'Life in Five Senses' by Gretchen Rubin
I've long agreed with the theory that human beings give our five physical senses too much sway at the expense of the far vaster, more formative spiritual world which shapes things behind the scenes. Advice we hear to 'get out of our senses' is wise in many instances.
Yet in spite of their enormity, we tend to zone out too much, taking our five senses for granted and allowing potentially meaningful moments to pass us by. That is Gretchen Rubin's premise anyway, in this manifesto that urges us to start paying way more attention to what we see, hear, touch, taste and smell.
She is one of the authors whose new books I always aim to get hold of, since I enjoy her fresh take on everyday actions we can all do. Ever since I read The Happiness Project, Rubin's life enhancing suggestions always strike me as reasonable hacks which cost nothing.
What's more, her books enable armchair travel to one specific place. Since I doubt I'll ever manage to visit New York City, I like what I see of the Big Apple in her writing. In this book, Rubin makes the most of daily visits the Metropolitan Museum of Art, since she lives within walking distance.
I recommend you read it. We can surely embellish our lives in easy, self-aware ways. Since finishing this, I've done more active listening, studied the nuances of famous works of art, enhanced my Spotify playlist, unashamedly indulged in perfumed candle sniffing and considered the timeline of tastes that runs throughout my life. (I'm afraid as a kid I considered Kraft mac and cheese and Semolina drizzled with honey my favourite meals. No nostalgic memories of any dishes my mother cooked to perfection.) I've stroked my cat's fur and asked my son to locate his fidget spinner. And I've made plans to add more sensual herbs to the rosemary, lavender, mint and basil already growing out on my deck.
Just for the record, she brings to our memories a few internet viral sensations. Remember that controversial dress? I now see it as black and blue, although I think I saw white and gold in the early days. And I always hear 'Yanni' and never 'Laurel' in that divisive hearing test. How about you?
After reflection, I've come to think a lovely purring cat satisfies four of the five senses, with the exception of taste.
🌟🌟🌟🌟½
'Gentian Hill' by Elizabeth Goudge
This is essentially a love story, often long distance, between two young people during the time of the Napoleonic Wars.
15-year-old Anthony O'Connell is a midshipman who impulsively deserts ship in Torquay, unable to bear the horrific, squalid lifestyle at sea on the heels of a genteel upbringing. He decides to take on the alias 'Zachary' from that time forward.
Meanwhile, 10-year-old Stella Sprigg lives with her step-parents at Weekaborough Farm. She was rescued from a horrific ship explosion as an infant and her mysterious, prestigious past comes to light during the course of this novel. (I find the revelation is quite heavy handed, with no surprise element for us readers.)
When these two, each bearing names they weren't christened with, come together, they recognise each other as kindred spirits, or twin souls or two sides of the same coin, and even have some ESP line running between them. I can't count the number of times Goudge implicitly suggests the noble blood flowing in Zachary's and Stella's veins makes them a superior, ultra-sensitive breed of people. Stella in particular is depicted as a wonder child. I'm sure if Stella slept on a dozen piled mattresses like that fairytale princess, she'd definitely feel a tiny pea underneath.
The plot partly concerns how Zachary musters courage to resume the naval career he ran away from. The fact that he considers himself cowardly on account of his conscientious objector stance irked me too. Some uncaring relative set him up on the ship to get rid of him at the outset. He never once chose that lifestyle for himself, so I regard his initial escape as proactive rather than fleeing his destiny. Life is too short to return to what we despise, simply to prove a point. Maybe if more boys deserted, there might be fewer wars.
Clearly, this is not my favourite Goudge novel. But there are several lovely word pictures of rural British life, and cool animal characters. And hey, I've found out how creepy mandrake roots really look. Put it this way, the Herbology lessons with Madame Sprout in Harry Potter stories are no exaggeration. Look them up and see for yourself.
🌟🌟½
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