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millman's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
incrougible's review against another edition
4.0
Virginie Despentes arrive à merveille à reproduire la parole des pires personnes, qu'elle soit en accord ou non avec ce qu'ils disent. Elle retranscrit toute leur violence sans filtre, sans aucune retenue dans les mots.
Elle nous donne à lire tout haut ce que tout le monde pense chez soi.
Toutefois je me demande ce que je retire de cette histoire, si ce n'est que tous les Français.es d'âge moyens sont détestables.
Elle nous donne à lire tout haut ce que tout le monde pense chez soi.
Toutefois je me demande ce que je retire de cette histoire, si ce n'est que tous les Français.es d'âge moyens sont détestables.
inyangelr's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
jojo_usul_wargon_atreides's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
florafkn's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
fast-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
5.0
iancarpenter's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely looooved this book. I love Despentes writing, the translation, and her whole world view which is refreshingly bent. It's not nearly as edgy as some are suggesting (though I get that its not for everyone). Feels like it fits in well with the nihilism and cruelty of Houellebecq and it has a bunch of the fun hipness and drug/party culture of Welsh. But, her takes on sex, sexism and relationships feels bang on and really exciting. The characters are always fantastically well-drawn and Vernon's roving adventures always surprised. Definitely reading lots more by her and so looking forward to the translations of the next two books in this series.
abibi's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
zoolmcg's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Having only read Despentes’ non-fiction, I’m really happy to say that this novel blew me away. She has an ability to weave webs and world build in the contemporary city of Paris, representing its good and bad and all the types of people who inhabit it.
I have to say that it wasn’t until the second half that I was beginning to fall in love with this story. I was feeling like the plot was somewhat aimless and meandering, that there wasn’t enough focus on our titular character and things were getting distracted. But eventually, I came around to the structure of each chapter and their laser focus on the individuals detailed within them. I came to appreciate the way each told a new story in relation to Vernon or Alex, showing the complex overlapping parts of all of our lives.The one that hit the hardest for me was Xavier’s mother. In just 30 pages, Despentes illustrates the present life of a grieving mother, one who is lonely and seeking purpose. The reappearance of Vernon in every one’s lives shocks everyone, but especially her. When he leaves the bench, when she can’t give him her last bit of money for the month, I was heart broken. Despentes’ best characters, I found, were the women like her. The ones who had suffered and yet continued to persist.
On my note about my initial perceptions of the novel, I believed what was drawing it back for me what how expansive it was. There are a lot of moving parts and it seems to never stop. There’s a constant onslaught of information, but when I started to view these separate chapters almost like short stories, I was able to value them so much more. The common thread is Subutex, and while one might assume the story revolves around him, it actually revolves around individual relationships. They want Subutex because he has a valuable item they desire, the last interview tapes, but they don’t care enough to save him from homelessness, at least, not in a permanent capacity. His sofa surfing adventures initially work as a vessel to place us in these different characters’ spaces, but it is eventually that they apprear in Vernon’s spaces - the urban outdoors.
My only gripe with this writing, and perhaps this is something Despentes did purposely, was the portrayal of trans people. And my complaint is that they were portrayed almost too perfectly. I genuinely got a sense of Paul B. when the descriptions of Daniel’s transition played out, that starting Testo was an experiment turned affirmation. That he had access to this medication and surgery and treated it like a whim. It was fine, but then came the judgements and perspectives of Pamela, who sees him as someone who can just do anything with his newfound male privilege. It struck me as a little un-nuanced, especially because we only see this from her perspective and never his. Then there’s Marcia, who is only given such devotion from Vernon because of her perfect femininity. While she is “pre-op,” and while Vernon checks himself after viewing her in a real vs fake way, her value to him is influenced by her female mannerisms, face, and body. Again, it could be perfectly self aware to portray this relationship through Vernon’s male gaze, but as a trans reader, that justification does not necessarily make for an enjoyable experience. Still, it’s nice to see the representation, and positive representation at that. They’re both relatively successful people who are loved and cared for, unlike some of their cisgender counterparts.
I’m really glad I picked this up and gave it a chance. I’ll be certain to read the next two of the trilogy and appreciate what they will add to Subutex’s unfinished story. Despentes makes a really ambitious concept flow on the page, and I only hope that skill remains consistent across the three.
I have to say that it wasn’t until the second half that I was beginning to fall in love with this story. I was feeling like the plot was somewhat aimless and meandering, that there wasn’t enough focus on our titular character and things were getting distracted. But eventually, I came around to the structure of each chapter and their laser focus on the individuals detailed within them. I came to appreciate the way each told a new story in relation to Vernon or Alex, showing the complex overlapping parts of all of our lives.
On my note about my initial perceptions of the novel, I believed what was drawing it back for me what how expansive it was. There are a lot of moving parts and it seems to never stop. There’s a constant onslaught of information, but when I started to view these separate chapters almost like short stories, I was able to value them so much more. The common thread is Subutex, and while one might assume the story revolves around him, it actually revolves around individual relationships. They want Subutex because he has a valuable item they desire, the last interview tapes, but they don’t care enough to save him from homelessness, at least, not in a permanent capacity. His sofa surfing adventures initially work as a vessel to place us in these different characters’ spaces, but it is eventually that they apprear in Vernon’s spaces - the urban outdoors.
My only gripe with this writing, and perhaps this is something Despentes did purposely, was the portrayal of trans people. And my complaint is that they were portrayed almost too perfectly. I genuinely got a sense of Paul B. when the descriptions of Daniel’s transition played out, that starting Testo was an experiment turned affirmation. That he had access to this medication and surgery and treated it like a whim. It was fine, but then came the judgements and perspectives of Pamela, who sees him as someone who can just do anything with his newfound male privilege. It struck me as a little un-nuanced, especially because we only see this from her perspective and never his. Then there’s Marcia, who is only given such devotion from Vernon because of her perfect femininity. While she is “pre-op,” and while Vernon checks himself after viewing her in a real vs fake way, her value to him is influenced by her female mannerisms, face, and body. Again, it could be perfectly self aware to portray this relationship through Vernon’s male gaze, but as a trans reader, that justification does not necessarily make for an enjoyable experience. Still, it’s nice to see the representation, and positive representation at that. They’re both relatively successful people who are loved and cared for, unlike some of their cisgender counterparts.
I’m really glad I picked this up and gave it a chance. I’ll be certain to read the next two of the trilogy and appreciate what they will add to Subutex’s unfinished story. Despentes makes a really ambitious concept flow on the page, and I only hope that skill remains consistent across the three.
cypherfairy's review against another edition
2.0
c'était horrible MDRRRRR je mets 2 étoiles parce que 2-3 chapitres avaient des personnages un poil intéressants mais toutble reste était long et ennuyeux et ressemblait à une logorrhée verbale