What was your first impression of Ella, and did that change by the end of the book?
Ella was a person stuck in her developmental past, and she seemed like a person who was not self-reflective and judgmental. She did grow during the course of the book and became a more sympathetic character but at her age of 42, it was hard to relate to someone who still saw the world from the eyes of an 18 year old.
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I agree- Ella still seemed like rebellious teenager in her attitude towards her mother. It’s hard to imagine that in a woman of her age and life experiences.
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As someone who’s still angry with her mother decades after leaving home, I can relate somewhat. Part of it, I think, is that there’s this weird relationship when one goes “home” after many years. Grown adults automatically gravitate toward the child role, while at the same time still trying to be an independent adult. I do think that Ella matured by the end of the book, though, getting beyond the awkward phase of trying to re-establish a frayed relationship after many years…
The Memory Library shows authenticity about Ella as see starts to see the world in new ways after page 21. However, I believe that the Ella that is depicted in the first 21 pages would have not had the introspection needed to so quickly change her ways. I feel the author kind of hit the reader over the head with the crass way that Ella thought of others in those first 21 pages. That part of the book kind of offended me as a reader. That is not to say this book has nothing to offer. As Ella see herself in a not so bright light, it shines on each readers light to see if some of Ella’s prejudgements of others are ours as well. Any thoughts?
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@Jane_B, I think I mostly took it simply as the author’s way of making the character’s growth plain. I agree that it wasn’t very subtle.
I don’t think my impression of Ella changed much throughout the book. She did not act like an adult with a child of her own. It seemed like she carried around all her unfounded anger toward her mother and her husband for years.
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I think I liked Ella a little more at the end of the book than I did at the beginning, or throughout. But I never really related to her very much.
Ella became more likeable throughout the story (agree in the beginning not very much)
By story’s end definitely a better person but still a dominatlng or strong personality having a new perspective towards her own daughter.
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