The Giant's House

I finished a wonderful book today, “The Giant's House” by Elizabeth McCracken. Very difficult to define, it is essentially a love story that is quirky and peculiar enough to appeal to someone that really doesn't like to think of themselves as an old romantic, but probably is. Without giving too much away, there were some exquisitely written scenes around one persons selfless devotion to their unlikely partner as they gradually became less capable of looking after themselves. It shows how a life can become completely consumed by the search for happiness for another person and it both fascinated and completely horrified me in equal measures. There is no doubt that the pain of denying oneself happiness and joy in the name of finding it for someone else could be seriously attractive and addictive to a certain kind of personality.

It made me wonder how easy it would be for me to find myself in a place like this. And showed me how focussed I need to be to ensure that my own happiness is not neglected.

But I loved the notes on the back cover which I share here simply because I want to be able to read them again and again.

“The Giant's House is a strange, beautifully written and unforgettably tender novel about learning to welcome the unexpected miracle, and about the strength of choosing to love in a world that gives no promises, and no guarantees.”

Read the book and love it.