Well, here's another book that has left me with many questions to dwell on, and I cannot seem to move on to another. How Fires End by Marco Rafalà was, to me, an exquisite journey through memory lane, and I can't stress enough how compelling it all was.
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| 5 out of 5 stars. |
In short, it was a book that had handled every detail with extreme care: relationships, history, setting, and character voice and development. And in all of its ups and downs, I was left to question the need for one's memory, relate to Salvatore's loss of faith, and share his regrets.
For me, the book presented a variety of subjects, and through them, I focused on one's memory. I have come to ask myself whether it's even healthy to cling into certain memories, and thus, question why we allow their creation in the first place. The dead, for instance, are to be remembered, otherwise, well, they're completely dead. However, isn't remembering them a way for the bomb in us to detonate? Aren't we better left with no memory of loss, or else we are haunted by them and are then destroyed, or permanently damaged?
Well, it seemed to me that Salvatore's refusal to let go of his brothers' death caused his fall in the end, and resulted in further loss, as David ends up following leads into the past. Salvatore's firm grip on the past begins to slowly loosen, I believe, when he's confronted by his son. It all went downhill from there, and everyone around them was affected -- broken.
Memory was what caused their demise, and it puzzles me. Salvatore kept those memories hidden, kept them safe from everyone, but they eventually broke out, and I think he, among many, regret ever keeping them in mind.
Faith, too, was a big theme in the book. It, mixed with tradition and culture, resulted in a death sentence, that is in no way merciful or just. It was particularly cruel, as it was passed unto a child, a mere boy of about nine-year-old. Young Salvatore saw his faith crumble in front of his eyes, while blame ate him up from the inside. To him, Saint Sebastian was just a myth; a story told to children, and the people condemned him for it. Faith is not only about love and care. It is not mere peace, for it also is ruthless in the eyes of its believers.
Frankly, it makes me wonder, are we to have faith, even when faith takes everything away from us?
How Fires End doesn't necessarily provide us with answers, but it certainly helps us sort out our inner conflicts, showing us that we are not alone.
For me, the book presented a variety of subjects, and through them, I focused on one's memory. I have come to ask myself whether it's even healthy to cling into certain memories, and thus, question why we allow their creation in the first place. The dead, for instance, are to be remembered, otherwise, well, they're completely dead. However, isn't remembering them a way for the bomb in us to detonate? Aren't we better left with no memory of loss, or else we are haunted by them and are then destroyed, or permanently damaged?
Well, it seemed to me that Salvatore's refusal to let go of his brothers' death caused his fall in the end, and resulted in further loss, as David ends up following leads into the past. Salvatore's firm grip on the past begins to slowly loosen, I believe, when he's confronted by his son. It all went downhill from there, and everyone around them was affected -- broken.
Memory was what caused their demise, and it puzzles me. Salvatore kept those memories hidden, kept them safe from everyone, but they eventually broke out, and I think he, among many, regret ever keeping them in mind.
Faith, too, was a big theme in the book. It, mixed with tradition and culture, resulted in a death sentence, that is in no way merciful or just. It was particularly cruel, as it was passed unto a child, a mere boy of about nine-year-old. Young Salvatore saw his faith crumble in front of his eyes, while blame ate him up from the inside. To him, Saint Sebastian was just a myth; a story told to children, and the people condemned him for it. Faith is not only about love and care. It is not mere peace, for it also is ruthless in the eyes of its believers.
Frankly, it makes me wonder, are we to have faith, even when faith takes everything away from us?
How Fires End doesn't necessarily provide us with answers, but it certainly helps us sort out our inner conflicts, showing us that we are not alone.
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