Best-selling novel 'The Invisible Life of Addie Larue' is a life-affirming read

As 2021 gains momentum, we will inevitably find ourselves looking back at the year that has passed. Many will continue to rant about “the lost year,” as it's been bitterly dubbed. Some will be more circumspect and try to make sense of this random and wretched turn of events.

We may appraise 2020 and face the reality of suffering. But more importantly, we should commemorate it as the year we witnessed audacious acts of heroism and the indomitable will of humankind to press on despite the odds.

2020 will also be remembered as the year of powerful, life-affirming reads, foremost of which is Victoria E. Schawb’s exquisite novel “The Invisible Life of Addie Larue” (Tor Books, October 2020).

Born to a poor family in rural 18th century France, Addie Larue dreamed of seeing the world, of choosing her own path rather than being forced into one.

To escape her meager existence, she agreed to a Faustian bargain: she would live a life unencumbered, for as long as she wanted, in exchange for her life and soul. But her life would not leave any mark.  No one would remember her.

Any trace of her would vanish as quickly as the blink of an eye. Addie Larue became the embodiment of the age-old adage “out of sight, out of mind.” She was, for all intents and purposes, a ghost. 

Until one day, for the first time in three centuries, someone remembers Addie’s name.

“The Invisible Life of Addie Larue” is a bittersweet but hopeful look at the power of the human spirit. Schwab’s prose is assured, lyrical and beautiful. The premise around which she built this narrative is intriguing. The story itself a satisfying blend of literary fiction, magical realism, and love story, wrapped in what is at times a Lonely Planet-esque guide to the five boroughs of New York City. 

Schwab’s frequent transitions from 18th century France to 21st century New York could initially be jarring, but as the story progresses, we begin to appreciate the way she structures the novel. Masterfully dabbing crucial plot points and planting ingenious twists and turns, she builds Addie’s narrative layer by careful layer, the way a painter adds color to a canvass. Pay close attention to the dates in each chapter as these are crucial to fully appreciating the importance of the alternating time jumps.

In Addie Larue, Schwab has created a sympathetic, likeable and relatable heroine. While none of us will ever get the chance to live for 300 years, we feel Addie’s existential exhaustion. We suffer the pangs of heartbreaking loss every time she is erased from people’s minds. Most of all, we celebrate her victories, especially in those moments when she finds her footing and, through brazen acts of defiance, gives her dark tormentor the proverbial middle finger.

We connect with Addie in a visceral way, perhaps sharing with her that deep-seated desire to live beyond mere existence. Maybe she speaks to that part of the human experience that dares surmount seemingly unconquerable odds. Her spunk fortifies us and her childlike enthusiasm and wonder wins us over. Call it naïveté, but try to imagine yourself being 300 years old and still finding things that amaze you.

Walt Whitman once confronted us with that difficult question: What good is life when we face struggles and when our hopes go unrequited? In response, he dared us: “that you are here – that life exists and identity / That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”

More than a century and a half after Whitman’s poetic challenge, “The Invisible Life of Addie Larue” drives home the same point. It reminds us that life is worth living, that we must not waste any moment, and that each day can be an opportunity to matter and to add a meaningful and life-affirming verse to humanity’s narrative. — LA, GMA News

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About the authors: Rory J. Bolivar is a registered microbiologist, educator, and writer. Robespierre L. Bolivar is the recipient of the Gawad Mabini, one of the highest Presidential honors bestowed upon Filipino diplomats. Email them at robroryreads@gmail.com and follow them on Instagram @robroryreads.