The Fate of Natalie X by William Boyd
An aspect of William Boyd writes that always seems close to the surface of his work is a selfishness examination. All at least, its characters fill their personal interest. The one reminder how the events Of The New Confessions or Human Heart unfold, how in the two cases the central aspirations of the characters are forever supreme, often to the detriment of those lss it proclaims to like. But it is probably in its new ones that this theme more better is illustrated and his collection, The Tragedy Of Natalie X, does precisely that.
Two of the histories, THE Lover of Dream and Maritime Alps, in just twenty pages each, follow there ideas in depth. In the first one, a student in a south of university of France is envious of evident wealth and of method of easy life to live of an American studying colleague. This good heeled American splashes money about, does the advertising for its talents and obtains the girls ae" at least in theory. It has even a desirable Afghan coat. Of here the end of the history, the narrator reversed totalment the roles. Does not only it goes out on the summit financially, it jumps with the girl, and obtains even the coat. Besides, it took advantage other prodigality along the way.
Another side of selfishness is expressed through the responses to the temptation, in particular to occasion proximity. Even a man in a stable, happy relation cannot avoid speculating what a taste of different something could bring. The possibility that it could embitter all is other, of course, never contemplated. To Maritime Alps that a young vigorous man cannot withstand just the idea that grass is greener on the other side of the twins. His partner is a twin, his desire could be the other. It the years to try that it seems to see as the merchandise.
If while it is in the progress, William Boyd suggests that life is a neurotic research for the never bigger blooming, even if that only is imagined. The future promise, it seems, always surpasses the experience. When it nevertheless is finished life seems without importance. We live, we like, we dream, we die. And we soon forgot, even the agitation of the trip soon is smoothed. Those with that we divided our lives can remember of ourselves a little, but even the memory, it seems, is been founded in the personal interest. Maybe the memory of a deceased is the mechanism of the lives of fact facing their own future.
The Fate Of Natalie X, the title history, treats to do it a film. It addresses the pretext and the ego inflation. But it does us also thinks about the worldly one and how, for every individual, there remains the special one, the only possible existence.
As never, William Boyd uses a lot of different forms to express its ideas. For some readers that this variability can enter the manner of recognition of equipment. But the rest assured, equipment is worth the challenge and, if it forms a barrier, then the histories are worth several readings until their challenges are overcome.
Posted on February 27, 2010.
