Wow!

Truly, this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I am completely at a loss for words to describe the impact it has had on me.

The story is so engaging and well-written that it kept me hooked from the very beginning.

And this is even before I fully realized what the ending meant.

The author has crafted a masterpiece that leaves the reader with a sense of wonder and anticipation.

As I turned the pages, I found myself completely immersed in the world of the characters, experiencing their joys and sorrows along with them.

The plot twists and turns in unexpected ways, keeping me on the edge of my seat.

I can’t wait to go back and read it again, this time with a better understanding of the ending and all the nuances that I may have missed the first time around.

This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a good story.

It was time for me to embark on the journey of reading a truly good book.

A book that had the power to demand my undivided attention, captivating my thoughts and pulling me into its world.

It was like something that had been wandering the vast desert of my mind for most of my life, much like an aimless Moses.

At times, I wasn't certain if I would ever reach the promised land of understanding and fulfillment that this book held.

But as I turned the last pages, a sense of relief and satisfaction washed over me.

The story had come to a conclusion, and it had delivered on its promise, leaving me with a newfound appreciation for the power of words and the magic of a well-told tale.

It was a moment of pure joy and enlightenment, and I knew that this book would stay with me for a long time to come.

The writing in this book truly amazes me. I am reading it at a slow pace, savoring each and every word.

Currently, I have read three chapters of Part II, "The Contacts". There are some changes in the scene, and the plots develop gradually.

Tonight, I finally finished the book. I was completely gripped by the last part. Karen, you were indeed right. Everything comes together beautifully at the end. I discovered just how much I care about all these diverse and disparate persons (except Dora, of course).

Now, I wonder if anyone can tell me what other Shirley Hazzard books I should read. I am eager to explore more of her works and experience the same kind of literary magic.

Because I read so much and my memory is starting to show deficiencies, and since I read three other books after this one, I wanted to refresh my memory via Google. There I came across a review of "The Transit of Venus" written by Staša Pavlovič and published in the book supplement of De Standaard on 4 June 2022. And then I no longer felt the urge to write what I thought of it. So I'll leave it at this: a recommendation.

The act of constantly reading can take a toll on our memory. It becomes necessary to find ways to rejuvenate and recall the details of the books we've devoured. In my case, Google served as a useful tool. As I searched, I stumbled upon this interesting review that provided a new perspective on "The Transit of Venus".

After reading the review, something changed within me. The initial impulse to pen down my own thoughts about the book vanished. Maybe it was because the review had already captured some of the essence that I was trying to express. Or perhaps it was a sign that I should simply appreciate the work without adding my own commentary. In any case, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to others.

Shirley Hazzard's prose style is truly one-of-a-kind and can be rather challenging.

Often, you'll find yourself having to read her sentences not just once, but twice, in order to fully grasp the depth of meaning and the richness it holds.

However, once you manage to get accustomed to her rather quirky sentence structures, you'll discover that reading her works is an absolute delight.

I can vividly remember the last novel I read, which was filled with so many brilliant insights into love and female emotions.

Essentially, the story revolves around two sisters and their amorous lives.

Caro is the more adventurous and unconventional of the two sisters.

Ostensibly, it seems that she will endure more hardships.

Grace, on the other hand, takes the more conventional path of becoming a wife and mother.

Yet, her unhappiness is equally as poignant and is beautifully portrayed.

There are also some truly fabulous male characters in the story.

Two of them are harboring guilty secrets that will play a significant role in determining the outcome of the novel.

Shirley Hazzard very much belongs to the literary lineage that came after Elizabeth Taylor, Rosamond Lehman, and Elizabeth Bowen.

If you have a penchant for the works of those three writers, then you're bound to fall in love with Shirley Hazzard's writing as well.

I had managed to get through 200 pages of the book, but unfortunately, I had to DNF (Did Not Finish).

It's not that the story wasn't interesting, but there were certain aspects that made it a bit of a struggle for me to continue.

Maybe it was the writing style that didn't quite click with me, or perhaps the pacing felt a little off.

Despite getting this far, I just couldn't seem to find the motivation to push through and complete the rest of the book.

I guess it goes to show that not every book is going to be a perfect fit for every reader.

Even though I DNF'd this one, I'm still hopeful that I'll come across other books that will capture my attention and keep me engaged from start to finish.

Here is an engaging and captivating novel that delves into the lives of Caroline and Grace Bell, as well as the tragic story of Ted Tice. It is a novel that explores the themes of passion and ambition. In the 1950s, Caroline and Grace make the decision to emigrate from Australia to England. As the story unfolds, we are taken on a journey through their lives as they enter middle age, experiencing love, marriage, failure, and work in different ways. The power of time is shown to have a profound impact, both transforming and crushing their hopes and dreams.

