Friday

Book Review // The Life and Death of Sophie Stark

The Life and Death of Sophie Stark^- Anna North
c/o Orion Books



Sophie Stark is a young, striking filmmaker obsessed with creating the perfect film and capturing the world as she sees it. Isolated and somewhat of an enigma, the key figures in her life, from her brother to her ex-girlfriend and her husband, struggle to understand the workings of her mind. As she becomes ever more consumed by her mission, these loved ones tell her story from their perspective.

Sophie is a fascinating character, both vulnerable and tough in equal measures. As the story is never told through her eyes, we are left as bewildered as the people who tell her story, although we have the benefit of multiple perspectives to piece together a clearer idea. 
North's writing is beautifully perceptive and welcomes us in to study the realities of human nature: Every character, including Sophie herself, have elements we will recognise and relate to. Perhaps we all have a Sophie inside us. Perhaps this is what we would be like if we allowed ourselves to retreat inside our own worlds.


The running themes of life and death are clear, although I would prefer more subtlety here. However, the thread of capturing life that flows throughout the text is very powerful and forces us to think about the realities of life and how we capture it. What is left of us after we cease to live? Are we ever able to fully capture our sense of self? 



North's storytelling is so clear and her characters are so interesting that I was hooked throughout. However, I would have preferred more subtlety in the themes and for that reason I give it six out of ten

1 comment :

  1. Hmm I might have to give this one a try. I'll see if it's in my local library.

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