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Mr. Barnes explanation of love makes me wonder if I ever had such pure love in my life or all of it was just attraction, attachment and lust

That book is lit af 🔥🥺

3 essays. The 1st stories of 19th century ballooning and attempts at aerial photography. The 2nd the tale of Fred Burnaby, soldier, adventurer, "balloonatic" and spurned lover of Sarah Bernhardt. The 3rd a moving evocation of the author's experience of grief in the years following the death of his wife, much of it expressed in analogies taken from the stories in the earlier essays. The writing is beautiful and the emotion resonated deeply with me.

On one level, this book is about 19th century hot air balloonists but in its heart, it‘s about love - Barnes‘ dedication of love to his wife, and about his grief, when his wife died of brain tumour.

#JulyColdPlay #Up&Up #UpUp

Barnes starts his book with two essays on his metaphors: ballooning (love and grief) and photography (memory). I almost felt lulled in by the historical context and love story between Sara Bernhardt and Fred Burnaby. But then came the last part of the book: a very intimate, personal and insightful look at his own grief, love for his wife and his Sehnsucht for her. I saw that the book received a low rating on Litsy and cannot understand why.

I‘m surprised so few would recommend this book. Maybe it was just timely for me to read. I loved the reflection on the history of photography and ballooning. Then coupled with the loss of a loved one.

Part memoir, part essay, part fiction, Barnes wrote about his own grief after the death of his wife. He wrote about the highs and lows in life - of two people being together; being apart; and then the enduring of loneliness.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
#getmovin #levels

The best escapism. #reading #writing #bookquotes

Picked up steam a third of the way in. Compelling but slow.

The first 2 essays are ok and the third is amazing talking about the impact of losing his wife - it is magical a overall the book is ok - the final essay is why you read it

Love already

You put together two people who have not been put together before; and sometimes the world is changed, sometimes not. They may crash and burn, or burn and crash. But sometimes something new is made, and then the world is changed.