I read *_Ice_* many years ago as a young man. At the time I failed to appreciate the woman's lack of agency and wholehearted fell into the same behavior as the warden and protagonist. I would see women not as they were but rather as how they could fit my needs. I don't know if that was a product of the times or a lack of insight on my part (probably), but I like to think in this time I'd be better. *_Ice_* is such a fantastic piece of writing it can spoil you for lessor but still competent work. Good informative review, thanks for your effort.
Thank you for that considered review of Kavan's masterpiece. I recently read her book A Scarcity of Love and adored it too. Lots of witchcraft imagery and a stifling atmosphere again.
Wow! thank you so much for this, I also think Ice is a total masterpiece and reading it and discovering Kavan has changed my life in a sense. It's so interesting that you brought up the feminist lens and the concept of agency, I am currently trying to figure that out now with Ice in particular, just because the overarching theme is so sublime I didn't want it to be ultimately tied down to seemingly visceral issues of power structures and the patriarchy, but how does one make an argument for that? I didn't know anything about Mercury, but it seems this would be a good place to start, have just ordered it. Thank you so much for this wonderful, insightful, and enriching talk!! Zui
btw around 10 or so years ago the previously notoriously impenitrable movie last year at marienbad was discovered to be based on ‘the invention of morel’ a scifi book by adolfo bioy casares. robbe-grillet lied about it although it seems director renais was not aware of this. i read the novella book and it most definitely will make sense of the movie for long puzzled marienbad fans. 🎉
