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To the Wedding is a 1995 novel by the British author John Berger.

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-'''To the Wedding''' is a 1995 novel by the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[author]] [[John Berger]]. It tells the stories of the lovers Gino and Ninon who are getting [[married]] and how they, and the people around them, manage to overcome [[death]] and [[Destiny|fate]] and create meaning in their lives.
+'''To the Wedding''' is a 1995 novel by the [[United Kingdom|British]] [[author]] [[John Berger]].
-== Plot ==
-The story begins as a narrative within a narrative from the [[point of view (literature)|point of view]] of a [[blindness|blind]] tamata [[peddler]]. The blind peddler encounters Ninon's [[father]] when he wants to buy a tamata for his daughter, Ninon, who is suffering 'everywhere'. The novel abruptly shifts its [[point of view (literature)|perspective]] to Ninon's story. Ninon, a young woman in her 20s, meets a man working at a restaurant one day who catches her fancy. Although reluctant at first, she allows herself to be [[seduced]] and they end up [[Sexual Intercourse|making love]] the same day. They part, and she visits the [[restaurant]] again the following day only to hear from the [[chef]] that the man was an escaped [[convict]] and had been arrested by the [[police]]. The narrative is splintered to describe, as well, the journey of Ninon's father and mother to her [[wedding]]. Ninon travels around [[Europe]] and, on a visit to a [[museum]], encounters Gino. They become devoted lovers, and in one memorable occasion break open a shack with their love-making. During the course of their relationship, Ninon notices sores on her lips and decides to see a doctor about it when it doesn't go away. To her shock, the doctor tells her that she has [[AIDS]]. She realizes that the man at the restaurant was the one who gave the disease to her and feels bitter and angry. She breaks off communication with Gino who becomes frantic to talk to her. Eventually, she explains to Gino that she has AIDS, expecting rebuke and disgust, but to her surprise, Gino proposes marriage. The lovers manage to create meaning in their lives in the face of approaching death.
-==Themes==
-The novel is a strongly [[existentialism|existential]] novel, responding to the existential void of meaninglessness and futility presented in ''Heart of Darkness''. The characters are not consumed, but manage to oppose the darkness of an [[amorality|amoral]] and uncaring world by finding meaning in the tasks they do. They must take up these tasks to avoid the existential darkness. Despite its dark subject matter, the tone becomes overwhelmingly one of hope and triumph by the end of the book.
-The [[landscape]] imagery of the novel is consistently one of a {{dn|Wasteland|wasteland}}. Jean Ferrero, Ninon's father, travels on his motorbike through vast landscapes and impenetrable darkness. As he gets nearer to his destination of his daughter's wedding, the landscape becomes steadily more bleak. This symbolizes that he is getting closer and closer to a void. However, even at the uttermost edge of the void, at the end of the novel, all the characters manage to find meaning.
-==Thematic Significance of Secondary Characters==
-* The Blind Man: He understands the meaning behind small actions. He takes pride in his appearance and joy in seemingly trivial things such as [[dancing]]. His [[disability]] does not vanquish him.
-* Jean: He is in control when he rides his bike through the landscape. His headlights illuminate the small area in front of him, and that is enough.
-* Zdena: She assigns meaning to the smallest of actions, such as sleeping on her daughters bed. She repeatedly organizes the contents of her handbag before going to the wedding. This is her 'task', establishing order in her handbag.
-* Hackers: The hackers '[[hack (technology)|hack]] to stay on the [[planet]]'. They have a task that gives them meaning. They tell Jean, '[[Paradise]] is not for living in, it's for visiting.'
-* Bird Call Makers: They attribute meaning to the bird call devices they sell. Zdena gives the devices to her daughter to create meaning in her life.
-* Tomas: He takes on small tasks such as [[taxicab|taxi driving]] and [[postcard]]s. He instantly forges a deep [[friendship]] with Zdena, and even though they know they must part in a short while, they both savor the time they have together while it lasts.
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