The Girl Who Never Read Noam Chomsky: a Novel
To be completely honest, I struggled with this novel at the beginning. I almost gave up on it but after about the 20% mark, I started to enjoy it. Leda was going through a rough time and she just needed someone to understand her.
Leda spoke a lot in the novel about how she always wanted to be linear, which I implied, she meant she wanted to be slim, attractive or desirable. Leda is basically lonely, she needs someone, anyone. She dreams about boys, daydreaming about having relationships with them. Leda head was full of conversations that she would have with friends, these friends were her imaginary friends because in real life, Leda didn’t have any friends. Leda needed to do something with her life to find someone to connect with. When she signed up for an art appreciation class, she met John. This is when the speed of the novel picks up and gets interesting.
John was a bit odd himself, so they were perfect for one another. John is offered a job in California and he wants Leda to go with him. Reluctant at first, Leda leaves everyone and everything behind and follow John. I liked how John allows Leda to stay at home yet Leda decides this is too boring, even as she tries to continue her career as a writer. Leda tries a variety of activities in the novel from joining a Meetup group, to returning to her grade school research topic, to getting a job at a coffee shop. It seems that Leda is always searching to find herself and match it with happiness and contentment.
John in the meantime is working and enjoying his relationship with Leda. He is content with his life. Years pass quickly and Leda realizes that John hasn’t made any effort to put a ring on her finger which angers her. Ready to walk away, John finally commits to Leda but Leda still not content. I begin to wonder; will she ever be?
The beginning of the novel was confusing but I liked the novel as I liked Leda search for herself. She was one of those individuals who wanted it all, yet what was it that she was searching for? I wished that Leda had set some goals so at least she would have felt like she accomplished some things along her life. I do feel that Leda felt that she did happy with parts of her life, especially with Annabelle.I enjoyed this story.
I received this novel from NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. in exchange for an honest review.
