What a hazy, beautiful little story. It's odd. It's a bit terrifying. It's also somewhat uncomfortable. But damn, was it beautiful. Renée could write a sentence, believe me. Formal rtc. ( )

A Woman Appeared to Me is Vivien's carthartic effort surrounding the death of her friend Violet Shilleto and Vivien's stormy (and ultimately failed) relationship with Natalie Barney. In sixty odd pages Vivien attempts to come to terms with her loss, though one gets the distinct impression that she rather enjoys not coming to terms with it. That's kind of the point--sometimes the suffering from a lost love is more palpable and fulfilling than the love itself.

When I picked up this book, I was expecting it to be a kissing cousin of Djuna Barnes' Nightwood. It isn't and for a surprising reason. For all of Vivien's clout as an underrated poet, A Woman Appeared to Me is surprisingly less literate than Nightwood. Vivien's heavy-handed use of metaphor and symbolism comes across as overdone against the backdrop of a story that feels excessively puerile in its emotional content. This stands in sharp contrast to Barnes' linguistic contortions that makes the suffering in Nightwood so uniquely told.

Literary style aside, A Woman Appeared to Me is interesting insofar as it provides yet another glimpse into the heady lesbian angst rampant amongst Natalie Barney's Round Table. Enjoy it alongside your daily dose of Djuna Barnes' pathos, Romaine Brooks' dark solitude, and Dolly Wilde's charming self-destruction. ( )