked by the already turbulent water. This is saying that when a challenge or obstacle arises in an already challenging life, it may have a noticeable affect, but it will quickly be washed away as usually. She then writes that when a stone is thrown into a calm lake it has a very noticeable effect that lasts longer. This represents when a challenge or obstacle arises in an otherwise calm life. I think this idea is very accurate and something people go through everyday. I think that having more challenges and obstacles in your life would make others seeming less imposing and easier to be swept away. I have definitely noticed that when someone hasn’t had to deal with hardships, they react much more severely to any opposing force. I do not think it is so black and white though. I think there are many other factors that go into how a person deals with the stones tossed at them.
In this story Ella’s daughter makes her realize, or at least face, the challenges is her life and I think that is very important. I have always loved when a younger character used to help older characters learn and develop because there is a huge stigma the young people don’t have enough wisdom to help those older than them. This stigma continues despite the fact that even young children can help guide adults. I think younger people think more simplistically, which is an asset. Adults seem to lack the ability to see something in its simplest form and therefore need a younger, simpler mind set to aid them.
Elif Şafak 