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If you continue reading, you will be exposed to spoilers about the above book. Proceed with caution. Addie's deal with the devil was to live. And she got to live, but nobody would remember her. She could not leave a mark on anything or anybody until she met Henry. Henry's deal with the devil was to be loved. But his time was limited and about ready to run out. Addie traded Henry's life for hers. Agreeing to be with the devil for as long as he wanted her. The book ended with Addie looking at the book Henry wrote about her life. She was already scheming to make the devil hate her and put her out of her misery. It has "sequel" written all over it. Book: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue While an exceptionally long book, I loved the stunning writing and the incredibly creative storyline. There is so much depth to the novel, including the timeless theme of human love alongside leaving our legacy, our mark on the world. While not a time-travel book per say, it could certainly make a good read for a group focused on that genre. Online ResourcesLeaving a mark, being remembered is an central theme to the novel. Eric Kim shares one very short blog on one perspective on wanting to be remembered. Two extremes of length of life are contrasted between Henry’s year and Addie’s infinite lifeline. Ezekiel J. Emanuel writes in the Atlantic about why he wants to live to 75. This may be a good article to get you thinking about the length of life and the quality of life. Time. Such an elusive concept at times. Why does time sometimes seem to pass too slowly and others times too quickly and how can we control our perception of time? The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organizatio, shared Feel like time is flying? Here’s how to slow it down by Steve Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Leeds Beckett University. Addie embraces the feeling of helping to slow time down, by always looking for new experiences and working to be mindfully present as Taylor discusses. If you would like to hear and see Victoria speak, Andrew Sumner interviews her on Forbidden Planet in a 20-minute interview where Schwab talks about her writing process in creating Addie, what is time and what is memory and the pain we experience in being forgotten, other places she imagined Addie could have traveled, her relationship with Luc and yes, the author’s love of bookstores. List of CharactersAddie
LaRue— Born March 10, 1691 and is cursed on July 29, 1714 to never have anyone remember who she is once she is out of sight In New York CityToby Marsh— Musician in New York City who Addie inspires to write an extraordinary song Before New York CityJean LaRue— Addie’s father who is a woodworker Time Periods1691: Addie born Discussion TopicsAddie’s Relationship with LucAddie and Luc’s relationship is tortured and multi-dimensional. In Paris she thinks,
And later in Paris,
Finding the love of her life is the only thing Addie truly believes in at the time she is cursed. She believes there is a soulmate, a relationship that she is meant to find. And so Luc takes that form as he appears to her. Then for 300 years, until Addie meets Henry, they become the only constant in one another’s lives. What dimensions did you see in their relationship? What do you see as the arc of their relationship? How do they each try to harm one another? How do they each seek something they need from the other? As I think about some of the more challenging relationships I’ve had in my life, I can now reflect back on what I was able to learn about myself, about how I could change or speak up, about how to hear and see the depth in differing ways of being. Alongside complaining about or praising a manager or co-worker, a neighbor or family member, how could I nurture the best in a relationship and change the worst? What have been some of your most challenging relationships and how did each impact your story? Being Remembered
And then as she leaves James’ empty apartment, Addie thinks,
and the when she meets Henry he says
The contrast between the freedom of being forgotten and the need to be remembered is stark throughout the novel. Luc understands the need to be remembered and how wicked his curse is. Following the play in Munich in 1872, he says to Addie,
How do you see each of the characters in the novel working to be remembered? Is there a distinction between living in the present and thinking about the mark an individual will leave behind? Why do you think humans feel the importance of being remembered? How do you want to be remembered? What will be your legacy? Many books explore this theme. To delve deeper into leaving a legacy you may want to read and discuss The Book of Longings. Leaving a MarkAbbie is cursed,
Later Luc tells her that ideas are wilder than memories and she will learn that
And so she does. Each section of the book begins with the description of a piece of art that has been created because Addie exists— Revenir, in the Musée d’Orsay, the painting by Sam, the pencil sketch by Matteo Renatti. Addie is in Toby’s song and in Henry’s stories and the polaroids Henry takes. When she goes to view the sculpture Revenier of five wooden birds, one of them modeled on the one her father carved for her Addie thinks,
