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une_passante's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
pvnbleue's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bart0108's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-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
4.25
yarm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A good ending
xplore's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
4.0
Set in France in the aftermath of the First World War, THE GREAT SWINDLE is loosely a crime novel, owing to the fraud perpetrated as part of the ongoing action. What it really is, is an exploration of the treatment of returned servicemen, the damage - physical and mental - that war leaves in it's wake, and the similar damage societal pressure causes.
In what turned out to be a massive book (I was reading an ebook version of it and didn't twig to the size until well into the story), Lemaitre introduces the reader to the three main characters on the battlefront - in an apt and very discomforting series of scenes, set amongst an engineered charge against the Germans. One man desperately injured still finds it within himself to try to save a second. In the short, sharp and violent journey to that point, both have been betrayed. Lieutenant d'Aulnay Pradelle is determined to use the war to cement his place in a world that he resents. Engineering a charge by committing battlefield murder, Albert Maillard is the soldier who discovers Pradelle's deception, coming up against Pradelle's determination in a way that should have ended his life. Except for Edouard Pericourt, fellow soldier, talented artist, from a wealthy family, who despite his own horrendous injuries comes to the aid of the dying Maillard.
Maillard and Pericourt thereafter have a bond that cannot be broken, despite so many difficulties. Pericourt's injuries are so severe, and so shattering that Maillard becomes his carer, his champion and protector. He engineers Pericourt's change of identity and keeps the truth of his survival from his wealthy father and sister. Meanwhile Pradelle devotes himself to his ruthless attempts to save his own family name and fortune, and rise in society as he believes is his due. Needless to say circumstance is not done with these three.
Lemaitre choreographs an intricate dance for his main characters. The awfulness of war gives way rapidly to an awfulness of returning home. Maillard and Pericourt have the added complication of Pericourt's appalling injuries to deal with - but their situation is made even worse by the disregard of the society that they return to. There is no ongoing support or help, and Maillard must struggle to work, care for his charge, maintain the deception of his death from a grief stricken family, and combat the machinations of Pradelle - who frankly - is dangerous and manipulative. Add to that Pericourt's addiction to expensive pain killers which Maillard battles to source and pay for, and THE GREAT SWINDLE paints a picture of desperate times, and grand schemes to escape them.
The pace of this novel is interesting. It goes from rapid fire to almost languid. It shifts from the truly horrific to surprisingly mundane, and it deals with much that is grand and wide-ranging, and much that is domestic and trivial. It pulls people and circumstances into the orbit of the three main characters, deals with their impact and then sometimes moves on, and sometimes draws them closer. It moves quickly between the hardship and the friendship, between regret and regard. It also doesn't shy away from the nastier aspects of some people, and the despair and loneliness of others. It draws stark differences between the people who have money and power, but not necessarily peace, and those that have nothing and are equally unhappy.
Needless to say THE GREAT SWINDLE is a fascinating book. It's not universally uplifting and it's not overbearingly depressing. It is, however, unerringly clever.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-great-swindle-pierre-lemaitre
In what turned out to be a massive book (I was reading an ebook version of it and didn't twig to the size until well into the story), Lemaitre introduces the reader to the three main characters on the battlefront - in an apt and very discomforting series of scenes, set amongst an engineered charge against the Germans. One man desperately injured still finds it within himself to try to save a second. In the short, sharp and violent journey to that point, both have been betrayed. Lieutenant d'Aulnay Pradelle is determined to use the war to cement his place in a world that he resents. Engineering a charge by committing battlefield murder, Albert Maillard is the soldier who discovers Pradelle's deception, coming up against Pradelle's determination in a way that should have ended his life. Except for Edouard Pericourt, fellow soldier, talented artist, from a wealthy family, who despite his own horrendous injuries comes to the aid of the dying Maillard.
Maillard and Pericourt thereafter have a bond that cannot be broken, despite so many difficulties. Pericourt's injuries are so severe, and so shattering that Maillard becomes his carer, his champion and protector. He engineers Pericourt's change of identity and keeps the truth of his survival from his wealthy father and sister. Meanwhile Pradelle devotes himself to his ruthless attempts to save his own family name and fortune, and rise in society as he believes is his due. Needless to say circumstance is not done with these three.
