Romantic Longing

[jadedinnocent]

Romantic Longing 4/11/06


Where are you my love?
The one I long for
The one who tugs my heartstrings?
And makes them sing a song of
Sweet romantic longing
Hopelessly caught up in dreaming
Of a feeling beyond reality
Of love’s perfection
Always denied, never attained
But in my heart
For all eternity

[alizixiai]

The novel's eponymous heroine is a dreamy and wistful young woman who lives in The Hague with her sister Betsy. Whereas Betsy, with her practical outlook on life, takes after their deceased mother, Eline is much more like their father, a painter who had also died some years before without having realized his artistic dreams. The two sisters belong to a clique of well-to-do families and try to escape boredom by immersing themselves in a never-ending series of parties.

Eline's pretty smile and almond shaped eyes capture the hearts of many admirers. Four men in particular play an important part in her life: they are the opera singer Theo Fabrice, her nephew Vincent Vere, Otto van Erlevoort to whom she becomes engaged and, finally, the American Lawrence St. Clare. Yet, Eline's romantic expectations are so high that none of the men can live up to them.