Literature

«Love in times of crisis» or the painful duty of choice

5 reading minutes

written by Lauriane Pipoz · September 21, 2021 · 0 comment

«L’amour par temps de crise» ou le devoir douloureux du choix

Women may have won certain hard-won freedoms, but these are not always compatible with the society in which we live. This observation is the guiding principle of Daniela Krien's book, which is made up of the stories of five extremely different women, all of whom are linked by these issues and live in the same circle. An intelligent and moving book.

«Freedoms are complicated to assume». This idea came from discussions with women around her, all from the same circle and yet so different, reveals the author in an interview. Like women in their forties today, the protagonists are torn between the choices of pursuing a career, starting a family or fulfilling their relationship. As all three are incompatible, each will choose what's most important to her - which may be frustrating...or not.

The five characters are educated women who have been used to asking themselves crucial questions since their upbringing. They all come from the same background and were raised by socialist parents in the GDR. But their destinies are very different. Paula focuses on her children and her husband, which seems to be of the utmost importance to him. But when she realizes that she can't completely deny her own desires, her relationship slowly begins to unravel, ending when she loses her daughter.

A complexity that reflects reality

On the other hand, her friend Judith will decide that her career is what's important to her. It's a way of life that has suited her all her life... and which may well lead to her downfall when she decides whether to continue putting her freedom first or commit to a man and bear his child. We also meet Brida, for whom this tear is perhaps still the most visible: she lives for her writing but, oppressed paradoxically (or not) by a man she adores, cannot make a living from her passion, which he considers a «mere hobby».

Yet another will choose family and love, but will initially come up against the evolution of society: she won't be able to realize her dream as she imagined it. All these stories highlight the diversity of viewpoints held by today's women. What do they have in common? They all have to make choices. This is all the more painful when seen in the context of their husbands' situation.

Parasite thoughts«

To help us get into the shoes of the main characters, the author of this very special book has chosen to use flashbacks. These are integrated into the five stories in the form of analepses, as if «stray thoughts» were invading the protagonists' heads. A process that doesn't seem at all artificial, since each of these parentheses is indicated in the narrative and has something in common with the events that are taking place: a painful episode that suddenly resurfaces, or simply a happy memory.

These flashbacks also have another function: to create a certain suspense in the discovery of the adventures of these five women, which are told in the time of the story. Even if, in the end, it's hard to know what we're wishing them when we read this book. happy ending would have seemed too easy.

In conclusion, there's just one criticism that could be levelled at the book: at first glance, the male characters are slightly lacking in nuance and depth compared to the female protagonists. And yet, we discover the story through the prism of the latter: perhaps it's only their point of view. It's not always easy for them to decide what's good for them and what's not. For example, if one woman refuses to stay at home and educate her children, that's the other woman's dream: thanks to the links between the characters, we see that what's good for one woman isn't necessarily good for the other. But they all have one thing in common: they'll have to make extremely difficult choices and live up to them, whatever the cost.