Stephanie Jane reviewed Seeing Red by Megan McDowell
A thought-provoking gem
5 stars
Seeing Red is an intriguing blend of fact and fiction where it is impossible to know how much of the narrative actually happened to Lina Meruane, the author, and how much has been imagined for Lina Meruane, the fictional character. Reading the novel in the first person adds to this sense of the two being indistinguishable and, for me, this worked brilliantly well although, having since read other reviews, I understand that not all readers were as enthusiastic!
I was grateful that Seeing Red does not go into graphically clinical detail about Lina eyes because that would probably have been too much for squeamish little me. Instead Meruane focuses on how it feels to suddenly be robbed of clear vision. I admit that going blind is one of my personal fears so I could identify with Lina's emotional responses. Her having expected eventual blindness (as a result of diabetes) was …
Seeing Red is an intriguing blend of fact and fiction where it is impossible to know how much of the narrative actually happened to Lina Meruane, the author, and how much has been imagined for Lina Meruane, the fictional character. Reading the novel in the first person adds to this sense of the two being indistinguishable and, for me, this worked brilliantly well although, having since read other reviews, I understand that not all readers were as enthusiastic!
I was grateful that Seeing Red does not go into graphically clinical detail about Lina eyes because that would probably have been too much for squeamish little me. Instead Meruane focuses on how it feels to suddenly be robbed of clear vision. I admit that going blind is one of my personal fears so I could identify with Lina's emotional responses. Her having expected eventual blindness (as a result of diabetes) was a particularly chilling concept. I cannot imagine how terrifying it would be to spend months or years knowing that an essentially minor physical action (picking up something off the floor) could have such dire repercussions. Of course, as Lina is in America, there is also the added stress of having to deal with her heartless healthcare insurance company.
Lina herself, the fictional one, doesn't come across as a typically sympathetic character. She isn't a passive female victim of circumstance and I loved that her initial need to lean - figuratively and literally - on her partner, Ignacio, is soon replaced by a determination to regain her independence. While Ignacio and Lina's family pin their hopes on successful surgery to restore Lina's sight, the woman herself cannot maintain such blind faith (pun intended). Learning of her doctor's fallibility is a turning point and, again, I loved that Letz isn't a typical fictional surgeon. He is tired, not dashing, and struggles to remember one patient from another. Retinas are strikingly individual, but the patients carrying them into his office, day after day, blur together.
Seeing Red explores senses other than sight of course. Lina begins to speak in terms of sound, scent or touch as she becomes more fluent in translating these senses into her new sight. Meruane also explores to what extent sighted people don't actually use their vision. We see what used to be rather than what is there now, or we allow our emotions or our cultural heritage to colour true appearances. I bought Seeing Red on a WorldReads whim knowing pretty much nothing about the novel or Meruane's writing. I am delighted to have found a thoughtful and thought-provoking gem.