I feel that particular way one does after having read a really really good book.

It's a feeling that is hard to put into words. It's as if a part of you has been transported to another world, a world created by the author's imagination.

You become so invested in the characters and their stories that when you reach the end, it's almost like saying goodbye to old friends.

There's a sense of fulfillment, but also a tinge of sadness that it's over.

You find yourself thinking about the book long after you've turned the last page, reflecting on the themes, the plot, and the emotions it evoked.

It's a feeling that only a truly great book can give, and it's one that I cherish every time I experience it.

It makes me want to pick up another book and embark on a new adventure, hoping to find that same feeling again.

A massive “Oof!” escaped my lips when I turned the page and realized that was it... the end. It was both uncomfortable and awe-inspiring.

My first encounter with Shirley Hazzard was quite an experience. Her dense and complex prose came as a shock after the drabness of the Elif Shafak book I had read just before. There were so many startling images. For instance, “A little curled chrysanthemum of a dog” and “Circular lamps, set over the mudguards, were glassily unlit like Tertia’s eyes” (part of a passage where the unpleasant Tertia is repeatedly merged with her expensive car). On a journey, “A factory momentarily obliterated the view, and was swiftly withdrawn like the wrong slide on a projector.”

The story is told by an omniscient narrator, and at times she can seem austere and remote from her characters. Yet, we still manage to enter their minds and sense their anguish and frustrated love. There are also comic moments. The ever-suffering Dora is a great character. She doesn't play a major role but pops up occasionally in telling half sentences in letters or conversations, roaming the world and falling out with people on every continent. The Major: “It was hard to imagine the Major in wooing mood. One suspected he had never courted anything, except disaster.” I also liked the obnoxiousness of Christian, which was so well recounted through his cynical affair with his secretary.

I think the most shocking thing about this book is the way Hazzard plants little bombs in the text that detonate and punch you in the gut many pages later. Hence the “Oof!” at the last paragraph. The fate of one major character is casually mentioned in the first pages... you need to pay attention throughout. So it's a slow and sometimes difficult read, but it's well worth the effort.

One of my favorite recent reads has been a truly captivating experience.

However, the question might arise as to why it didn't receive a full 5 stars. Well, I suppose it's because I had just finished reading The Bay at Noon, which I happened to prefer.

I went into reading Transit with the expectation of liking it just as much, but for some reason, that wasn't the case.

Perhaps it's because in Transit, the plot seems to hold more significance and plays a greater role in determining how the characters behave.

Nonetheless, Transit is still an excellent novel. It offers a rewarding exploration of character and class, delving deep into the complex dynamics and relationships within society.

The author's skillful portrayal of the characters and their struggles makes it a thought-provoking and engaging read.

Despite not meeting my initial expectations, Transit is definitely a book worth recommending and enjoying.

UPDATE 2/23/22: I had the opportunity to see Hamilton last night. However, much to my surprise, I found myself constantly distracted throughout the performance. My mind kept wandering back to The Transit of Venus. Hazzard's work truly emphasizes the significance of perspective and who is telling the story. I couldn't help but reflect on this novel while observing the dynamic between Eliza and Angelica in Hamilton. It's quite remarkable that a book could have such an impact on me that it distracted me from a highly engaging musical like Hamilton. Truly, The Transit of Venus is that good.

Original Review: I can't recall the last time I read a novel with such a complex and intricate plot as The Transit of Venus. Every single word in this book seems to hold great significance, and the payoff at the end is truly exceptional. The execution of this book is simply perfect.

Upon further reflection, I'm amazed that I had never even heard of it before. It definitely belongs among the great novels of the 20th century. Where is The Transit of Venus in all the lists of great books? Essentially, I'm trying to persuade you to read it because every word is pure magic.

Hazzard reveals nearly everything we need to know within the first few pages. However, it's only with the knowledge gained from the final paragraphs that we fully understand the true significance of these events. The novel begins with the sentence: “By nightfall the headlines would be reporting devastation.” Through her vivid and startling imagery, we learn about a flood, a destructive storm, and a man who is thrust into this chaotic cosmic atmosphere. Like the man, who we later discover is Edmund (Ted) Tice, the novel progresses towards a single destination. Hazzard's narrator seems to view every event on a cosmic scale, which means there are no real spoilers in this novel. Even though we learn within the first 10 pages that Ted will ultimately commit suicide, it's only in the novel's last words that we have the perspective to understand why. In the meantime, Ted meets Grace and Caroline, orphaned sisters from Australia, and falls deeply in love with Caro. They also meet Paul Ivory, who will marry Tertia despite Caro's feelings for him. Ted works under Sefton Thrale, whose son will marry Grace. They briefly live at Peverel, the home of Sefton and Charmian Thrale, and the consequences of their youthful choices that summer will have a profound impact on the next 30 years of their lives.

This book can be seen as a Greek tragedy played out in a postmodern context. It also has elements that are reminiscent of reading Jane Austen or Middlemarch. The characters grapple with the realities of life after WWII, yet the fundamental questions remain the same throughout human history. Hazzard's writing is rich and dense, which can make it difficult to get through at times. Every sentence seems to be carefully crafted and could be analyzed and reflected upon in great detail. However, the payoff at the end of the novel is truly worth it. I can't adequately describe how satisfying it was to read the revelations in the last part.

If you're still not convinced, here are a couple more of my favorite quotes from the book: “Wearing a cardigan that had perhaps been blue, Caro was pouring water from a jug. In looks, Caro was as yet unfinished, lacking some revelation that might simply be her own awareness; unlike Grace, who was completed if not complete.” “It was inconceivable that he could not touch or take hold of her light-blue body that had power over all his days. The very outline of the earth, beyond her, was nothing to it. 'You're as distant from me now as you'll be when we're separated. There's no happiness in this for me, our standing together here and now. But I'll think of it, later, as being close to you, and lucky.'” “With these prospects and impressions, she, forty-three years old, stood silent in a hotel doorway in her worn blue coat and looked at the cars and the stars, with the roar of existence in her ears. And like any great poet or tragic sovereign of antiquity, cried on her Creator and wondered how long she must remain on such an earth.”

The Transit of Venus is a novel that explores love in all its forms, tragedy and fate in a postmodern world, age and youth, and all the regrets we accumulate or learn to redeem. It reflects on how truth always emerges and how we perceive the outlines of love and beauty against the backdrop of events like war or loss. It's like a powerful current that sweeps you along and a captivating spell of lucid and vibrant prose.

This is a book that will only improve with time and rereads. I'm giving it 5 stars not just because of the initial reading experience, but because I know it will become even richer and more meaningful as the years pass. It's a new all-time favorite for me, and one that I will cherish for many years to come. Seriously, despite the challenge of getting through the first half, it's well worth your time.