In the dance of not being lone, it seems, Wedded hearts, one bed, two dreams.
Beneath the roof called home, paths not the same.
Soulful confidant, one spirit, lies in the game.
A life-saving grace, a lifetime's length, Yet, many resentments, testing strength.
An exquisite blend of a PhD in particle physics with Italian literature in this book mirrors Giordano's magical fusion of prime numbers with solitude. The Solitude of Prime Numbers is my quintessential book.
Often, the supposed literary nature of novels encourages authors to over-emphasize emotion, resulting in awkward rhetoric and unfounded imaginings. However, this book captivates me with its sincere narrative. It brilliantly portrays unseen, intangible feelings, making them perceptible through silent words, a feat even cinema struggles to match.
Main characters, Mattia and Alice, regarded as societal "outcasts", experience deep loneliness within family, society, and love. Yet, they don't ensnare others with their solitude, but bravely explore and tolerate it. Their loneliness isn't regret, but restraint, a choice. Misunderstood by societal norms, they discern each other's secrets and persist in solitude.
Depiction of solitude in this novel strikes the deepest string of my soul, leaving me with a lump in my throat, too profound to be expressed in words, only to be quietly experienced. This understanding is not a sense of powerlessness or regret but akin to standing on a mountain peak where only thin air and cold wind exist, alone, facing the baptism of time.
Not necessarily being together is the only beautiful ending for lovers. When Mattia and Alice touch each other's solitude, it's not out of sympathy or pity, but admiration, a profound understanding, and respect for each other.
One thing this novel makes me wonder: Is there anything that time cannot heal? It's not love, not regret, not pain, not hatred. It's solitude.
