685. The Left Handed Woman

The Left Handed Woman
Peter Handke
1976
Around 90 pages

It has been a rough few entries, so I'm pleased that Handke is here to get us back on track. And I appreciate that he always keeps it short and bittersweet.

A woman's marriage is at the end, leaving her alone with her eight-year-old son. Which I guess isn't truly alone, but would still be lonely. Anyway, there is heavy emphasis on just how alone this woman is. I liked his subtlety here. In the end it is always a good thing to be out of an unhappy marriage, but Handke didn't go overboard celebrating her independence in a light-hearted way, because she's not a light-hearted character.

I also think the Left-Handed Woman is a brilliant title. It really captures the character well, who is just a little bit out of step with the world. And he left me wanting more, which is what you always want from a novel.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Handke directed the film adaptation.

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