The Books: “Camilla” (Madeleine L’Engle)

Daily Book Excerpt: YA/Children’s books

Next book on the shelf is Camilla by Madeleine L’Engle.

Camilla is a book that is not in the Austin series or the Murry series … although (of course) some of the characters do reappear in those books. For instance – Frank, the person Camilla befriends in this book, ends up being one of the members of the conference that Polly works at in House Like a Lotus – only now he is a middle-aged man. Camilla also “stars” in another later book – which is, I believe, the last novel that L’Engle (so far) has written – called Live Coal in the Sea (review here. It’s terrible). Camilla is 15 in the first book, and in the second book she is an adult.

Camilla was written in 1965. Camilla is another one of L’Engle’s indelible teenage characters. She is a native New Yorker (just like L’Engle was – L’Engle grew up on the streets of Manhattan) – and her parents are wealthy. Camilla has a nurse, they have a maid, whatever – it’s a kind of New York that is completely divorced from most people’s reality. Camilla is very fortunate. BUT … everything SUCKS … because suddenly, her parents – her ROCKS – are behaving like strangers to each other. There’s tension between them. Anger. Her mother starts taking calls from some random French dude named Jacques. Camilla hates Jacques with the burning of a thousand suns. Basically, Camilla’s nice neat little world starts to fall apart. It is shattering. L’Engle gets how shattering something like that is. Seeing your parents, for the first time, as fallible, and human … Camilla’s best friend is Luisa (another great character) – Luisa’s family has always been all messed up, and Luisa never wants to go home because she hates the atmosphere at her house. Now suddenly, Camilla understands. Luisa’s older brother Frank (and I can’t remember where he had been … maybe off to World War II??) – for whatever reason, Camilla had never met Frank – and suddenly, during this crisis in her life – she does. And they hit it off. It’s a kindred spirit soulful friendship. There’s also deeply romantic feelings from Camilla – well, from Frank as well. They wander the wintry streets of New York City – both avoiding going home – sititng in drugstores talking about the world, going to museums, the zoo … It all ends up with Camilla getting her heart broken for the first time. But for her – the crisis has passed. She has separated herself from her parents who are, in the end, kind of selfish people. She differentiates herself, through her friendship with Frank. I loved this book – I should read this one again as well.

Oh – and Camilla is a science whiz. Forgot about that. Science is her THING.

Here’s an excerpt where Frank takes her into a music shop to play her some music he wants her to hear.

Excerpt from Camilla by Madeleine L’Engle.

The music shop was empty when we went in and a gray-haired man and woman were sitting behind the counter. The woman came around the counter and put her arms round Frank, and just said, “Franky, Franky,” and kissed him as though she were his mother.

Frank kissed her and just said, “Hi, Mrs. Stephanowski,” and then he shook Mr. Stephanowski’s hand and then he said, “This is Camilla. I brought her today because I want you to know her.”

They both looked at me and I felt somehow that what they thought of me was terribly important and I was filled with relief when Mrs. Stephanowski smiled and took my hand in hers. Some customers came in then and Mr. Stephanowski said, “Take Camilla into one of the booths and give her a concert if you feel like it, Franky.”

“Thanks, Mr. Stephanowski,” Frank said. “I’d like to.” He picked out an album and we went into the last of the small listening booths. Frank had me sit down in the chair. “Do you know Holst’s The Planets?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No. What is it?”

“It’s kind of queer,” Frank told me, “but it’s kind of wonderful. I thought maybe it might be interesting to you. Of course it isn’t scientific or anything, but I think it’s sort of interesting to listen to a musician’s conception of stars. There’s one place that sounds to me like the noise the planets must make grinding against space.”

He put the record on and it was different from anything I knew. I knew Bach, and Beethoven and Brahms and Chopin and I loved them, especially Bach, but this music – it was like stars before you understand them, when you think an astronomer is an astrologer, when they are wild, distant, mysterious things. And as I listened I realized that the music had a plan to it, that none of the conflicting notes came by accident.

“Why haven’t I heard this before!” I cried, and Frank smiled at me and changed the record. When he smiled, his face lit up in a way that I have never seen Luisa’s light up, and he seemed to me completely beautiful.

When The Planets was finished, Frank said, “What next, Camilla? You choose something.”

But I shook my head. “I’d rather listen to something you like particularly.”

“Well,” Frank said, “I have a game I play. I have music for everybody. That was Johnny’s idea, doing that, and now David and I do it too. I’ll play yours.” He went out into the shop, where several customers were now gathered about the counter, and came back with another album.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto. Particularly the andantino. You probably won’t think it sounds like you.” His voice was suddenly gruff and embarrassed.

I listened and it didn’t sound to me like me, but it was as exciting and different as The Planets had been, and as I listened I was filled with a great tremendous excitement. Oh, I love I love I love! I cried inside myself. So many people, so many things! Music and stars and snow and weather! Oh, if one could always feel this warm love, this excitement, this glory of the infinite possibilities of life!

And as I listened to the music I knew that everything was possible.

“I think that’s enough for a start,” Frank said, and we went back into the shop.