I finally read Moominvalley in November

 I am writing this while listening to my teacher discuss a little bit about tempera and Botticelli. Gosh, it's been ages since I last heard a teacher mention the name Botticelli. The last time someone was mentioning Botticelli, I was 15 and was listening to my teacher discuss the contributions of Renaissance in the development of art in Europe. 

But I'm not here to talk about Botticelli, ok. This entry is dedicated to a book I read yesterday- Tove Jansson's Moominvalley in November. I got the book last year but really waited for November just to fit the mood. Can you imagine reading this book in April or June?  

This book is full of wonderful passages that suit the wistful and slow atmosphere of November. 

"The faint whisper of the rain and running water was still there and it had the same tender note of solitude and perfection. But what did the rain mean to him as long as he couldn't write a song about it?"

"the thought occurred to him that life was like a river. Some people sailed on it slowly, some quickly, and some capsized."  

There were books and a song that came to mind when I was reading this book. Ian and Sylvia's version of Tomorrow is a Long Time was at the top of the list maybe because the novel, like the song, explores memory and time.  For books, I can't help but think that C. S. Lewis' A Grief Observed, and the short story The Wind Has Risen complement the novel's themes and overall mood.