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kiwi_33's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I did not enjoy reading this one bit.
To start with, the structure of the writing in the form of extremely short chapters (0,5-2 pages each) was really off-putting. There was no way for the story to gain any momentum before being abruptly interrupted.
The female characters were written as completely passive and the description of the Japanese woman (and yes, she is Japanese) felt like something straight out of the r/menwritingwomen reddit thread. And that relates to my next point, which is the blatant Orientalism present throughout the novel. The woman is described several times as being Japanese and yet Hervé is simply incapable of seeing her as such for the stupidest reason. That she does not have an epicanthic fold; in his words “her eyes, did not have an oriental slant”. This trait is what draws his eyes to her in the first place, and spark his obsession with her. He then repeatedly insists on calling her white and compares her to the other women in the village by emphasising how non-oriental she looks, or how the other women look oriental compared to her. And this is just one example of the rampant Orientalism in this work.
Not to mention the fact that she is repeatedly described as a young girl throughout the book while he’s in his mid-thirties and happily married! The romanticisation of cheating in this also really bothered me. I didn’t see anything romantic about it and it honestly made me a bit disgusted.Also, a kid died because they were feeling horny, so there’s that.
The only thing that made me give this 2 stars instead of 1, is the plot twist at the end of the book. It made sense, but still surprised me.At first, the sex letters just made me even more uncomfortable about the situation than I already was. I found them tasteless. However, once we find out that it was Hélène’s final wish to possibly be seen by her husband the way she knew he was looking at the other woman, it gained a tragic sort of beauty. It also added to Hervé’s tragic circumstances, which I didn’t mind. He should have seen what he had while it was still there. Him driving his wife to tears from violent love-making due to his own sexual frustrations was a disgusting act, and I hold no sympathy for him, or the situation he wound his own damn self into.
To start with, the structure of the writing in the form of extremely short chapters (0,5-2 pages each) was really off-putting. There was no way for the story to gain any momentum before being abruptly interrupted.
The female characters were written as completely passive and the description of the Japanese woman (and yes, she is Japanese) felt like something straight out of the r/menwritingwomen reddit thread. And that relates to my next point, which is the blatant Orientalism present throughout the novel. The woman is described several times as being Japanese and yet Hervé is simply incapable of seeing her as such for the stupidest reason. That she does not have an epicanthic fold; in his words “her eyes, did not have an oriental slant”. This trait is what draws his eyes to her in the first place, and spark his obsession with her. He then repeatedly insists on calling her white and compares her to the other women in the village by emphasising how non-oriental she looks, or how the other women look oriental compared to her. And this is just one example of the rampant Orientalism in this work.
Not to mention the fact that she is repeatedly described as a young girl throughout the book while he’s in his mid-thirties and happily married! The romanticisation of cheating in this also really bothered me. I didn’t see anything romantic about it and it honestly made me a bit disgusted.
The only thing that made me give this 2 stars instead of 1, is the plot twist at the end of the book. It made sense, but still surprised me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death and Rape