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marie_elsa's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
fatfrog's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Minor: Murder
alyson7's review against another edition
3.0
Ever since she was young, Diane's mother, Marie, has been unable to show affection towards her. Diane believes that Marie is just discontented with life and that she was destined for greater things rather than to have a child so young. As Diane grows up into a beauty, Marie grows jealous. Then, Marie is pregnant again. Diane fears for the future of her new sibling and promises to show them as much love as possible to make up for Marie's coldness. But, when the baby is born, Marie is over the moon and in love with her new baby boy Nicholas. Confused, Diane believes that it must be because she is a girl that Marie refuses to show her affection.
And then.. a third child is born, a girl named Celia. Contrary to Diane's beliefs, Marie ends up loving Célia the most out of all her children to the point where she smothers her in maternal affection. Diane goes off to live with her grandparents and her ties to her family are severed.
Years later, Diane goes on to university to become a cardiologist and she begins a friendship with Olivia, an assistant professor. At first, the two women are thick as thieves. Then suddenly, Diane begins to see similarities between Olivia and her mother Marie.
Frappe-toi le coeur , or Strike Your Heart is my least favourite of Nothomb's novels. It lacks lustre. It does not have the same amount of gravitas and shock value as her other novels. With that said, this book is still fascinating in its own right. It explores the relationships that women have with other women. Diane's relationship with her mother ends up turning her cold and yet sympathetic to the plight of Olivia's daughter. In spite of being traumatized and cutting herself off from everyone, Diane still tries to do what is right and give Olivia's daughter as much attention as possible.
And, of course, all of Nothomb's novels have a sharp twist at the end where all the loose ends tie together. And this one does not disappoint.
All in all Frappe-toi le coeur ( Strike Your Heart ) is a fine novel, but Nothomb has written far better.
And then.. a third child is born, a girl named Celia. Contrary to Diane's beliefs, Marie ends up loving Célia the most out of all her children to the point where she smothers her in maternal affection. Diane goes off to live with her grandparents and her ties to her family are severed.
Years later, Diane goes on to university to become a cardiologist and she begins a friendship with Olivia, an assistant professor. At first, the two women are thick as thieves. Then suddenly, Diane begins to see similarities between Olivia and her mother Marie.
Frappe-toi le coeur , or Strike Your Heart is my least favourite of Nothomb's novels. It lacks lustre. It does not have the same amount of gravitas and shock value as her other novels. With that said, this book is still fascinating in its own right. It explores the relationships that women have with other women. Diane's relationship with her mother ends up turning her cold and yet sympathetic to the plight of Olivia's daughter. In spite of being traumatized and cutting herself off from everyone, Diane still tries to do what is right and give Olivia's daughter as much attention as possible.
And, of course, all of Nothomb's novels have a sharp twist at the end where all the loose ends tie together. And this one does not disappoint.
All in all Frappe-toi le coeur ( Strike Your Heart ) is a fine novel, but Nothomb has written far better.
yilliun's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
For such a short book, this hits hard. We explore the differences in how feminine relationships develop through the eyes of Diane (named for the Roman goddess of the hunt). Her mother’s ongoing bitterness towards her for “ruining” her life shifting into Diane’s desperate attempts to get her mother’s attention pulled at my heartstrings. It was a painfully accurate portrait of mother/ daughter relationships and the ways in which those dynamics continue to play out later in life.
The twist ending had me tearing up twenty stab wounds for twenty years of being an uncaring and cruel mother 😭😭😭😭 insanely genius and a wonderful parallel to Diane’s own life .
The twist ending had me tearing up
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent
paulaaljovin's review
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
cissy_'s review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jrl6809's review
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? It's complicated
1.0
This book to me had the feel of a children's fable, but I got the feeling it was intended to be taken seriously by an adult audience. It was over-the-top, shallow, and heavy handed in it's characters, dialogue, and main plot points. Diane, our main character, is nothing short of a literal angel. She's always the smartest, the most beautiful, the kindest, the most reapected, the best doctor. Shes never done anything wrong or had a bad thought in her whole life (and I don't think this was really negated by the weird, rushed ending). But simulatneously, life is cruel to her at every turn because everyone, especially her mother, is jealous of how perfect she is. I want to appreciate this book for the way it looks at the emotional impact of having neglectful parents, and i think it was trying to show that children who grow up that way often fall victim to the same kinds of people again and again throughout life. But the execution was just so immature and lacking in nuance. Not to mention that Nothomb is maybe the worst ever at writing from the perspective of a child. Diane as a five year old has the vocabulary and emotional insight of a grown adult purposefully trying way too hard to sound insightful. Can't count how many times I rolled my eyes.
sophia7590's review against another edition
4.0
Qué difícil leer por primera vez a una autora y que el resultado sea: totalmente satisfecha en cuanto al tema y a las complejidades que presenta al respecto; y por el otro, totalmente insatisfecha en cuanto a la narrativa.
La autora aborda la maternidad de una forma muy variada e interesante, sobre todo porque pareciera que su intención está muy alejada de romantizarla, más bien explora muchos de los sentimientos que tienen lugar en la relación madre e hija: celos, amor, deseo, pérdida, admiración, odio, indiferencia, etc., mismos que pareciera que vamos reproduciendo en nuestra relación con otros y otras.
La narrativa me pareció muy acelerada al grado de sentir que me estaban apresurando constantemente. El libro es muy corto, por lo tanto creo que valía la pena invertir un poco más en los elementos que permiten un fluir más agradable al leer una historia tan interesante como la de este libro.
La autora aborda la maternidad de una forma muy variada e interesante, sobre todo porque pareciera que su intención está muy alejada de romantizarla, más bien explora muchos de los sentimientos que tienen lugar en la relación madre e hija: celos, amor, deseo, pérdida, admiración, odio, indiferencia, etc., mismos que pareciera que vamos reproduciendo en nuestra relación con otros y otras.
La narrativa me pareció muy acelerada al grado de sentir que me estaban apresurando constantemente. El libro es muy corto, por lo tanto creo que valía la pena invertir un poco más en los elementos que permiten un fluir más agradable al leer una historia tan interesante como la de este libro.