Record

One word, one glance between a long-legged girl and a musician and so begins mankind's oldest story. But will their new-found ardour survive the darkness that lurks beyond the blinding sunlight of a magical summer? Will they be able to sacrifice promises given and commitments made?

Against a backdrop of Italian cities, Moro peels away in layers the depths of passion, ruthlessness and the urgency of lovers when need and desire overrule everything.

*May Contain Spoilers*

 

Record. A piece of evidence of the past or saving something in a permanent form. Alessandro sets his mind to writing down what brought him to his red-headed girl. Record, by Moro, is an account of how they met, how they connected, the pain they caused, and the happiness they found. A mixture of hurt and love. An honest confession that readers will witness.

 

Alessandro is the main character and the narrator of this short novel. He's been in the same relationship with the same wrong woman for eleven years. Meeting the red-haired beauty (who is never named) shifts something within him and suddenly he wants more from life. He's tired of living with and pretending to love a woman he's never loved. Alessandro is an intelligent character, a teacher, a translator, a songwriter, a poet. He's also a worrier who likes to impress. He's a dreamer and a philosopher. Readers will admire his intelligence and his passion. Though lying to his current girlfriend was a bit snakey. Going for a married woman with children was also a check in the 'dislike' category. Now that that has been said, when unhappiness is prevalent in a relationship, ending it is an understandable option. Though I think that Alessandro and the woman could have gone about it a better way. The woman was honest with her husband, after he saw an incriminating text message. So there's that positive note. Readers may be a bit wary about the blossoming love story between the two characters because of the complicated nature.

 

Record is the telling of Alessandro and the woman's love story. They met at an academic faculty get-together and both were intrigued. Alessandro plots to see her again and get her e-mail address to connect with her further. He finds out she's married, and he's in a relationship, but that doesn't stop either of them. They know they're both unhappy and believe that they can find, and create, happiness together. Even though their getting together involves lying and cheating, Alessandro isn't hiding that fact from the reader. He knows that it was wrong and I think writing it down is his way of apologizing to the people involved who may have been hurt. This interpretation increases the connection readers will feel with Alessandro and the book's ending will show that their love is real.

 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups