bluenicorn's review against another edition
2.0
An interesting concept, and it brought up alot of ideas about relationships, friendships, and taking ownership over one's life. It didn't wow me, but it was nice to read a book that was a bit more introspective than I've been reading lately. Makes me want to read "How I Became Stupid" again- I remember liking it alot, but now I wonder...
joeykat's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
booksellingandbagels's review against another edition
4.0
Delicately, carefully written. With the French setting, it could've lapsed into pretension. Instead, I could tell that every word was chosen with the utmost precision, resulting in a surprisingly uplifting, charming novel instead of the postmodern muddle that could've resulted. I think it would be good for film, if done right.
jankjickjunk's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting premise. Contains a handful of wonderfully absurd moments. Yet, it's missing something, the characters fall-short of seeming real, and at times the prose is quite sloppy. A bad translation, perhaps? Or maybe just a mediocre novel.
jasminenoack's review against another edition
3.0
I learned from this book that the best way to get a man to be interested in you is to break up with him before you date him. Although it is a bit more complicated you have to wait after meeting him until he has completely forgotten who you are, two weeks perhaps, then call him and break up leaving no contact information. This will cause him to be obsessed with you.
I also learned that it is better to know so little about a person that you can't even imagine them then to know a little and force them to compete with your imagination.
I learned how someone sees their parents is more important than how their parents actually are.
This is a traditionally existentialist novel. Basically speaking you periodically get bored and forget it exists for months at a time and then pick it up and start reading wherever you left your bookmark.
I also learned that it is better to know so little about a person that you can't even imagine them then to know a little and force them to compete with your imagination.
I learned how someone sees their parents is more important than how their parents actually are.
This is a traditionally existentialist novel. Basically speaking you periodically get bored and forget it exists for months at a time and then pick it up and start reading wherever you left your bookmark.
blueranger9's review against another edition
3.0
I like that there was a believable and definite character arch...but the ending fell a little flat for me. Amusing, but not nearly as humorous or charming as I was anticipating.
akhmalaiman's review against another edition
1.0
Most probably one of the worst books I've ever read in my entire life.
Rating: 1/5 star
This what happens when a brilliant scholar who studied law, psychology, linguistics, philosophy, sociology, art history, and anthropology writes fiction - the book is full of unnecessary facts and details and this can result to the work being a total masterpiece or a total garbage. In this case, latter.
The book tells a story about a man named Virgil who one day gets a voice message from an (unknown) girl saying they're breaking up. Apparently, he's suffering from amnesia as a result of his depression. So he starts to panic soon after this message appeared.
The words used are refined. In fact, too refined that I zoned out 90% of the time cause I barely understood what I read. The narrative style is not direct - most are flashbacks. This is how they book's structured:
-Unknown girl breaks up with me
-I'm gonna find this girl
-I live in an apartment full of prostitutes
-Go to psychoanalyst
-I'm crazy
-I'm cancelling my apartment lease
-I love Paris
-I miss mom & dad
-Life is like a circus
-I'm being promoted!
-I'm rejecting the promotion
-No! Don't cancel my apartment lease!
-I'm being arrested cause they think I'm a pimp
-My best friend is a lesbian
-I hate Paris
-I will reconcile back with this unknown girl
-Life is like a universe
................what the fuck. Spoiler: Both Virgil and Clara (unknown girl) didn't even meet!
Page 154 is enough to summarise the whole story: The truth was that for years he'd made a desperate effort to obtain normality that, deep down, he despised. The mask was coming off, and he didn't regret it.
Rating: 1/5 star
This what happens when a brilliant scholar who studied law, psychology, linguistics, philosophy, sociology, art history, and anthropology writes fiction - the book is full of unnecessary facts and details and this can result to the work being a total masterpiece or a total garbage. In this case, latter.
The book tells a story about a man named Virgil who one day gets a voice message from an (unknown) girl saying they're breaking up. Apparently, he's suffering from amnesia as a result of his depression. So he starts to panic soon after this message appeared.
