Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve

 I picked this up at D.I, because it looked interesting. I almost put it down because it was a little weirdly sensual and told through the thinking and eyes of fifteen-year-old Olympia. It didn't feel healthy! And yet, I remember being unreasonable and weird at fifteen, and could relate to a LOT of what she thought and felt. When she started acting on her feelings, and awakened the passion of a man much older than she, I thought this isn't going to turn out well! It was fascinating to read how little honor this man, who should have known better, gave in! I continued to read to find out if it was going to be a cautionary tale or a story to encourage people to follow their passions.

Actually, it turned out to be a rather balanced rendition of what could happen in a situation like this, showing both the pain and the thrill of following the "natural man." The character most interesting to me was Olympia's father, and how he came to change over time, to support the daughter who so cruelly disappointed him. He, over the years, softened and forgave her. And she forgave him, it seems. It's really a story of understanding the pain you're going to inflict and going for it anyway. Both Olympia and Haskell turned out to be incredibly selfish, and yet also showed some incredible self-less ness. Not a simple story with a simple resolve, and one that has a lot of food for thought.

As for me and my house...I vote for honoring your covenants. Haskell's wife and children were irreparably hurt; for their sake alone, the honorable impulses should have prevailed! And isn't it far better to generate and find that passion in your mate? And when you're fifteen, isn't it better to bridle that passion until you understand the consequences better? Olympia never did seem to regret her choice, and that was interesting. Could one be so incredibly selfish??? Is that "grand passion" really so powerful and does it need to be answered? Or is it just a trick to trip up the vulnerable...