First Lines
Many of the book’s chapters—an extraordinarily majority, in fact—commence with an opening line situated in metaphor. The trick is not identifying the use of this literary device, but rather in choosing which are your favorite examples. Like for instance, the pure simplicity of language but deceptive complexity of the imagery here:
“The market sits like a cluster of old wives at the edge of the park.”
Henry
Being blessed—or burdened—with immortality gives new meaning to the phrase “plenty of other fish in the sea.” If you think finding the one perfect soulmate is hard, imagine trying to find a handful every century. It’s not often a guy like Henry comes along in Addie’s life and when he does no mere Valentine’s card metaphor will do:
“There is something about him that keeps catching her attention, snagging it the way a nail snags a sweater.”
Henry’s Problem
Henry’s problem becomes Addie’s problem. And, unfortunately, Henry’s problem is in direct conflict with Addie’s own peculiar problem. The context of Henry’s problem is in the metaphor in this case:
“There’s no way to un-know the fact that someone is dying. It eats away all the normal, and leaves something wrong and rotten in its place.”
Before Addie
Before becoming Addie and before discovering Luc and before negotiating the deal for possession of her eternal soul and before her invisibility, she is Adeline. And the only thing that is invisible about her is the future she can look forward to. Of course, it is not really invisible; it is non-existent.
“Adeline is sixteen now, and everyone speaks of her as if she is a summer bloom, something to be plucked, and propped within a vase, intended only to flower and then to rot.”
Darkness
Considering that darkness is the omnipresent defining metaphor for post-19th century fiction and considering that is a Faustian story about selling your soul, it would be the shock of a lifetime if the metaphor didn’t show up at least once. No worries, however, as it shows up way more than just once:
“The darkness whispers in her ear, arms wrapped like a scarf around her throat.”
“She breathes in as if she’d be able to smell the darkness, like smoke, on the air.”
Of course, there is a very specific reason why darkness as metaphor is so richly dense in this novel. But in order to discover why, it is highly recommended to check out the section on Imagery.
