The Faces

 

The Faces / Tove Ditlevsen
translated from the Danish by Tiina Nunnally
London: Picador, 2022, c1968.
144 p.

I had this little novel on my list so started it at near the end of Women in Translation month in August -- but although it's short, it's also a tough read so I read it fairly slowly.  

It focuses on Lise Mundus, a writer who is beginning to descend into her own reality. She's a children's book writer and in her second marriage, with three children. But she's facing a crisis: she is hearing things and seeing faces. She is also paranoid about her husband having an affair with the nanny, or even Lise's own daughter. The crisis spirals until she's admitted to an institution for care, and because it's written from Lise's perspective, it's hard for the reader to follow what is happening - what's real, what are Lise's hallucinations. 

I'm not much of a fan of books like this, where the mental state of the character is reflected in the writing. It feels like someone is describing their long and convoluted dream to you, which really only makes sense to them. I do find it quite a slog to read this style. 

I found some elements of interest here; the writing is strong stylistically in many parts, and the images and metaphors she uses liberally are fresh and interesting. It's also appealing that one of the signs of Lise returning to health is being able to write again. However, this wasn't a hit for me, although I may try another of Ditlevsen's books and see how I get on with her with another story. I admire what she is doing here, but it doesn't connect with me as a reader very well.