Lemaitre choreographs an intricate dance for his main characters. The awfulness of war gives way rapidly to an awfulness of returning home. Maillard and Pericourt have the added complication of Pericourt's appalling injuries to deal with - but their situation is made even worse by the disregard of the society that they return to. There is no ongoing support or help, and Maillard must struggle to work, care for his charge, maintain the deception of his death from a grief stricken family, and combat the machinations of Pradelle - who frankly - is dangerous and manipulative. Add to that Pericourt's addiction to expensive pain killers which Maillard battles to source and pay for, and THE GREAT SWINDLE paints a picture of desperate times, and grand schemes to escape them.
The pace of this novel is interesting. It goes from rapid fire to almost languid. It shifts from the truly horrific to surprisingly mundane, and it deals with much that is grand and wide-ranging, and much that is domestic and trivial. It pulls people and circumstances into the orbit of the three main characters, deals with their impact and then sometimes moves on, and sometimes draws them closer. It moves quickly between the hardship and the friendship, between regret and regard. It also doesn't shy away from the nastier aspects of some people, and the despair and loneliness of others. It draws stark differences between the people who have money and power, but not necessarily peace, and those that have nothing and are equally unhappy.
Needless to say THE GREAT SWINDLE is a fascinating book. It's not universally uplifting and it's not overbearingly depressing. It is, however, unerringly clever.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-great-swindle-pierre-lemaitre
strawfly14's review against another edition
4.0
No he leído muchas novelas que tengan como punto de partida la Primera Guerra Mundial, ya que parece que la IIGM literariamente es más solicitada. Pierre Lemaitre se ha convertido en uno de mis escritores de cabecera en cuanto a novela negra se refiere, pero este libro merecía una oportunidad.
EL libro no se centra en la IGM como tal, ya que apenas le dedica un par de pasajes, sino en la consecuencia inmediata que tiene el fin de la guerra. Así, los personajes tienen que lidiar con la vuelta a la sociedad, con todo lo que ello conlleva; heridas, dolor, depresión, vacío, dificultad por adaptarse. El inicio es brutal, eso sí, muy muy crudo, y sí que es verdad que después pierde algo de ese ritmo que te embauca al principio, pero no deja de ser una muy buena novela. Al final, te das cuenta de que el libro no tiene héroes ni villanos, sino que todos los personajes tienen sus claros-oscuros.
EL libro no se centra en la IGM como tal, ya que apenas le dedica un par de pasajes, sino en la consecuencia inmediata que tiene el fin de la guerra. Así, los personajes tienen que lidiar con la vuelta a la sociedad, con todo lo que ello conlleva; heridas, dolor, depresión, vacío, dificultad por adaptarse. El inicio es brutal, eso sí, muy muy crudo, y sí que es verdad que después pierde algo de ese ritmo que te embauca al principio, pero no deja de ser una muy buena novela. Al final, te das cuenta de que el libro no tiene héroes ni villanos, sino que todos los personajes tienen sus claros-oscuros.
_stephp's review against another edition
3.0
Finished this brilliant book last week. The action takes place after WW1, two former soldiers decide to earn money by lying and selling death monuments. The writing is fun and the style is different. I liked it
josemosle's review against another edition
3.0
I had mixed feelings about this book, probably because I had to abandon it for a month due to exams. I liked it, but it was too long for the actual story that was going on, plus the characters' stories were not likeable and quite disconnected.
annaelle's review against another edition
4.0
une histoire très triste avec des personnages attachants!
pour ce qui est du travail d’adaptation je n’ai pas lu l’œuvre original (encore?) donc je ne peux pas trop en dire, mais les dessins étaient beaux, plein d’émotions et très bien pensés ! ceci dit, de part le format bd il me manque un petit quelque chose puisque comme on a pas accès aux pensées des personnages et que le format est assez court ça ne laisse ni trop le temps et l’espace de s’investir pleinement dans l’histoire.
c’était quand même chouette et je suis convaincue que c’est une très bonne adaptation de l’œuvre originale!
pour ce qui est du travail d’adaptation je n’ai pas lu l’œuvre original (encore?) donc je ne peux pas trop en dire, mais les dessins étaient beaux, plein d’émotions et très bien pensés ! ceci dit, de part le format bd il me manque un petit quelque chose puisque comme on a pas accès aux pensées des personnages et que le format est assez court ça ne laisse ni trop le temps et l’espace de s’investir pleinement dans l’histoire.
c’était quand même chouette et je suis convaincue que c’est une très bonne adaptation de l’œuvre originale!