Eleven minutes. 660 brief seconds. Moments of quick pleasure.
Reading the novel made me think about the current life style of people. Why we spend too much, for a luxury, for a “happiness” that would last only for a few moments. Why we try to look for happiness in mundane possessions, that people would actually believe to think that these temporary gifts of the earth would give them their life purpose. The novel spoke of profound and words that are rarely used in today’s novels. It was so complex, something that could only be understood if you make an effort to take a look at its depth.
The story spoke volumes, of dreams that were never reached, of the things people aim for but were not to brave to actually try and take the chance. It did not only speak of the main character Maria, but it spoke of the different people around the world, struggling to know who they are and what they exactly want from the life they are living in.
Maria merely played the part of a person that lives in everyone of us, a person who wants to really know what else life has to offer. We all want to just let life take control of us, yet we are afraid of losing things, and we are afraid of change.
The story reflected on Maria’s life, how she wanted to run away, how she wanted something new. We all could relate to that. We want to run away from the void that we got used to live in, that we yearn for something new to happen in our life. Most humans dread routine. So we want something new, something that makes our heart pound and make our brain think 10 times than what we were used to. Maria describes how she feels, in the most profound way. It is like, she is speaking with her soul pouring out onto the pages, as if you can feel her emotions rushing through your body as if they were yours.
Yes, the story may be about her becoming a prostitute, yet, aren’t we all? We are prostitutes to the society, giving them all we have, just for some temporary happiness that we might feel once we gain our asking price. The story goes on with the twists and turns of her life, how one man changed her forever, how she could not run away from love. We are like this too, we run away from something, something that may have hurt or scared us. Yet somewhere along the way we found ourselves facing this fear again, and this time, just maybe, we’re strong enough to withstand all that it has to throw at us.
The book surely is a must read for anyone. It may be a bore because of the long paragraphs and what not, but it is worth it. With this I shall end with a quote from the book, “The strongest love, is the love that demonstrates fragility.”