Thursday, March 31, 2011

My latest collectible author...Robert Nathan?

Robert Nathan!

He wrote deceptively sweet fiction and fantasy stories like "Portrait of Jenny" and "The Bishop's Wife". I know about him largely because of the movies based on these books and was surprised to discover that they were books at all. I thought the were the product of a slick screenwriter.

Not at all. Nathan was a prolific author and poet and one who seems sadly forgotten. The books are short and the stories seem simple when taken at face value. The more I read the more depth I find. They just need a little bit of thought.

My current find is his book "Mia" that deals with a middle-aged woman who seems not to have made a lot of her life. Our narrator seems conflicted about her and her hesitation to be happy. I would hate to spoil it for you, in case you find it someday, but the principle female characters "hit home". Sometimes sweet fantasies are a way of looking at hard truths

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