The Transit of Venus by shirley hazzard

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I initially had no liking for this novel whatsoever. However, by the end, I found myself having to read the last page several times and even conducting research to ensure I truly understood what had transpired.

Hazzard employs a rather unique point of view trick. Omniscience briefly dips into the voice of a character, omitting the subject of the sentence, the direct object, or both. This requires some adjustment, and I had unfortunately become a somewhat lazy reader.

Nonetheless, I will need to read it again. Yes, it is that good.

Spoiler below?

Or perhaps not. I just went over the plot with my husband. (He is a sentimentalist.) I must admit that the plot seems rather ridiculous. To be frank, it does redeem itself on that final page. The suicide that I had been anticipating since page 12 was finally explained. I am typically impatient with women who make foolish choices. Be forewarned: all the choices made by women in this story are indeed stupid. The men whom I would have known, when I was still a girl, to flee from, are instead embraced. It is either pathetic or a stroke of genius on the author's part, depending on one's perspective....

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Lordllo

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

The Transit of Venus is an extraordinary book. It weaves a modern love story with the density and style characteristic of a literary classic.

Despite its relatively small size, it presents a significant reading challenge. However, Shirley Hazzard more than makes up for this by creating a profound and deeply moving novel that is structured like a Greek tragedy.

Although nominally classified as contemporary literature, Hazzard's style and writing technique truly set her apart from many classic authors. Her sentences have a distinct feel, effortlessly transitioning between stream-of-consciousness and conventional third-person narration. She describes characters' internal emotions with a remarkable degree of concreteness, often more so than everyday objects and settings.

Admittedly, this makes the reading experience demanding. I initially expected to finish the book in a few days but soon realized that I had to slow down and carefully consider the meaning behind almost every word Hazzard writes. This is perhaps the novel's greatest critique, yet it in no way detracts from its genius.

The subject matter and plot of this book are also particularly outstanding. Emigration, love, and mortality are common themes in modern novels, but Hazzard's treatment is so powerful that the plot takes on a unique quality. No single character overshadows the others, yet each one feels incredibly well-developed and human. Their successes and failures are both monumental and relatable, and I found myself both loving and empathizing with each of them.

What I found most impactful, by far, is the seamless way in which this book transports classic Greek tragedy to a modern setting. The flawed characters are just one aspect of this. Although they experience a range of triumphs and tragedies, true happiness seems elusive. Love is portrayed as the most powerful force in their lives, yet it rarely leads to lasting happiness for Caroline, Grace, Ted, or Paul. Acts of God are abundant and inexplicable, and the ending, without giving too much away, is both gut-wrenching and profoundly moving.

In a sense, The Transit of Venus is deliberately murky. The entire novel is a complex blend of positive and negative emotions, with characters who struggle to make sense of their lives. It elicits emotions in the reader that are difficult to classify as simply happy or sad. But this is precisely its strength, and it is how Shirley Hazzard so beautifully captures the essence of the human experience. Given its size, accessibility, and sheer power, I would wholeheartedly recommend The Transit of Venus to almost anyone.

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Vaaaaa95

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I don't even know how I felt about this book. Even as I type this, I have no idea how I'm going to rate it.

At times, I thought the writing was brilliant and amazing. Hazzard's prose is downright beautiful. She is a writer's writer, cerebral, structured, and deliberate. I got the sense that she was standing over her perfect sentences and elaborate prose with a self-satisfied smirk. Yes, Shirley, you can write, and you can write the pants off most authors I've read recently.

However, other times I thought the writing was pretentious and overwrought. The characters spoke so perfectly and elegantly, with such control, that it was as if the whole thing were rehearsed. Everything sounded fancy and lovely and wise, but I just don't know.

The main protagonist, Caro, was as dry as day old toast. Her sadness was too subdued for me to connect with. Her married sister Grace appears briefly and sporadically, which was a shame because her marital angst wasn't fully realized. There was so much unhappiness, infidelity, longing, and brooding, but the book managed to make me feel almost nothing. The characters were far away and icy cold, and their sorrows felt remote.

This sounds like I didn't like the book, but I did! It's great, thought-provoking literature, and I was mostly enthralled. I just can't shake the feeling that there was an emotional core missing here. While I appreciated and loved the writing, I was too aware of the book's mechanics to ever let go completely.

This book takes patience and perseverance. The first 80 or so pages were rough and overly cryptic. The whole thing is cryptic, actually, and there are monumental clues scattered throughout that are easy to miss. The ending... Let's just say, don't read this when you're sleepy and/or not concentrating completely.

3.5

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BabyManchild

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

This is an audio version of the 2021 edition of Transit of Venus. It was originally published by Shirley Hazzard, a master of English composition.

I read it over 30 years ago, but this edition read by Juliet Stephens adds depth and enhances my appreciation of Hazzard's craft.

There is an enlightening forward by Lauren Groff. She counts it as one of her favorite novels, deeming it a perfect novel. She has read it at least 4 times and adds her own insights.

