"What It Had To Offer Was A Mild Form Of Sanctuary, An Assurance Of Privacy, And The Protection And The Discretion That Attach Themselves To Blamelessness"

I must admit, I am a bit surprised that Hotel du Lac won the Booker Prize back in 1984. But in a way I can sort of see it. It was probably a book, that when it came out, was well-received and was probably felt to have delivered an interesting portrait of the social and sexual dynamics between women (and to a lesser extent, men). But I don't know if time has been to kind to it. It feels much more typical and not anything that out of the ordinary, and certainly not spectacular. 

Hotel du Lac is the story of Edith Hope (irony in the last name), a romantic novelist, who has sought refuge (although we find out later that it is more of a forced sabbatical) at the Hotel du Lac on the shores of Lake Geneva, which is the type of place where many people come to hide, recover, or seek a simple kind of privacy. It is the end of the season and the hotel is sparsely populated with a few colorful characters - Mme de Bonneuil, a deaf older woman who seems a relic of a much older time, Monica, a gorgeous modelesque woman with an eating disorder and a little dog, Mr Neville, a droll and controlled man and a man who seems accustomed to getting his way, and Mrs and Jennifer Pusey, a very vibrant, extravagant mother and daughter pair who are only too happy to talk incessantly about themselves and flaunt their wealth and penchant for buying clothing. 

The book moves fairly slowly and many of the scenes repeat themselves over and over again - lots of tea and coffee in the salon, dinner at appointed times, and lots of walks. And while this may sound really boring and tedious, Brookner does a nice job of interspersing these standard events with other facets of the story including stories of the other guests as well as Edith's own backstory for her imposed exile to the Hotel du Lac. And the slow pace and redundant events make sense for the character. She's seeking some kind of resolution or atonement for her past sins, event though she doesn't really seem to view them as sins at all, but views them in a vaguely disinterested, impartial manner. And through her interactions with Mr Neville, seems to question whether love is necessary at all and tries to come to terms with the version of herself that she feels she is, the version that everyone tells her she is (which, from Mr Neville, Monica, and the Puseys, is pretty harsh), and the version of herself she has the opportunity to become.

I enjoyed the book very much. While I have a strong fondness for books, movies, and tv shows that take place in large old mansions, apparently I also have a fondness for stories set in old luxurious hotels as well. So I suppose I can expand my repertoire. I think it's just the luxury and formality of it that appeals to me somehow. As a side note, I would LOVE to see this done as a movie. 

So next up, I again take a quick break from the lists to read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I didn't really have any intention of reading this book, but my sister lent it to me and it is her new bf's favorite book. And when people lend me books, I have to read them right away...I never want to hold onto other people's stuff for longer than I need to. I watched the movie years ago on a flight back from Amsterdam. I was travelling for work in first class (a corporate policy that I was grateful to take advantage of) and have very strong memories of being all reclined in my super reclining seat, with the fancy blanket (you get fancier blankets in first class fyi), fuzzy socks (you get fuzzy socks in first class also), and warm chocolate chip cookies (you get the point about first class by now) and bawling my goddamn eyes out. I'm sure the guy next to me thought I was certifiably insane. And the movie has been on tv here and there for the last week or so and I seem to only catch the last 15 minutes or so, and I still end up bawling like a baby. So I fully expect extreme waterworks once I finish the book.

227 to go. Happy New Year!