captainfez's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
purplemuskogee's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
I know that this is a book that has a lot of merit and will have a lot of admirers, but this just was not completely for me. It starts as a journal by an anthropologist who settles in the countryside near Niort, and plans to interview 100 villagers to write his thesis on rural France. There are many quotes by other anthropologists (some I knew, some I did not), many notes on what a PhD student would struggle with: the thesis supervisor is not happy, the work is not easy to do, procrastination, missing his girlfriend who stayed in Paris... I quite liked this format, and I liked their scattered nature, as well as the many characters that appear - that David is planning to interview: the mayor, who is also the undertaker, the owner of the local bistro, the landlady who hosts him, etc.
Towards the middle of the book however, it becomes something else entirely: the eponymous banquet, and a collection of many, many stories related to the characters we met, their parents, their grandparents, their great-grandparents... It became quite difficult to follow, honestly quite boring at times, and I really struggled through. The last part goes back to the field notes/journal format, which I personally preferred, but I found the ending somewhat surprising, maybe too far-fetched (despite a lot of the book being quite far-fetched).
I have mixed feelings about it. Anyone familiar with the French countryside will probably enjoy a lot of it, it is full of clever observations and details, and characters who are eccentric but actually not uncommon; but the disjointed format and the middle of the book made it really difficult for me to fully enjoy it.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
Towards the middle of the book however, it becomes something else entirely: the eponymous banquet, and a collection of many, many stories related to the characters we met, their parents, their grandparents, their great-grandparents... It became quite difficult to follow, honestly quite boring at times, and I really struggled through. The last part goes back to the field notes/journal format, which I personally preferred, but I found the ending somewhat surprising, maybe too far-fetched (despite a lot of the book being quite far-fetched).
I have mixed feelings about it. Anyone familiar with the French countryside will probably enjoy a lot of it, it is full of clever observations and details, and characters who are eccentric but actually not uncommon; but the disjointed format and the middle of the book made it really difficult for me to fully enjoy it.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
mirabilia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
chaoscat's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
galachevaillier's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Un exercice littéraire avec des lenteurs et des fulgurances. Il y a plusieurs livres dans ce livre et si l'ambition est clairement présente, le résultat est un peu fouillis.
paulaz's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
kryptokristallin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
clairebillault's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0