This well-written novel is highly recommended. It has received much acclaim, including winning the 1980 National Book Critics Circle Award. If you are looking for a thought-provoking and emotionally engaging read, this is the perfect book for you.

All I can say is wow.

This book took me an incredibly long time to get through, but in the best possible way.

I knew that I had to be fully engaged throughout the entire reading process because I simply didn't want to miss a single thing.

The offhanded clauses in this book have a way of turning into the truest and most profound statements that will stay with you long after you've finished reading.

It also had me constantly reaching for my pen to underline passages, something I rarely do.

I am truly in awe of Shirley Hazzard's keen observations and her ability to write things that I could never even begin to articulate.

Thank you to Tessa for sharing your favorite book with me.

We definitely have a lot to discuss.

Oh, and the end of the story was just crazy! Hehe!

I can't wait to delve deeper into this book with Tessa and explore all of its hidden gems.

This is my first Shirley Hazzard novel after reading her collected stories. However, I still came away with basically the same thought.

When Hazzard is at her best, she brilliantly captures those unspoken, purely human moments of everyday life. This novel had a lot of that. Her writing is so excellent that you almost wish she didn't have to deal with bothersome things like "characters that you feel are real" or "plots that aren't mostly made up of things being mysterious."

I recommend this book, and I thought there were moments of true greatness in it. But it was not for me an enjoyable read.

It says a lot about how well Hazzard writes that I will probably reread this to check if that's on me.

Bottom line: What a talent!

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TBR review

There's something about old-fashioned books about sisters falling in love.

(Thanks to the publisher for the audiobook e-arc)

This book is truly remarkable.

I made an effort to love it, yet admiration for it came instantly. By the conclusion, I firmly believe that this could potentially be the greatest book I have ever perused. And this is with the awareness that there is an abundance within its pages that I missed, overlooked, or entirely failed to understand. My thoughts are in a state of chaos because I am in absolute awe.

I have never before witnessed such proficiency in expressing explicit meaning through allusion. The language is both ambiguous and astonishingly precise, often giving the impression that Shirley had specifically chosen the words just for me, the somewhat egotistical reader. It was as if she looked at me across the table, evaluated our differences and similarities, and selected the words that would enable me, who lacks both the intellect and the insight she possesses (now the inferior reader), to precisely grasp what is being conveyed.

Hazzard reveals the inevitable fates of her characters, yet manages to prevent it from devolving into a mere gimmick. This is ultimately because Hazzard enchants the reader with the way the story is told, filled with countless grammatical and syntactical changes and rhythmic challenges. Her characters' destinies are written in the stars, but she ensures that the reader doesn't mind getting caught up among them, leaving Hazzard as the all-knowing power over both the reader and the characters, holding absolute sway over how destiny will unfold.

Hazzard is fully cognizant that she is a master of both plot and language, a combination that I find surprisingly difficult for authors to achieve. But here, neither aspect is sacrificed.

“Grief had a painter’s eye, assigning arbitrary meaning at random - like God.” This profound statement further emphasizes the depth and beauty of Hazzard's writing.

Hazzard doesn't make this an easy read for the reader.

Her writing style seems to play tricks on the reader, and it gives a rather unpleasant feeling.

I found myself having to read numerous literary articles about the book just to understand what was happening.

In my opinion, it's not a great aspect if the plot of a book can't hold up on its own.

It makes the reading experience more of a struggle rather than an enjoyable one.

One would expect a book to be able to convey its story clearly and engagingly without the need for extensive external resources to clarify.

Hazzard's work, in this regard, falls short of what I would consider a truly satisfying literary piece.

Perhaps with a different approach to her writing, she could have made the plot more accessible and captivating for the readers.

As it stands, it leaves the reader with a sense of confusion and dissatisfaction.

Juliet Stevenson's narration of this gorgeous and rich novel is truly fantastic. However, as a reader, it's difficult for me to fully enter this story. Shirley Hazzard's novels have a distinct anachronistic feel for their time, and that's precisely how they resonate in my mind. I constantly find myself wondering, "Why is Shirley Hazzard attempting to write like Thomas Hardy in a book first published in 1980?" This question will continue to困扰 me when it comes to Hazzard's prose, her deliberate and paradoxical avoidance of any contemporary phrasing choices. Her novel The Great Fire gives me the exact same impression.

Reading The Transit of Venus is, for me, like stumbling upon a great master of scrimshaw, tatting, or caber tossing. Hazzard is a genius in her strange and anachronistic craft. Stevenson's narration is appropriately lush. Despite these undeniable facts, I simply can't bring myself to love this audiobook.