‘Perchance to dream’

Freely paraphrasing from Hamlet, yes, when it comes to sleep, count me among those who suffer from the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” With sleep taking up practically one third of our lives, and given its essential restorative qualities, it’s not surprising to find so many of us, afflicted by insomnia, on the constant search for those things that will help make sleep (and dreaming) closer acquaintances. The right bed sheets and comforter, the perfect mattress, the ideal room temperature, the ability to count sheep; they all become “stuff” we continuously research on and experiment, tweaking this and that in the hope of finding the true passport to slumberland.

When I read humor-laden quotations about sleep, such as “I’m so good at sleeping, I can do it with my eyes closed,” I can only inwardly groan, and wish I could joke so easily.

So when I heard that my friend Grant Lim carried the Italian mattress brand Magniflex, and how someone we both knew in common, designer Kenneth Cobonpue, was the Philippines’ ambassador for the brand, and had exclusively used Magniflex in his own showrooms, my curiosity was piqued. After all, Kenneth has long been one of those who ingeniously marries the importance of design with a love for a sustainable lifestyle.

Visiting Grant at his Home Studio on Connecticut Street in Greenhills, and entering the Magniflex showroom, was like stumbling into a Dream Academy! Magniflex takes pride in the fact that, with 35 million users in over 80 countries and over 50 years in the business, it exclusively uses natural, eco-compatible materials — mattresses that are hypoallergenic, non-toxic, breathable and biodegradable. A Magniflex product adheres naturally and follows body shape precisely, guaranteeing correct alignment via different weight support zones for the head, shoulder, spine, pelvis, legs and feet.

I settled on the Mais Prestige Queen, “sold” by the following points: the antibacterial mattress cover was made of corn fabric ensuring high breathability, the memory foam was made of aloe gel, good for treating skin disorder, and there are two sides to the mattress, soft and firm, with the firm side ideal for treating rheumatic problems. My first night on the firm side may have found me wondering if the firmness was more than I bargained for; but was pleased to find myself springing from the mattress the next morning without the usual lower back aches — I opt to sleep with the mattress on the floor, like a futon, and my daily test is getting to a standing position without feeling any stiffness. The 12-cm. base layer of EcoGreen Foam and the top layer of six-cm. GeoMemory Aloe Foam had combined to take me one step closer to sleep nirvana!

Every Magniflex product comes with a 10- to 15-year warranty and the corn fiber covering is removable and washable. 35 million AND one (Magniflex users) and counting, Grant!

A woman’s pen

The three novels today come from the bumper crop of contemporary female novelists. Atkinson would be the best known among the three, highly regarded, and with good reason. Homes has also been on the proverbial radar, while Close had a great first novel, and now presents her sophomore effort.

The Smart One by Jennifer Close (available at National Book Store) A novel about parenting, about siblings and the bonds of family — and the struggles children face to create careers, The Smart One is Close’s engaging sophomore effort. Weezy and Will have three children, Martha, Claire and Max. With humor and a fair degree of pathos, Close brings home the message that mothers never lose their instincts even if they have to suppress them as the kids reach adulthood. The second overriding theme has to do with the fact that one can always go back home. Great set pieces, like the summer spent at the vacation home; and the authentic touches of the frustrations and perils of adulthood make this both entertaining and compassionate.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (available at National Book Store) The timeworn premise of recurring reincarnation is given a new lease via Atkinson’s pen. Known for her sprawling novels, and of late, for her excellent detective series that read like Dickens if he wrote mystery thrillers; Atkinson attempts something more ambitious here, and succeeds precisely on account of how the premise is supported by vignettes and anecdotes so rich in detail that we easily succumb to the “hyper-reality.” Ursula is our protagonist, dies at birth, and yet doesn’t in another life. This continues to happen at various stages so it’s like a network of parallel lives is generated. This is all in service of the overriding theme of how the smallest of gestures, actions, can make a world of difference. Loved the grim passages about life in London during World War II.

May We Be Forgiven by A.M. Homes (available at National Book Store) The dark sides of success and sibling rivalry share the center stage of this muscular, over-the-top novel. The madness that can lie underneath the seeming normalcy of suburbia is what propels this story. Harry and George are brothers, Harry an academic and our unreliable narrator, while George is a studio executive who goes off the rails via a road accident that leaves fatalities and seems to have been done purposely, and with no remorse. To complicate the situation, while George is being treated in the hospital for psychiatric issues, Harry has an affair with George’s wife. What follows as Harry plays stepfather to George’s kids and the issues between the brothers make for this disturbing tale.

Happy Easter reading, everyone!