Five from the Shelf: Best literary relationships
- theshelfldn
- Feb 14, 2018
- 4 min read
February 14th is traditionally a day to celebrate the great loves of our lives. Whether we choose to do that over a candlelit meal surrounded by roses, a giddy reunion with our most cherished friends, or simply a laughter-filled phone call home to moan about the silliness of the day, it has undeniably become a staple of the calendar which gives us the chance to shout about love. Love in literature has long offered an idealised view of romance; many bookworms will wake up each February 14th longing for their own Mr Darcy or Heathcliff. Yet in literature some of the relationships in which we invest most are far from romantic. The bonds between friends, siblings, roommates and colleagues have all been explored on the page, creating some of the most iconic, and relatable partnerships.
Raymond and Eleanor in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
A stand out debut of 2017, Honeyman’s eponymous Eleanor is introduced as a social recluse who views the world with a blend of disgust and confusion. However her world
of fiercely protected routine and rigidity comes crashing down when she meets Raymond, the new IT worker in her office. Raymond is funny, kind, and entirely bemused by Eleanor’s bluntness. As they come to spend more time together, his gentle protectiveness and relentless geniality slowly break down Eleanor’s walls, leading her down a path that will help her to unpick the pain of her childhood. Throughout this novel Honeyman explores the pain of loneliness and the long-standing impact of childhood trauma. Yet in framing these potentially triggering topics around the warmth of Eleanor and Raymond’s friendship, she ensures the novel remains one of hope rather than despair.
Carlo and Antonio in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres
Pelagia, the central female figure in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is involved in two relationships with two very different med throughout the novel. Through her we live the experience of first love, first heartbreak and the joy of finding a real, binding partnership. However it is through Carlo, Antonio’s best friend that de Bernieres’ captures the pain of unrequited love. Having already suffered great loss, he must now watch silently as the man he loves begins a relationship and plans a life together with someone else. In each of the chapter’s narrated by the soldier, we are drawn into his world, sharing his heartbreak and aching with empathy as he helps Antonio and Pelagia’s relationship. When he makes his final sacrifice we are left with the image of a man who, underneath his good humour and contentment, was tortured by love.
Anneka and Parvais in Homefire by Kamila Shamsie
Kamila Shamsie’s Homefire is a novel built upon relationships. Whether between friends, siblings, parents or acquaintances, it is through these connections she examines ideas of religion, belonging, identity and power. In a novel where characters intertwine and ties are constantly shifting, it is the love shared between twins Aneeka and Parvais that shape the story- it is in relation to them that the fate of all other characters are formed. Forsaking all for a cherished sibling has been seen many times in literature (the Mill on the Floss’ Tom and Maggie spring to mind), but what makes Shamsie’s siblings fascinating is the turbulence of their relationship. For much of the novel theirs is a relationship of suspicion, disappointment and fury. Throughout much of the novel Anneka struggles to comprehend his decision to join a terrorist gang, leaving her and her elder sister to begin a life in the Middle East. Yet when he is threatened she rails against those who attempt to harm him and risks all to bring him home, as helpless as her cause may be. It seems in Homefire that there is nothing the characters can do for each other but love blindly.
Monique and Sasha from the short story 'The Dive Bar' in Single Carefree Mellow by Katherine Heiney
The friendship between roommates Sasha and Monique in the wonderfully Ephron-esque The Dive Bar will leave readers desperate to reach out to their own best friends and never let them go. Living together in an unairconditioned, insecure, wonky New York flat, Sasha and Monique weave their way through dating, work and angry ex-wives. Theirs is a brilliantly real friendship built on a desire for fun, a shared set of questionable morals and complete utter devotion to each other. Night after night they meander between the serious and the trivial in conversations that Sasha declares “She never wants to be without it. Never, never, never.“ This story captures the beauty of female friendship the brilliance of finding that one person out there who can truly understand you.
At the time of writing this story is available to read for free on the publishers website so click here to check it out!
Elena and Lila from the Neapolitan Series by Elena Ferrante
As with 'The Dive Bar', Ferrante’s series of four novels knows as the Neapolitan series is primarily concerned with the intricacies of a female friendship, in this case between Lila and Elena. Yet whereas Heiney’s story is purely celebratory and optimistic, Ferrante uses her characters to place a spotlight on the competition that can exist within friendships between women. Their relationship is obsessive and possessive: such is their preoccupation with the other that they are unable to break their connection even as they grow to dislike the other. They view their own successes and disappointments through a constant comparison- whether in love, business or family, the success of one comes at the price of the envy that overcomes the other. That their relationship is forged in a moment of childhood cruelty and jealousy, is unsurprising, as it is these two emotions that underlay their decades long relationship. Yet even as they attempt to pull apart, the women are drawn back together time and again. No matter how angry they become, at heart they know that the other understands them wholly, and will protect them from the dangerous world in which they move.
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