So she had to satisfy herself with the idea of love – loving the loving of things whose existence she didn't care at all about. Love itself became the object of her love. She loved herself in love, she loved loving love, as love loves loving, and was able, in that way, to reconcile herself with a world that fell so short of what she would have hoped for. It was not the world that was the great and saving lie, but her willingness to make beautiful and fair, to live a once-removed life, in a world once-removed from the one in which everyone else seemed to exist.
In this passage, the character finds solace in the notion of love despite her detachment from the actual world around her. Instead of engaging with tangible connections, she redirects her emotions towards the concept of love itself, experiencing affection for the act of loving rather than its real-life applications. This self-referential love allows her to navigate her disillusionment with reality, as she cherishes the beauty of love, even when it feels...
