Self-Care Time

After a few hectic weeks, my therapist has recommended some self-care, and I am shocked at how hard it is for me to actually do some. I had plans over the weekend to pretend to be some kind of Victorian invalid. Stay inside. Look out the windows with longing as my lovely spouse did the yard work. Above all, not move from my armchair and my books.

That didn’t happen. In fact, I went out of the house both Saturday and Sunday and while the trips were great, I wonder where the balance lies when it comes to doing things that make me happy and getting enough rest for my brain. It would help if we weren’t so limited on time. It feels like there is so much I want to do and so little time to do anything in because we have to, you know, vacuum the sitting room in order to not drown in cat hair.

War Literature

This month, I’m going to focus on war literature, starting with Curzio Malaparte’s Kaputt. Malaparte is described as a ‘disaffected supporter of Mussolini’, meaning that he was a writer who didn’t want to get on the dictator’s bad side and did want to do everything he could to enjoy some high-living and to keep himself out of trouble. Malaparte uses his position to detail the extravagances and depravity of the Nazi party and the Axis powers and generally to paint a portrait of Europe on the brink of destruction.

There is a lot of disturbing content in this book, and a lot of detail about the horrors of the Holocaust. This is not an easy book to read, but it is an important book nonetheless.

The Autobiographical Novel

One of the most important things to recognize before delving into Kaputt is that this is a novel. It is autobiographical, but that does not mean all of it is completely factual. The incidents that Malaparte describes are mostly fictionalized, though the book is written as if it is an eye-witness account. Malaparte distances himself from responsibility and from any indication of what his politics truly were. While he professes to not have supported Mussolini, that isn’t the truth. His role is minimized to the point where he almost melts into the background, even though he is writing visceral accounts of the ghetto, the trains that dumped bodies in Romania, and the sieges of Eastern Europe.

So, while this novel is a piece of war literature, the place it occupies on the line of fact and fiction is very murky indeed.

What to Take Away

So what do you take away from a novel like this? Kaputt is an important novel about the cruelties of war and the Holocaust. It delves into what happens when humans strip other humans of their humanity. It’s a warning of what did happen and what can happen again if people stand back and allow it to. Those are all vital messages that war literature hits home more than nearly any other type of literature.

However, this novel is not fact. It is a stepping stone that should guide the reader to more research and to seek out facts. It is also not an accurate portrait of its author or his role in these events. It’s a lesson in questioning sources and always remaining vigilant about where perspectives come from and where the truth lies.

Gloomy Skies

I’m happy that the temperatures have shifted so that it actually feels like November. But I am not as happy with myself for forgetting how gloomy November can be. The turbulent skies can be breathtaking as they spread purples, oranges, and solid blues across the horizon. However, after a few days of drizzles, I tend to miss the sun. Not to mention Wesker who tends to struggle with damp. I am constantly worrying about her and how she handles the changes of the seasons.