I read this book for the first time for a book club at age 66. I think I would have viewed it very differently at 16 or 26 when I was more innocently romantic. It is extremely powerful, the writing is gorgeous which is a good part of its power. The dark vision of the book is what makes it so brilliant--it's both a love story and a death story--it shows how close the two are. I was struck by the casualness with which death was accepted at that time--it's easy to kill characters off because it seems that people did die from every little ailment, especially if the weather was bad or they were emotionally distressed. I was very moved by the book because I can still relate to the intense desire for a soulmate--for someone who relieves the isolation of life. But it also shows how destructive it can be to find a soulmate--how that connection can destroy your life as well as enrich it.