I needed a few months of separation to appreciate this work. Styron's style was captivating to me. His words kept me glued to the book despite walking through Grand Central Terminal during morning rush. I didn't care because I was so in love with the "writer searching for his true purpose"story. Sorry to my fellow morning commuters, Billy has my mind.
Now, Sophie...she's beautiful...she's so beautiful. Her beauty was such a focal point to her personality that I injected my bias towards her. Unable to acknowledge that she, like many "beautiful" people, is like an onion - multi-layered.
It took me a long time to like this story because I did not understand why this beautiful woman would subject herself to such an abusive boyfriend, Nathan. Styron does a fantastic job in masking Nathan's mental illness.
So, my coworker told what Sophie's choice was before I actually got to the part. Styron takes about 400+pages to reveal her pain. Geesh! What a choice!
I was disappointed with the ending of the book. I felt it made Sophie seem pathetic. Perhaps, I wanted Sophie to be "flawless" like the narrator.
