May Sarton (1912–1995)

I cannot possibly rate this book. It has nettled me; I have written pages of notes, partially copying down insightful passages and partially writing paragraphs trying to figure out why a particular passage strikes me as false or unearned. Of course the gender politics are...frustrating, at best, partially because the insight and the self-loathing (Sarton would not have recognized it as that, but) are so tied up together. Partially because, like Le Guin in The Left Hand of Darkness, Sarton wrote this novel at a time when the like, basic foundational language of feminism was very much still being invented, but Sarton seems less aware of the linguistic/culturally-accepted-reality gap she is trying to cross and encircle.
Everything sbout this novel partially, but. It certainly set things in motion in me.… (mehr)

The Fur Person is a short novella by poet/authoress May Sarton who tells about the stray cat that found it’s way into her home and her heart. Considering himself a Cat About Town, he has lived a fairly carefree life but he decides it is time to become a Gentleman Cat and find a home. He is most particular over his requirements but believes he has found the perfect home with the two ladies that take him in. Of course it wouldn’t be a May Sarton book without some poems, and our Gentleman Cat offers up some excellent rhymes.

Renamed Tom Jones he goes through a few stages where he is Terrible Jones, the fighter, then, after being fixed he becomes Gentle Cat, Cat of Peace, Glorious Jones and, finally Fur Person. This is an author who obviously knows and understands cats and above all, allows Tom Jones to maintain his dignity. The story is simple and charming being based on the life of Sarton’s cat, but avoids crossing over into become too sweet. The book has some lovely illustrations by David Canright and was originally published in 1957. It has withstood the test of time and will be greatly appreciated by those of us who have had the pleasure of having a cat in their life.… (mehr)

This book was recommended to me by a client who struggles with needing solitude as much as I do -- yet also fears the inevitable loneliness that comes with it. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up JOURNAL OF A SOLITUDE. I don't typically read books written nearly 5 decades ago. Still, I love getting glimpses into people's journals and understanding their innermost, intimate thoughts.

I loved Sarton's observations on women, creativity, and the need for solitude. Those passages touched me deeply, and I found myself taking notes and lamenting how little has changed in 50 years. However, I was bored by Sarton's obsession with flowers, gardening, and the birds in her backyard.

I've seen some criticism that calls Sarton self-absorbed, but we ARE reading a journal here. I think people who bemoan her focus on introspection forget that self-exploration is exactly what journaling is for. This is true even when someone writes a journal with the ultimate intent to publish it (as Sarton admitted in a later interview). Overall, this was a quick, easy read with some gut-wrenching observations sprinkled in among a love letter to nature.… (mehr)