V.E.
Schward’s novel “The Immortal Life of Addie Lurie” is something of a historical
novel with a modern twist. It’s a novel about the theme of time itself, and an
unexpected novel. Twenty something Addie Lurie, in 1714, makes a deal with a
God named Luc to escape a marriage she doesn’t want. However, there’s a catch
to this deal . Not only will she never age and live forever, but she also will
be forgotten by everyone she ever met or meets going forward. They’ll remember
her maybe for one day, and then forget she ever existed the next day. It’s a
struggle to say the least. Her life becomes literally invisible. Even her
parents deny her existence when she runs back to them, saying they never had
kids. The novel jumps between many different time periods, from the 1700s to
the 2000s. Though, this doesn’t stop Addie from living. She goes to different cities
and countries and even has romances, though short lived ones that won’t be
remembered the next day. She also inspires various pieces of artwork and
literature, though while those pieces are left behind, her memory isn’t.
This is a
well written book. Schward’s writing is lush yet precise, and the chapters are
short. You get glimpses of various parts of Addie’s life, and while I sometimes
wondered what this book would be like in the first person, instead of the third
person, the twist at the end of this book makes this point of view this novel
make sense. I really liked the twist at the end of the book. This book also
works as something of a romance, because everything changes when Addie meets a
guy named Henry. After she steals a book from a store in Brooklyn, she comes
back the next day to return it. She wants to make a book exchange with Henry,
but Henry tells her she’s banned from the store because he remembers her. The
book then becomes something of a mystery as to why Addie is remembered by
Henry, and something of a romance story too. Yet, it’s an unusual romance
story, and it ties the two together through the character of the God, Luc.
Luc
reminded me a bit of an Anne Rice character, as he is immortal, cruel and
obsessive. He is also suave, sophisticated and attractive. Every couple years, he
shows up to visit Addie, and while he did grant her immortal life, she refuses
to give him the one thing he wanted in exchange, which was her soul.
Addie is a
strong character and refuses to be what women where in the 1700s. She doesn’t
want to be a simple wife, and feel she belongs to someone. She wants to be
free, but by being free, she gives up being remembered by anyone. The idea of
not being remembered by anyone is an interesting one. As Henry and her begin a
romance, Henry’s family and friends must be constantly reintroduced to her.
However,
Henry is an interesting character too. He was turned down by the women he
wanted to marry, and he is a neurotic bookworm of a character. The book dives
into his life a bit, outside of Addie, and early on I was wondering why we were
spending time away from the main character. However, it ties his life to her
very well as you go on reading the book. Like Addie, he is constantly trying to
understand her place in the world, and even if he can do something special.
Addie doesn’t have that luxury, besides being a muse for various artists and
writers who will forget they ever met her beyond their work.
This book
is a solid piece of magical realism, and an excellent and emotional journey that
makes you think about time passing, and the people you meet along the way. Also,
the ending is excellent and one of the best endings I have read in a long time.
“The Invisible Life of Addie Lurie” is one of the best novels I read this year,
and I know I won’t forget it any time soon.
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