An introspective novel about a poet reflecting on her life, her past relationships and how they have influenced her work. It's mostly a rumination on what art means to its creator, and what it really means to be a person who "hears the mermaids sing".

Interestingly, for a book written in the 1960s, it discusses homosexual relationships quite openly. The author herself was lesbian apparently. I liked this, will keep an eye out for her poems next.

"I wanted him to go away (he was carrying his belongings on his back: 'I'll stay away for a couple of days,' he said, 'and you can come and visit me.') because be was driving me crazy; but I wanted him to stay because when he was himself I loved him."

My copy is a bit worse for the wear, but I kinda like it. it feels like it suits the contents of the book.

Good to know that over 100 years later people are still messing around with conspiracy theories and accusing prominent world leaders of being the antichrist. 😂

"I think she only knows about love from old novels furtively extracted from some old bookcase, and not seeing any similarity between herself and Clelia or with the lovers of Cyrus or Faramond, she doesn't believe she's in love."