Both Are Brilliant

Last week I went to the cinema to watch Me Before You. I'm not going to go into how amazingincredibleohmygoodnesswow it was because I will write a film review, but today I want to touch upon one of the main themes. Although I don't think it's a spoiler, if you don't like any spoilers at all, look away now! (Well, for the whole post!)

Ambition and the different versions of ambition.

Before Will Traynor's accident he may as well have been nicknamed "Overreacher." His life was action-packed. He was constantly overreaching. There was nothing he wouldn't try; no sport he couldn't do. It was his main drive. And then it was taken away from him. Lou Clark, however, loves her home. She loves her job. She doesn't ever want to move or change.

Throughout the novel Will scolds her for her way of life. He calls it "boring." She disagrees. And yet they learn from each other. He sees the magic in her simplicity and she sees excitement in "different."

One might immediately call Lou less ambitious than Will. Less adventurous. Less "carpe diem." Yet I believe ambition isn't a notion to be pinpointed. Lou isn't less ambitious than Will; their ambitions are different. I personally definitely have Lou's love of simple things- books and the feeling of home. And yet I have a good smidge of Will's adventure (no where near as extreme though!): I love new challenges and running and pushing my body to my version of extremes. This makes my ambition different to Lou's and different to Will's; different to my mum's and different to my friends'.

It's ignorant to call someone else's ambition "less worthy" than our own expectation of ambition. It's ignorant for a million reasons but it's because we can't ever fully understand someone else's goals and norms and expectations. That's what goes on in their head... Not ours.

Importantly, what we can learn from differences in ambition is that we can take on others' ambition if we want to. In different ways, Will and Lou experienced each other's ambition and norms. Their characters develop from it. I have my own ambition- that is someone else's nightmare; someone else's "easy." And that is A-Okay. I personally want to feed off of others' ambition in the best possible way. I personally (which may not be the best route for others) want to stay true to my own ambition too. Both are possible. For me, both are brilliant.

Home & Away,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Me Before You - Jojo Moyes

"Heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting," Good Housekeeping

"Majestic, utterly compelling, tremendous. A heart-stopping read," Independent on Sunday

"A perspective and moving tale," Independent

Never before has it taken me quite so long to write a book review... I'm talking months.

 

I simply didn't know what to say; what to say that's not been said before. This book is every wonderfully beautiful adjective, every happy bittersweet smile and every excited chatter my mother and I have had about every book at once.

 

This novel oozes charm, warmth and heartbreak; it oozes honesty and thought.

 

Me Before You is about Lou Clark and Will Traynor. It could be said to be about quadriplegia, about disability and sadness. And, well, it is. But it's not. Lou, after being made redundant ends up working for Will, much to his displeasure. There to keep him company, it seems she'd do anything to keep out of his way. The twist, though, is one I would never ruin. It's simply one you must discover through Jojo Moyes's gorgeous story.

 

Lou is a character that you adore reading the words of the author that make up the way of her mind, her words and her outlook. Bubbly and funny, Lou is also caring and very thoughtful. The happy eyes she sees her life through are charming ones- ones that make the emotion of the novel, both more emotional, and more addictive. I've never admired a character like I do Lou, and I loved being alongside Lou and Will's story with her, watching her grow and her brave ways prevail.

 

Will, to me, is not a tragic character, or anything of the sort. Of course, his situation sucked, and his aching for his old life broke my heart, but he is a hero to me. He is charming and funny, and cares for Lou in a lovely way. I learnt a lot through Will; about disability and his feelings towards it. Ultimately, I'm deeply in love with him.

 

I finished this in a public place, tears untamed but modest. I couldn't wipe them away because I was so attached to Will and Lou, and wanted to read beyond the pages beyond the book so much. They deserved my tears and my understanding and I couldn't find it in me to lift my hands to my face, because I just wanted to turn the last few pages, close the book, long for more of Jojo Moyes's words and think.

 

Me Before You is wonderstruckingly lovely.

 

Stripy Tights & Movies With Subtitles,

 

The Girl in the Moonlight.