Reviews

Voldens historie by Édouard Louis

janey's review against another edition

2.0

A novelized version of a true story, if I understand this correctly. He is listening to his sister recite, in great detail, the story that he tells us he has compulsively told everyone for almost a year. He and his sister have a difficult relationship, neither likes the other much if at all, but I was particularly impressed with her attention to detail -- whether this part of the story is true or whether it was simply the way he told his story to the reader, I think he doesn't give her sufficient credit for attending so closely to what he told her that she could repeat it almost word for word.

However, told from this point of view, even with commentary and occasional direct storytelling, serves only to distance the reader that much more from his experience and prevents us from understanding fully what point he is trying to make.

yoan's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

mute's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual violence

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Racism

pauline_cllnt's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

ronbert's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

dianacoco's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ahmedaminea's review against another edition

2.0

Livre très impactant, dont la forme laisse à désirer. Le choix de narration m'a vraiment déplu, surtout la partie racontée sous l'angle de sa sœur.

En revanche, les thèmes abordés m'ont extrêmement touché. Le récit mêle violence sociétale et institutionnelle, homophobie, racisme et xénophobie. Le discours interne d'Édouard est tout aussi marquant par son ambivalence et sa perte de repères, oscillant entre tristesse, vide émotionnel, colère et compassion...

En tout cas, un livre qui m'a marqué sur le fond mais dont la forme laisse à désirer.

ratherberead's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

robbiericardo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

everynothing's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

Although the story is deeply structured, having been told over and over again, it's all a blur. The narrative situation creates a distance that helps to see (and perhaps to tell) a deeply ambiguous story of violence and instant intimacy, of the cruelty of those who ask and pity, and the confusion of those who feel they must protect their story by protecting those who wrote it. Somehow Louis manages to make the oldest literary techniques look new and compelling.