Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys

Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys is an intriguing and exquisitely written novel that follows the story of protagonist Sasha Jansen, a British woman in her late thirties who is struggling with life after having moved from London to Paris. Sasha is a woman of independent means, having inherited significant wealth from her late father, which she uses to support her life in the city. Despite her seemingly glamorous lifestyle and successful career as a freelance writer, Sasha’s life is troubled and isolated. She is constantly consumed by feelings of loneliness, alienation, and frustration with a world that often seems to have passed her by.

The novel’s plot is structured around Sasha’s daily life and her exploration of her own inner world. She gradually discovers that she has a “harum-scarum” past, full of impassioned love affairs. These revelations come in the form of flashbacks that are revealed to the reader as the novel progresses. All of this interspersed with observations on Paris, where she lives in a garret apartment on the Left Bank.

Throughout the novel, Sasha is virtually unwavering in her skeptical outlook. While she briefly attempts to nurture relationships with the Parisian socialites, she is ultimately unable to form lasting bonds and winds up on the sidelines of her own life, forced to watch the world pass her by. Desperate for a sense of companionship, Sasha turns to any source of pleasure that she can find, be it an alcoholic drink, an expensive cigar, or impulse shopping. Eventually, she finds herself caught in a relapse of recurrent bad relationships.

One of the more unique aspects of Rhys’ novel is its setting. She paints a vivid and often beautiful portrait of Paris in the early 20th century, taking great pains to detail the cultural, social, and political changes that were occurring. In this milieu, Sasha looks longingly at the lives of those around her and tries in vain to keep up with the swiftly changing times.

Although set in a vibrant and ever-evolving city, the characters of Good Morning, Midnight remain very much in their own personal orbits. Rhys isn’t afraid to challenge the expectations of narrative, allowing her characters to exist as they are within their own stories. The power of the novel lies in its ability to create a timeless atmosphere within a shifting moment in history, while remaining true to the raw, honest emotions of its players.

Ultimately, Good Morning, Midnight is a novel that is as subtle and absorbing as its author’s prose. Through Jean Rhys’ narrative, Sasha’s journey is made accessible to the reader, allowing them to make sense of her tumultuous inner world and complex relationships. With its delicate weaving of narrative, setting, and emotion, it is an enthralling novel that ultimately offers a glimpse into a unique and beautiful inner world.