The Lonely Hearts Hotel

As piano and dance have been two activities that have traveled with me from elementary school to college, I was immediately drawn to the overlap of the two in the main characters of Heather O'Neill's new novel The Lonely Hearts Hotel. Set in Montreal in the early 1900s, the book is written in various perspectives, but focuses on the love story of Rose and Pierrot who are both orphans. Since a young age both shared an adventurous spirit, despite their close encounters with death almost immediately after being born. Rose performs hilarious skits for other children in the orphanage - perhaps her most famous being an act in which he dances with an invisible bear - while Pierrot plays the piano with an unique flair. Their artistic and entertainment talents land them a gig of performing in the living rooms of wealthy aristocrats. However, their happy childhood together soon ends when Pierrot is adopted by an older man looking for company and Rose becomes a governess for two wild children. Despite their separation and encounters with drugs, sexual harassment, and the Great Depression, the two still harbor great love for each other. Through and through, this novel is a love story, with shocking twists and turns, but ultimately a satisfying ending.

I will warn potential readers that there is some graphic scenes in the novel, but the fantastic characters and the dark humor that prevails throughout the entire book trump one's reservations. In the beginning Rose was my favorite character as we both share a passion for dance and performing to make others laugh. As she rose to the title of mistress for the father of two children she was a governess for, I could sympathize with her frustrations about being only seen as a girlfriend who must only smile and laugh. Rose's story of an unhealthy and violent relationship stands as a symbol for all women and girls who face the same horrors, an unfortunate truth in our world. Perhaps O'Neill romanticizes this trend as through Rose's ingenuity and confidence she is able to break away from this repressive relationship and stereotype. However, Rose's character also encourages all readers what may come of those who work hard - however I am not suggesting one should join a gang in New York.

Towards the end of the book when Rose and Pierrot's circus - the Snowflake Icicle Extravaganza which the two have been planning since their early childhood - makes their debut in New York City where Rose promptly becomes affiliated with the mafia here, I began to drift away from my original opinions and developed a new and enlightened perspective of Pierrot. His trip to an orphanage to play music to children who face various ailments and diseases was heart-warming and showed Pierrot for who he is: a caring performer, who although naive, has a greater heart than that of his partner in some respects. After all, while this novel is primarily a love story, there is also a prevailing motif of childhood innocence. Eventually Rose becomes an adult who must make financial, work, and moral decisions in an instant. However, Pierrot is protected from this transition and in some aspects remains a child for the entirety of the story. While his addiction to heroin is not a childhood affliction, it does reflect his lacking of a supportive environment which he only experiences twice in his life for a limited timeframe.

As a person who believes we always remain children even up to our elder years, this book suggests the consequences of acting like a child in circumstances that require an adult persona. Yet, there are also cases in which characters who are adults act as children. This contrasting duality suggests that one is never solely an adult or a child, but rather one should acquire the characteristics from both ages. Perhaps overlapping attributes will allow one to lead a life that is responsible- staying away from gangsters and drugs - but is also light-hearted and free - not shying away from the chance to  dance with a bear.