The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson by Jerome Charyn
Published by W. W. Norton & Company
Daughter of the Earl of Amherst, Emily Dickinson does not always have an easy time at Mt. Holyoke. She is secretly in love with Tom, the groundskeeper to whom no teacher or pupil is allowed to speak, but the differences between her and the other girls are staggering: she never receives Valentines, and she has no good friends to speak of, she primarily only associates with the daughter of a stable hand. Upon her return home, she is the darling of her father, a father who wanted nothing more than to keep her by his side.
He is Bluebeard with red side-whiskers, serving up daughters instead of wives. I will never leave this castle. He will decline whatever suitor I bring to West Street. Father might let Lavinia escape, but not me. It’s not my Indian bread per se. He could find another baker. But Father seems to count on the little storms I crate. Perhaps he imagines my face in his mirror – the hobgolin with red hair whom he cannot live without. Such an imp can shatter his isolation. I am his Dolly, sentenced to serve him puddings for the rest of his natural life and most of mine.
Jerome Charyn’s writing is absolutely lovely. Everything was so evocative, so Dickinson-esque. The entire novel had a wonderful, wild, poetic feel. Charyn’s Emily, too, was a fascinating creature. She was alone partly because of her father’s prejudices, partly because of her own. And yet even when she had become a complete recluse, she still hungered for romance, for the touch of a man. She was no love-struck girl or withering flower, though. Emily could be bossy, manipulative, she had a full range of human emotions and desires.
The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson may have actually inspired me to read some of Emily Dickinson’s poetry. Since I’ve never before had that desire, I think we can safely say that this book is a big hit.
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This book is in my TBR pile and after this lovely review, I can’t wait to read it. Dickinson’s life has always been mysterious, and I’ve always enjoyed reading about it.
I loved this one … and was also inspired to read more of Emily’s poems. (Am reading “The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson” now.)
Jen, what a great review. Thanks for hosting a stop on the blog tour. We appreciate it.
For anyone who’d like to follow along, please hop on over to http://thesecretlifeofemilydickinson.blogspot.com/
Great review, I’ve been wanting to read this. Emily made an appearance in The Rad Garden by Alice Hoffman and reminded my of this book. Now you review makes me want to nudge it up my list.
I used to live in Amherst, so I am game for some Emily time
Oh, this sounds good! I actually like Emily’s poetry, which is a big thing considering I don’t really like poetry!
Oh, I’ve always been intrigued by Dickinson! Like so many other famous authors, I’m usually more interested in the writer’s life than their actual works. I studied poetry in college and never really got into her poems, but she herself is fascinating! Sounds fun!
I adore Dickinson’s poetry and a novel that gets to the true Emily is really intriguing. Someone that wrote like that could not have been the kind of person she’s so often portrayed as.