the invisible life of addie larue: love in the time of being forgotten
- paigenherbooks
- Aug 11, 2024
- 4 min read
5/5
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E Schwab feels like sipping wine in your bathtub, the bubbles high, the lights low. It feels like reading your favorite paperback novel, pages yellowing in the crisp fall air. It feels like making dinner with the love of your life, their hair glinting in the light, smile infectious. This book is the definition of romanticism, of love, of life. Who thought a story about not being able to be remembered would be one so profound, so insightful, and so lovely.
Synopsis: The story follows a young French woman in 1714 who makes a bargain with the Dark that makes her immortal, but curses her to be forgotten by everyone she meets.
The premise of this story is one that is unique - the idea that to live forever is to be forgotten.
What a powerful idea.
Our main character Addie Larue lives this day in and day out, falling in love with people even though they never remember her, being the muse of so many pieces of art and the artist never quite remembering where the idea came from, learning and leaving, and returning to all kinds of sights, places, and people. Addie Larue may be forgotten but she has lived. She constructs a life out of her immortality, destined and determined to make the most of it, which in my opinion she does. By seeing her life in flashbacks of old and intertwining with the current, we are able to truly get a sense of Addie, of who she is, and what she wants. Of how far she's come and where she's headed.
The plot of this story has a slow burn feeling to it, taking it’s time, letting you truly get to know Addie and some of the other supporting characters before truly deep diving into the core of the story, when she meets Henry.
Shy, kind, soft Henry.
Her and henry start to develop this relationship that is beautiful as it is slightly heartbreaking. The convergence of two souls who were destined to meet will always have me kicking my feet and giggling, though dare I say Addie’s whirlwind slow, slow burn romance with the god who granted her wish had me…feral.
There is something so intoxicating about this novel.
About the thrill of it all.
The characters who you can’t help but love, even if they do forget Addie at the drop of a hat. The way in which V.E. Swhab writes is languid and transformative, nostalgic and powerful. It kept me turning page after page after page well into the night. Addie herself, is so well written and so full of life. Her determination, grit and determination to do everything she can, to hold onto her soul and continue living even when it’s painful was inspiring and beautiful to read.
The thematic questions that this book begs are deep and thoughtful - just like the story. What would you do if you had forever? Where would you go, who would you meet and spend time with, what would you do? Theres always this allure of immortality in novels, though there's always the catch, the lonely vampire saddened his love is mortal, the god who cannot be with another, the leaving and watching of friends and family dying, the disillusioned of wishing you could die, just like everything else.
Though within this story V.E Schwab shows immortality as opportunity instead of shackles. She shows Addie doing everything and anything, going places, experiencing it all. It’s beautiful and wonderful.
To see the question “what would you do with forever” and the answer not be morose was something I really, really enjoyed. The other theme we have here is the question of “is love real?” One could argue that since no one can remember Addie that it isn’t, that it’s just the implication of things that humans do to pass the time.
That if love was real, love would remember.
I would argue that this book showcases with flying colors how real love is. Addie cannot be remembered yet each and everyday she falls in love with something or someone. She continues to go back and replay day after day after day with people simply because she loves them. She’s breaking her own heart in doing so, but the thought of spending that time with the person she loves is enough. It reminds me of the verse “love is patient, love is kind”. Addie embodies just that, kindness and patience. She lives her life so full of love that even when she wants to give up and give in, she simply can’t.
I truly cannot say more without giving too much away so I leave you with this: you should read The Invisible Life of Addie Larue. You will fall in love, you will sob (I did…a lot) you will laugh and you will yearn (who doesn’t want to yearn?) The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is a love story, it’s a coming of age story, a finding yourself in the midst of it all story, a comeback story, a revenge story in some ways, but mostly a love story.
A love of love, a love of life, a love of it all.
xoxo,
paige
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