When she meets Remy, Addie asks,
After Matteo sketches her,
And she thinks
And of course, Henry writes her story in all its tumult and all of its love. Leaving a mark is a human trait— from artistic creations, to making a difference in the world, to gravestones with names and dates— humans yearn to leave a mark that they were here, that they mattered. When have you thought about the mark you are leaving or that you wish to leave on this world? Henry works with Addie to leave her mark when she is unable to create her mark on her own. How have you supported others in leaving their marks? Perhaps through a literal action like an artist’s painting or Henry’s writing. As Henry thinks,
Rather than telling his story, he wants to share someone else’s. Perhaps you have amplified someone’s voice or story, using your platforms, and your sources of power. Where have you left your mark or helped someone else leave a mark? OptimismAddie is relentlessly optimistic as she learns how to survive without being remembered. She figures ways out of her predicaments and in most cases has to rely upon her own wits— only calling upon Luc in several moments of despair. That’s one of the reasons I liked this novel, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Addie’s resilience, her optimism and her ingenuity was delightful. Are there moments in your experience where you have appreciated your own or someone else’s ingenuity? When has optimism won out in your experience over pessimism? How do you or others cultivate optimism? Time
Henry has just one year and Addie has infinite time in her life. How do their yearnings and their needs compare? Luc says to Addie,
In thinking about Luc’s statement, I think about how often I don’t think about the finiteness of time, and the other moments when life seems completely finite. There are extremes perspectives in human lives when an individual feels immortal and when an individual feels the crushing weight of limited time. Addie represents one end of this spectrum and Henry the other. How do you view time and your lifeline? When has time felt the most limited to you? When has it felt the most expansive? At the beginning of the novel, before the curse,
As she says goodbye to Henry, Addie says,
This resonated strongly with me— the moments of discomfort and pain and loss that stretch immensely and the moments when life feels so fleeting. When have you felt each of these extremes in time? New PlacesAs Addie reflects back on Luc abandoning her in Florence, she thinks,
What do you think? Where in the novel does Addie get a nudge to go somewhere new and experience another facet of life? When are these forces external and when does she generate her own personal nudges? Do you need a nudge to get somewhere new? Do you seek out new experiences? Where do these moments stem from in your life? LoveThis novel shares dimensions of romantic love and how Luc is unable to fully understand human love and what it means. The difficulty in understanding human emotions is a theme across literature and entertainment. Voldemort underestimates the power of love in the Harry Potter series. Q is flummoxed attempting to understand the range of human emotions on Star Trek. Some of the many loving relationships in the move Love Actually. In The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Addie and Luc have very different perspectives on what love is. In the end when Luc asks Addie how her human love was Addie thinks,
How do you view love? What books, TV shows, movies, poems, works of art have you seen that express the complexity of love? A Few Additional Quotes
What quotes resonated with you? What deal did Henry make in Addie LaRue?To her surprise, Henry admits to Addie that he, too, made a deal with the devil a year ago. After getting his heartbroken, he asks to be loved in exchange for his soul. Since then, everyone sees him as whatever they want to see. His exes ask for a second chance and he's offered a job he's completely unqualified for.
Why could Henry Remember Addie?Luc visited him and granted his wish: whenever someone would see him, they would see what they desire the most. This allowed Henry to remember Addie, fulfilling her wish that somebody would remember her. At the novel's end, Addie sacrifices herself to Luc, agreeing to be his so long as he wants her at his side.
Did Addie love Luc or Henry?Love Luc! Henry was just Luc's way of giving Addie what she asked for in New Orleans. He couldn't undo the deal so he created Henry for her. Luc used Henry as a tool to let Addie create a legacy for herself in the human world.
Why does Addie LaRue have 7 freckles?One for every life she'd lead. One for every god watching over her.” The seven freckles on Addie's face increase in significance throughout the story. The freckles on her face represent the essence of her character. It isn't until later in the story that Addie realizes how “Ideas are wilder than memories.
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