Levels Of Life, A Grief Observed

 

Book Name : Levels Of Life , A Grief Observed

Author : Julian Barnes , C.S.Lewis

What is it about : Two great authors from different era, shared in these books, one of Life's un-avoidable events - the loss of a Beloved One, the aftermath and the coming-to-terms. For the first time, I have put two book reviews in one blog because, firstly I read them in tandem and secondly both books deal with the same or very similar topic mentioned above. Both authors have not gone in to details about their wife's illness - in their books, JB focused on the day-to-day events, friends' reactions, change in his personal habits ; whereas, C.S.Lewis dug deeper into the inter-relationship between Man, Wife and Religious Belief.

Some thoughts after having read the book : I find JB's book : Levels Of Life describing his sadness, anger, grief, bitterness and sense of loss more relatable than C.S.Lewis's book : A Grief Observed. Perhaps this author is from my era as supposed to from the Sixties and CSL's book is very much centered around his religious belief. The parts where both the authors described their emotions, resonate strongly with my own experience. Both books offered their personal insights and interpretation to their own cases of having lost a partner-in-life. One note of comfort and relief as I later found out, if I may say so, is the fact that JB, having lost his Beloved One in 2008 and still feeling devastated, bitter and angry when he wrote the above book in 2012, has apparently been reported to have found new love in 2017 - Time, one of the Life's Great Equalisers again At Work.

Delving more deeply into A Grief Observed : I share so many of the author's observations and his feelings of longing, frustration and helplessness. I, being not from the world of Literature, but from a Science background, may well have written a very similar book but naming it - A Grief Theorised, Analysed and Dissected and then relate that book to my scientific understanding of this world. I certainly can add to these authors' sentiments, points of views from an Oriental philosophical angle. The version of my own reflections, with science plus oriental philosophy, my personal Grief book - I have separately written in a private Blog for my own sentimental reflection.

One aspect that was not directly mentioned by the author about Grief, was the pain, misery and helplessness Substitution - that is to say, substituting one-self into the shoes of the patient and experience the same mental agony, physical sufferings, hopelessness, loneliness and fright ; I personally have found this substitution experience very harrowing indeed.

Would I recommend this book to you : Read both books to Sooth one's sorrow, read to dive into a place of Solace, like lying on a psychiatrist's sofa and listening to his/her explanation, read to Understand the inner feelings and Grief after the Loss of A Much Loved One, read to find Comfort in someone who have been through the same emotional journey, much like a Community discussion on the topic and read to Eye-Straight at the relevant human behaviour. 

I have not mentioned in this review, any quotes from their books, as I will, against all habits, go out there to purchase the books and pen-highlight the passages for my own memory keepsakes.