If people were to bring an abundance of courage into this world, the world, in a cruel twist, would have to kill them or break them. And so, inevitably, it does just that. The world has a way of shattering each and every one of us. However, afterwards, many manage to find strength in the very places where they were broken. But those who refuse to break, the world still finds a way to kill them. It shows no partiality when it comes to taking the lives of the very good, the very gentle, and the very brave. If you happen to be none of these, you can rest assured that it will come for you too, although perhaps not with the same sense of urgency.

*

"I'm not brave any more, darling. I'm completely broken. They've managed to break me. I realize that now."

"Everybody goes through this," comes the reply.

"But it's truly awful. They just keep at it until they succeed in breaking you."

I first read this book during my high school days. Perhaps it was due to my youth, or maybe because it was a summer reading assignment, or perhaps it was because I read it right after finishing The Invisible Man (which was intense!), but I more or less breezed through the book. I simply enjoyed the love story and didn't spend enough time in the war episodes to truly feel anything significant.

The second time I attempted to read it, I couldn't even get past the part set in Milan. I struggled to get into the prose, and more importantly, I couldn't tolerate Catherine. Her lines like "I'll say just what you wish and I'll do what you wish and then you will never want any other girls, will you?" made me cringe. I couldn't accept either Catherine or her relationship with Frederick as being at all real. Since I assumed they were supposed to be not only real but also good (or pure or ideal or something along those lines), it completely put me off the book.

This time around, however, I read Catherine and Frederick (especially Catherine) as being damaged and completely desperate. This new perspective made her and the love story believable, acceptable, and极其悲伤. A friend described their repetitive dialogue (“I have a fine life”, “I have a fine time” “Don’t we have a fine life?”) as an ‘incantation’, as if they were trying to will their life into existence. I find that quite moving. Nevertheless, the love story still wasn't my favorite aspect of the book. This time, I found myself dwelling more on the war episodes, especially the army's retreat. There's something about the terse style and the mundane details (such as what they're eating, etc.) that makes it even more brutal.

I don't have the patience to write a review. I just want to say that it was very good.

The product or service that I experienced was truly excellent. From the moment I first encountered it, I was impressed. The quality was top-notch, and it exceeded my expectations. The details were well thought out, and every aspect functioned perfectly. I really enjoyed using it or experiencing it. Although I don't have the patience to write a detailed review, I feel compelled to express my satisfaction. It was a great find, and I would highly recommend it to others. Whether it's for its performance, design, or overall value, it's definitely worth considering. I'm sure that anyone who gives it a try will be just as pleased as I was.