The Cost of Living

This is the second book in Deborah Levy’s trilogy. It is, like the first one, a collection of thoughts, observations, and memories. She mostly talks about her life after her divorce, and how her life, her perception of the world, and her identity had to change radically. Even the way other people saw her changed completely. It reminded me of my own « divorce, » when I lost my job in 2016. That’s when I realized that my job WAS my identity, so without the job, I had to build a new and completely different version of myself. It was so painful!

Sometimes the thoughts and memories all feel very random, sometimes they are funny, sometimes they are sad, and sometimes they are beautiful. I also particularly loved her thoughts about motherhood, and it’s the first time in a long while I understood my mother a little better. So, even though I didn’t like everything about this very short book, the writing and the narration were excellent, and it was a very important text for me.