A Catalogue of Love: quick links
A Catalogue of Love: emotional and thought-provoking
Erin Hortle’s A Catalogue of Love is an emotional and thought-provoking novel. The story chronicles protagonist Neika’s life from childhood into adulthood, spotlighting her experiences and understanding of love and womanhood.
Neika’s background sets the scene for the intertwining of these two key themes. When Neika was a toddler, her mother died, and as a result she is brought up by her father and his new male partner. A highlight of the book was the relationship between Neika and her stepfather Sean, a caring and supportive parent to Neika. He shares her passion for surfing and love of their island home, but both his gender and status as step-parent significantly affect their dynamic.
Although brought up in a loving family, Neika does feel the absence of her mother, both as a parent and as someone who could draw on lived experience to guide Neika through womanhood. Neika’s uncertainty over how and whether things would be different if her mother was still alive is effectively woven throughout A Catalogue of Love, arising at different moments in the protagonist’s life.
A Catalogue of Love: natural world of Bruny Island featured
Neika is raised on Bruny Island, Tasmania, and her love for her home is paramount to the novel. Beyond physical descriptions, the culture and atmosphere of life on Bruny is well conveyed by A Catalogue of Love. The natural world features extensively in the story, through Neika’s dual passions for surfing and animal science. Her career researching birds is detailed, and the book explores her thoughts on whether animals experience love in similar ways to humans.
One critique, however, is that A Catalogue of Love does sometimes use terminology related to science and surfing that might confuse readers unfamiliar with Neika’s passions.
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A Catalogue of Love: diversity of relationships
Love is also explored through the diversity of Neika’s relationships. In adulthood, she forms a close friendship with another woman, and romantic relationships – both her own and others’ that she observes – are also examined by the novel. Although some dynamics are given more attention than others, every relationship feels realistic – especially the gradual evolution in Neika’s feelings towards standoffish co-worker Nathaniel.
Throughout her life, Neika also becomes keenly aware of gender inequality and the anxieties that arise from being a woman in a patriarchal world. The novel uniquely gives attention to misogyny within the male-dominated culture of surfers, in addition to discussing sexism in wider society.
The book is unflinching in its descriptions of the human body and its biological functions, especially when connected to trauma. In her youth, Neika has a sexual experience while intoxicated and is unable to remember what exactly happened, including whether it was consensual. The visceral descriptions of her trauma both in the moment and in the years afterwards are incredibly impactful.
Adeptly written and emotionally moving, A Catalogue of Love invites readers to think about the social and biological burdens placed onto women, as well as the ways uncertainty and ambiguity can haunt a person, and the myriad forms of love that we can witness and experience.
A Catalogue of Love by Erin Hortle is published by Simon & Schuster.
