August Blue by Deborah Levy
Elsa M. Anderson, a renowned pianist, is intrigued by a woman she encounters at an Athens flea market as she purchases mechanical dancing horses Elsa also wants. The appearance of this woman, who strikingly resembles Elsa, raises questions about the possibility of them being doppelgängers. As Elsa travels across Europe their orbits continue to intersect, challenging their preconceptions, exploring themes of identity and self-discovery.
"Maybe I am."
Levy underscores throughout August Blue a keenly displayed loss of self. Elsa struggles to define herself, who she is and who she should become. Her untethered portrait is shown with a melancholy beauty, like looking at the world through a pane of glass onto which you’ve breathed a circle of fog.
"If you are not you, who?"
"If she was not there, where?"
The writing from Levy elevates this one above other elements that could be considered a flaw or wrong-footed...or obvious. The obviousness of the doppelgänger is difficult to discern, is it intentionally clear from the get-go, or is it simply lacking in another needed layer of nuance? This theme is mirrored in various dualities within the novel, including Elsa's dual set of parents. Her persistent self-questioning is as captivating as it is predictable, adding a level of realism but perhaps not the depth for which it aims.
The loveliness of Levy's writing lies mainly in the ruminations from Elsa — the long pauses of memory or runaway thoughts while attempting to listen to someone else or do something else. It is these stretched out moments where you can truly find Elsa ... even if she can't find herself.
Audiobook, as narrated by Alix Dunmore: Dunmore did a lovely job. Her voices, accents, and delivery was varied. As noted below, I could not have done this one without her.
P.S. The print version of this book lacks punctuation marks to set apart any dialogue from the main text. This typically affects my ability to properly absorb the story, so if that's you, too — I recommend this in its audio format.
