Sanctuary
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A review of Sanctuary published by a female undergraduate (March 15, 1931)
Do you recall how often you , have begun to read a book : which so fascinated you that you plunged through the intricacies of its plot to an unknown but magnetic ending?
And when late at night you closed the last cover as you breathed a sigh of relief that the heroine was saved from a perilous attack?
I have done just that.
But . this time, when I finished Sanctuary, it was different .
I didn't have a feeling of relief because the heroine had not been saved .
I didn't have a feeling of assurance.
Rather, I closed the last cover slowly as I realized that the book contained more than the mere words of black print on white pages, that the book contained a potent drug for the imagination that the book would never be finished by reading the final word but would require a tallying of events before finding out just exactly what had occurred.
Sanctuary is different.
I read bits of it aloud to my roommate and we were both caught in the whirlwind of its spell and swept along .
I couldn't cease reading she couldn't cease listening.
My throat became dry; my eyes blurred; before I knew it , I had read SO many pages aloud. . . .
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I think the line “a potent drug for the imagination” means to convey a pathway the book allows for readers to use their sense of imagination to picturize the scene of the story. She is describing the action as addictive and kind of involuntary as one reads. I am guessing tallying of events is referred to keeping track of the storyline of the novel.
I feel the idea of “Sanctuary” being a “potent drug for the imagination” adds to the level that this is also a controversial book for it’s time and that it involves “adult” like elements. Also the fact that it is a thrilling short story gives suspense and a need to really analyse the different events.
I suppose that a “potent drug for the imagination” might mean that the book plants a seed that grows in the reader’s mind long after finishing the actual pages of the novel. So, the book stays with and affects the reader in a way that a drug might have long-term effects.
I agree with the comparison of the seed. The book and the movie a like have stayed in my mind long after I finished them. I even went on to tell my parents and my coworkers about it because Temple and her story clings to you. It creates a form of disbelief that follows you long after the last page.
The events of this book can get a bit confusing, and it is easy to lose track of what has happened. The book forces you to tally the events because it is told from multiple perspectives, and therefore often jumps between spaces and timelines.
I agree with Polina the book is a little hard to follow at first but as the author of the quote says once you get drawn it you’re “plunged through the intricacies of its plot..” After you finally get into the plot of the story it becomes easier to read and easier to follow. I found myself drawn in after Gowan was carried into the bedroom all bloody and snoring.
I guess “a potent drug for the imagination” means that the reader use their imagination to see the perspective of the character of what they are going through. The book sort of makes you keep track of tally of events so that you can piece together the plot and solution. Even if it feels confusing jumping back and forth analyzing different timelines.
I think the line “..a potent drug of the imagination…” actually can be referring to Temple’s desires being reflected onto the reader. A potent drug is normally something illicit and generally harmful but the experience can be pleasurable and addictive.
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