I’ll admit that I’m not much of a romance person. That’s not to say I don’t read some romance or write romantic stuff into my storylines. I’m just not all about romance.
But sometimes a writer captures the tenuous heartbeat of love in an unforgettable way. To me, Thomas Hardy is one of those authors. Yes, his books wouldn’t be labeled strictly romance–probably since they quite frequently have morbid endings. But the way he gets into his characters’ deepest thoughts and emotions always resonates with me.
Today’s quote is from A Pair of Blue Eyes, which I believe is one of his earliest and least-lauded novels. It was a bit more plodding to work through it, but enjoyable nonetheless. I love this author intrusion (can you tell I like these omniscient classical authors? Remember my George Eliot quote last week?). Here we go:
“Every woman who makes a permanent impression on a man is afterwards recalled to his mind’s eye as she appeared in one particular scene, which seems ordained to be her special medium of manifestation throughout all the pages of his memory.”
****I wonder if my husband sometimes pictures me exactly as I was on our first date, or when I sat next to him in Apologetics class in college, or on our wedding day. I’m really not offended by this–just glad I made an impression! What about you? Do you remember someone you loved in a freeze-frame image?****
Hmm, I never given it much thought. But yes. When I was a little girl, I was intrigued by a young Hungarian pastor who worshipped God with total abandon. He died when I was fifteen, but I still remember him standing before his congregation, eyes closed, smiling, hands lifting from his guitar. I'll never forget it, for that was the day I said, "God, I want a guy just like him." 🙂
Gwendolyn, that is so sad that he died so young! But you're so right–thankful for those glimpses of the kind of husbands we know will be right for us someday.
I have images from my childhood of my mom and dad. They bring me comfort.As for how my husband views me? Like you, I'm glad I made an impression!I remember the first time I saw him, he made an impression on me!
HeatherMuch of my childhood memories are in freeze-frame. I wonder why that is?Whenever I ask my husband how he sees me when he thinks of me he just laughs. Hmmmm. I'm remarkably accident-prone – I NEVER wear white, except for my wedding day and even that day someone poured a whole cup of coffee down the front of my skirt when they bent over to hug me – and I have a feeling his freeze-frame vision of me is either mid-fall, mid-face-plant, or mid-mud.Fun thought, though. I'm going to have to bug him about it now. Torture him into telling me if I must. (maniacal laugh, maniacal laugh, maniacal laugh.)
TC–so good your hubby made that lasting impression on YOU! Grin. And Becky, I'm sure your hubby sees you as lovely, whether mid-face-plant or no! Sometimes it's those lovable quirks that are the most endearing!
I remember when my husband John told me "I've never dated a redhead before". He was stunned that I was NOT all in awe of him, deigning himself to us redheads.I remember thinking, "Well buddy, you sure saved the best for yourself, didn't you?" That was August of '86.
Jennifer–THAT.IS.AWESOME! Yes, redheads are just something special. I remember being struck, not only by my hubby's brilliant remarks in class, but by his red hair, set off nicely by his black turtleneck…ah, memories. He's still cute in a turtleneck, BTW. WITH his red beard (sorry, I know how you feel about beards! hee).