Dorris Lessing in her award winning novel “The Golden Notebook” wrote about the end of a relationship in the life of the protagonist Anna.I am unable to get it out of mind. The gist of it I share with you here, my unknown readers…Anna, is in a relationship with Micheal for many years. He is a married man. He likes having an offhand relationship with Anna, with no intentions of making it permanent. He comes to her often. Anna has many misgivings about this relationship. Micheal is not quite everything she looks for in a man. But for some reason she still accepts him as hers and gives her everything to this relationship. After many years of such a relationship, a day comes when he decides that he doesn’t want anything more to do with Anna. The passion is spent for him. Anna is heart broken. She looses the sense of security she had that came with having a man in her life. She walks home one evening from the tube station and realises that a strange man is following her, which has been quite a common fare in London with her many times. But that day, after the relationship with Micheal is no more, this seemingly common incident strikes such a fear in her heart, she panics. She looses all her courage and trust in her ability to survive on her own in this world.
Some relationships do end and leave one feeling this way. Even though it was not the best of relationships, the emptiness and helplessness that follow are worse than the relationship itself.The truth in the authors words left me gasping for breath. Its a wonderful novel, it untangles many a web spun by the mind in the most interesting way.
The books stays with you long after you have exhausted the pages.Many insights follow, at seemingly unguarded moments, in the days after you have finished reading this book.
Must read, if you haven’t already done so.
