Howling
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Nam Le, "Meeting Elise"
Nam Le’s “Meeting Elise” (One Story 93, June 30, 2007) is another oldie worth mentioning. I’ve discussed Nam Le’s fiction before, with a story I liked and a story I disliked. “Meeting Elise” stands in between.
Henry Luff, the narrator, is a famous painter who fell for a nude model called Olivia. His wife ran away with their one-year-old daughter, Elise, to Russia. Luff lived with Olivia for years, until she became a heroine addict, left him, and died. Luff followed Elise’s progress from afar, while Elise became a famous musician. When she was eighteen, Elise invited Luff to a concert in New York. They scheduled a dinner in which Luff was going to meet Elise’s fiancé, her manager. They canceled at the last minute, while Luff was already sitting at the table. Still, Luff tried to approach Elise repeatedly, and failed to meet her every time. He walked in late to the concert, and waited outside at the end, where he saw Olivia in every woman that passed by. He was anxious, in part, because …
Henry Luff, the narrator, is a famous painter who fell for a nude model called Olivia. His wife ran away with their one-year-old daughter, Elise, to Russia. Luff lived with Olivia for years, until she became a heroine addict, left him, and died. Luff followed Elise’s progress from afar, while Elise became a famous musician. When she was eighteen, Elise invited Luff to a concert in New York. They scheduled a dinner in which Luff was going to meet Elise’s fiancé, her manager. They canceled at the last minute, while Luff was already sitting at the table. Still, Luff tried to approach Elise repeatedly, and failed to meet her every time. He walked in late to the concert, and waited outside at the end, where he saw Olivia in every woman that passed by. He was anxious, in part, because …
I really, really liked this tale. Man, that last part where the dog is out on the porch, hurt, is so moving. Very sad. Good tale.
ReplyDeleteI'm absolutely not for treating animals poorly, so that part felt cruel. Blame Mr. Worcester, though. What did you make of the narrator?
ReplyDeleteThe guy that doesn't dare intervene? Gosh, probably someone like me, someone who wears leather even being against animal abuse... Although I would've stopped Mr. Worcester, though; there's something about live cruelty that doesn't admit delays.
ReplyDeleteOh, and "his" dog, that I have never bought.
ReplyDeleteTrue, animal cruelty is terrible stuff. I still have dreadful flashes of a video I saw of how dogs are skinned alive in China to turn them into fur for the lining of coats and other clothing.
ReplyDeleteI guess my question about the narrator goes along these lines: I know it's tempting, but what made you think it was a "guy" who didn't dare intervene? Check out, for instance, the couple of words in italics in the story.
A girl narrator! I had not thought of that possibility... that's really cool. Jeez, I should've noticed the oddity of the remark.
ReplyDeleteSo this woman left her husband for another woman who lived in the neighborhood?
Oh wow, the China dogs story is horrible. Fiction is a good to criticize animal cruelty (and everything else).
The interesting thing, I think, is why you chose the photo to accompany the story.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it look placid enough? One would not want to ruin the main part of the story with a more revealing picture at the start. Right?
ReplyDeleteI think the reason you chose the photo is very revealing: it's a representation of setting. It would be a very different story if this was your front porch:
ReplyDeletehttp://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/02/22/arts/Ouro600.jpg
You're absolutely right: the story would register differently with the porch you mentioned. But I must admit the picture was really an afterthought, chosen ex post facto and in a relative rush. It had to portray a placid suburb, and it couldn't show a dog (as to not ruin the main part of the story). That was the rationale.
ReplyDeleteI came to see your new post and didn't find it :(
ReplyDeleteLove ya.