kelbi's review against another edition
5.0
If I could give this book more than five stars I would. Totally my kind of book. It was loaded by my lovely daughter onto the new Kobo she gave me for Christmas and as I’m poorly I’ve just laid in bed and read it in two days. It is about memory, connection to place, the way the past impacts upon the present, how people change each other. And wonderful Paris, which is almost a character in the book. Fantastic book
campbelle's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
wendydt's review against another edition
4.0
As always the flow of Faulks work is a pleasure to read. However, I felt a little lots at times with so many names to remember. Not just people but places, history and metro stations. In fairness perhaps the reader is meant to feel a little lost and dream like. Definitely need to read it again. I think I only scratched the surface. Might even read again with a Paris map by my side.
joenglish's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.25
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
5.0
Tariq is a Moroccan teenager, sexually frustrated and looking for adventure he decides to travel to Paris, former home of his long-dead mother and a city he is obsessed with. Hannah is an American academic who travels to Paris to research the lives of women during the Occupation and to exorcise the ghost of an unsatisfactory love affair from her last visit ten years before. Tariq is an innocent abroad, he knows nothing of the famous French that his beloved Metro stations are named after, but his eyes are opened to two sad events, the deportation of the Parisian Jews from Drancy and the massacre of the Algerians several years later. Hannah finds her life intertwined with the stories of the women she is researching.
Many reviewers say that this is not Faulks' finest book, it may well not be, but a lesser offering from Faulks is still better than most other books published! I loved this book and am prepared to forgive the slightly confusing elements because it is such an emotional story. I ended it wanting to know more about the plight of the Algerians under Pappon, a tale that is glossed over in French history. Faulks is a wonderful writer, he draws the reader in with emotional power until the reader really cares about the characters and then is hit with the bigger message. I don't think this is one of Faulks' weaker books, it is just wonderful.
Many reviewers say that this is not Faulks' finest book, it may well not be, but a lesser offering from Faulks is still better than most other books published! I loved this book and am prepared to forgive the slightly confusing elements because it is such an emotional story. I ended it wanting to know more about the plight of the Algerians under Pappon, a tale that is glossed over in French history. Faulks is a wonderful writer, he draws the reader in with emotional power until the reader really cares about the characters and then is hit with the bigger message. I don't think this is one of Faulks' weaker books, it is just wonderful.
markw's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.0
Engaging (if implausible) characters, Faulks writes a fine sentence, evocative Parisian settings, good pace that's keeps you turning the pages.
On the downside: Faulks seems to think we are likely to be in want of some basic lessons in 20th century French history, notably on occupied Paris/France (collaboration, the Raf' du Vel' d'Hiv, Drancy & Natzweiler) and the Algerian war and its mainland repercussions, so has his characters deliver lectures to each other. Perhaps worse, though are the fey magic realism/time-slip scenes. Worst of all, the toe-curlingly sentinmental and (to my mind) lazy ending – I'm sure Faulks could have come up with half-a-dozen better endings in an afternoon if he'd put his mind to it.
On the downside: Faulks seems to think we are likely to be in want of some basic lessons in 20th century French history, notably on occupied Paris/France (collaboration, the Raf' du Vel' d'Hiv, Drancy & Natzweiler) and the Algerian war and its mainland repercussions, so has his characters deliver lectures to each other. Perhaps worse, though are the fey magic realism/time-slip scenes. Worst of all, the toe-curlingly sentinmental and (to my mind) lazy ending – I'm sure Faulks could have come up with half-a-dozen better endings in an afternoon if he'd put his mind to it.
beccajdb's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
If Faulks wants to educate us about occupied Paris and Algerian independence, I wish he’d just write a history. Instead we get a weak story peppered with information that sounds ridiculous in the mouths of the unbelievable characters. And ‘ghosts’ of Victor Hugo etc?!! For crying out loud. To make matters worse, we have a female main character and a Moroccan 19-year-old who are drawn like stick figures and are just devices for information and stereotyping. Awful.
_shonahenderson's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
amber_rw's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
emily_stanford's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0