The words used are refined. In fact, too refined that I zoned out 90% of the time cause I barely understood what I read. The narrative style is not direct - most are flashbacks. This is how they book's structured:
-Unknown girl breaks up with me
-I'm gonna find this girl
-I live in an apartment full of prostitutes
-Go to psychoanalyst
-I'm crazy
-I'm cancelling my apartment lease
-I love Paris
-I miss mom & dad
-Life is like a circus
-I'm being promoted!
-I'm rejecting the promotion
-No! Don't cancel my apartment lease!
-I'm being arrested cause they think I'm a pimp
-My best friend is a lesbian
-I hate Paris
-I will reconcile back with this unknown girl
-Life is like a universe
................what the fuck. Spoiler: Both Virgil and Clara (unknown girl) didn't even meet!
Page 154 is enough to summarise the whole story: The truth was that for years he'd made a desperate effort to obtain normality that, deep down, he despised. The mask was coming off, and he didn't regret it.
akhmalaiman's review against another edition
1.0
Most probably one of the worst books I've ever read in my entire life.
Rating: 1/5 star
This what happens when a brilliant scholar who studied law, psychology, linguistics, philosophy, sociology, art history, and anthropology writes fiction - the book is full of unnecessary facts and details and this can result to the work being a total masterpiece or a total garbage. In this case, latter.
The book tells a story about a man named Virgil who one day gets a voice message from an (unknown) girl saying they're breaking up. Apparently, he's suffering from amnesia as a result of his depression. So he starts to panic soon after this message appeared.
The words used are refined. In fact, too refined that I zoned out 90% of the time cause I barely understood what I read. The narrative style is not direct - most are flashbacks. This is how they book's structured:
-Unknown girl breaks up with me
-I'm gonna find this girl
-I live in an apartment full of prostitutes
-Go to psychoanalyst
-I'm crazy
-I'm cancelling my apartment lease
-I love Paris
-I miss mom & dad
-Life is like a circus
-I'm being promoted!
-I'm rejecting the promotion
-No! Don't cancel my apartment lease!
-I'm being arrested cause they think I'm a pimp
-My best friend is a lesbian
-I hate Paris
-I will reconcile back with this unknown girl
-Life is like a universe
................what the fuck. Spoiler: Both Virgil and Clara (unknown girl) didn't even meet!
Page 154 is enough to summarise the whole story: The truth was that for years he'd made a desperate effort to obtain normality that, deep down, he despised. The mask was coming off, and he didn't regret it.
Rating: 1/5 star
This what happens when a brilliant scholar who studied law, psychology, linguistics, philosophy, sociology, art history, and anthropology writes fiction - the book is full of unnecessary facts and details and this can result to the work being a total masterpiece or a total garbage. In this case, latter.
The book tells a story about a man named Virgil who one day gets a voice message from an (unknown) girl saying they're breaking up. Apparently, he's suffering from amnesia as a result of his depression. So he starts to panic soon after this message appeared.
The words used are refined. In fact, too refined that I zoned out 90% of the time cause I barely understood what I read. The narrative style is not direct - most are flashbacks. This is how they book's structured:
-Unknown girl breaks up with me
-I'm gonna find this girl
-I live in an apartment full of prostitutes
-Go to psychoanalyst
-I'm crazy
-I'm cancelling my apartment lease
-I love Paris
-I miss mom & dad
-Life is like a circus
-I'm being promoted!
-I'm rejecting the promotion
-No! Don't cancel my apartment lease!
-I'm being arrested cause they think I'm a pimp
-My best friend is a lesbian
-I hate Paris
-I will reconcile back with this unknown girl
-Life is like a universe
................what the fuck. Spoiler: Both Virgil and Clara (unknown girl) didn't even meet!
Page 154 is enough to summarise the whole story: The truth was that for years he'd made a desperate effort to obtain normality that, deep down, he despised. The mask was coming off, and he didn't regret it.
geriatricgretch's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't like this book at first, and then I did. Beautifully translated.
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