Also, at the end, there is a real treat. It is Chapter 3 read by Ms. Hazzard herself. This audio version not only allows us to experience the beauty of Hazzard's words but also provides different perspectives through the readings of Juliet Stephens and Lauren Groff's forward. The addition of Hazzard reading a chapter herself makes it even more special. It truly is a wonderful way to revisit this classic novel.

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Natsurito

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

Yes, I enjoy many things in life.

I enjoy reading books that take me to different worlds and expand my knowledge. It allows me to escape from reality for a while and immerse myself in the stories.

I also enjoy spending time with my friends and family. We have fun together, share our joys and sorrows, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Another thing I enjoy is traveling. Exploring new places, experiencing different cultures, and trying new foods is always exciting. It broadens my horizons and makes me appreciate the diversity of the world.

In addition, I enjoy doing sports. It keeps me fit and healthy, and also gives me a sense of accomplishment when I achieve my goals.

Overall, there are many things that I enjoy, and they all bring me happiness and fulfillment.

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tabbycatcircus

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

I was truly torn when it came to rating Shirley Hazzard's Transit of Venus. There's no denying that Hazzard is an incredibly gifted writer.

However, the novel itself had me pondering a rather profound question: When does a great writer evolve into a great artist? It's a delicate distinction that doesn't present itself often, as these things tend to unfold naturally.

The discerning reader simply has an intuition when they've encountered a masterpiece of literature. But Hazzard's own ambition in this work made me pose that very query.

In other words, one gets the impression that in The Transit of Venus, Hazzard set out with the intention of writing a great novel. There are indeed numerous passages of outstanding writing.

Yet, as a whole novel, I felt that its Jamesian (last phase) excesses made the reading experience something of an ordeal by the end. To be fair, I think I have a preference for Hazzard over James in that she portrays Love in a more believable manner - and I'm referring to Love in the vein of Shakespeare or Donne.

And actually, things do happen in her story! People may not speak exactly as Hazzard has them speak, but any lover of language can't help but wish they did. Hazzard crafts prose that is superior to much of contemporary poetry.

And boy, can she construct a scene, almost as if she's positioning actors on a stage - complete with great lines! But such staginess comes with risks, and in a long novel, it can become tiresome.

Some of Hazzard's side stories, like Christian's affair or his wife Grace's near-affair, could have been streamlined. Also, the "political" insertions seemed exactly that - insertions or reminiscences of old anti-American table talk with her good friend Graham Greene.

Then there's the sense of time - it's rather inconsistent. Yes, I get a sense of the fifties, but not as strongly for the sixties or later. Such historical upheavals should have left a more profound reading impression.

All in all, it results in an uneven reading experience - which is rather strange considering the precision of Hazzard's writing and plotting. But the good news is that Hazzard has indeed written a great novel - it's called The Great Fire.

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Larrynguyen09

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

This is my third encounter with Hazzard's work, and it's truly a remarkable experience. For the first time, I find her characters are stunningly realized. The way she crafts them makes them come alive on the page,仿佛 I can almost see them in front of me. Paired with her virtuosic writing, this book is undoubtedly a 5-star read. It's something that I know I will keep coming back to, time and time again.

However, no work is perfect, and this one is no exception. My complaints are relatively small. Sometimes, she tends to be overly aphoristic, which can make the writing seem a bit forced. At other times, she can be a bit melodramatic, as in the example "If Ted were to die, the world would be a room where no one looked at her." Additionally, she has an occasional annoying habit of leaving the subject out of sentences, turning them into fragments. For instance, "Had observed, as he drew near, that her walk turned the progress of other women to a thump or shuffle." Despite these minor flaws, the overall quality of the book is outstanding.

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darkj25

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

July 15,2025

My second Shirley Harzzard novel in a short space of time. The previous one, People in Glass Houses, I thoroughly enjoyed, so I was really looking forward to reading The Transit Of Venus.

To say I have been surprised by this book would be an understatement. Both books are completely different in delivery and concept. The Transit Of Venus is one of the most compelling novels I have read, although I'm not sure I can explain exactly why.

The plot itself seems rather shallow at first glance, but perhaps the plot isn't the main point. The title is very fitting as the book is about love, but not in the overly sentimental way one might expect from a Mills and Boons novel. Instead, it explores the transient nature of love and its morality as a weapon.

The cast of characters are all very middle class and communicate with each other in a way that leaves a lot unsaid, which would be quite foreign to the vast majority of working people.

By the time I reached the end of the book, I realised that I had missed many subtleties that more astute readers would have picked up along the way. This makes me think that I will definitely reread this book in the future. It reminds me of that record you buy and know, after the first listen, that you need to immerse yourself more in it. And once you do, it grows to stand the test of time.

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The Transit of Venus

shirley hazzard

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Caroline Bell

Grace Bell

Ted Tice

Paul Ivory

Adam Vail

Christian Thrale

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shirley hazzard

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