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rhodaj's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
creta's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.0
scunareader's review against another edition
3.0
I admit that I became interested in Irene because of our parallel stories.
1. She's female
2. She's Jewish
3. She was born in Kiev (ok...I was born outside of Kiev,
but not too far out).
4. She fled her home to Paris (a nice place to run away to).
5. Her name is Irene.
I guess it ends there.
But beyond our similarities, I find her writing rich with scenic details of places and people, that, for some reason, I find unbearable with other authors (ahem, McEwan, cough, ahem). As I read each line, I imagined myself there as well, which is difficult for me to do with certain authors.
I really enjoyed this novella and the style in which it was presented, where a "chapter" may have been only describing a scene or a transition. I've had Suite Francaise on my bookshelf for a couple years now and have not read it yet. I started with "Fire" as the appetizer and will move to "Suite" as a main course.
1. She's female
2. She's Jewish
3. She was born in Kiev (ok...I was born outside of Kiev,
but not too far out).
4. She fled her home to Paris (a nice place to run away to).
5. Her name is Irene.
I guess it ends there.
But beyond our similarities, I find her writing rich with scenic details of places and people, that, for some reason, I find unbearable with other authors (ahem, McEwan, cough, ahem). As I read each line, I imagined myself there as well, which is difficult for me to do with certain authors.
I really enjoyed this novella and the style in which it was presented, where a "chapter" may have been only describing a scene or a transition. I've had Suite Francaise on my bookshelf for a couple years now and have not read it yet. I started with "Fire" as the appetizer and will move to "Suite" as a main course.
juliaisreadingg's review
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Irene Nemirovsky had a gift to make the ordinary captivating. That's the only explanation I can think for why I enjoyed this book and read it in nearly one sitting.
The characters are all morally gray and personally there isn't really anyone to root for, but I wanted to know about their lives.
The characters are all morally gray and personally there isn't really anyone to root for, but I wanted to know about their lives.
angelsv's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
elena_1902's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25
laila4343's review against another edition
4.0
Nemirovsky is an absolutely marvelous writer. I am so thankful her manuscripts were found and published all these years later. This reminded me of the section "Dolce" in Suite Francaise. I get lost in her lush, descriptive writing and her feel for the human condition. Not as brilliant as that novel, but very, very good.
bluestarfish's review against another edition
4.0
A drowning in an insular French village opens up a can of worms in an "idyllic" village and an "idyllic" marriage. This very short novel, narrated by Silvio, seems to be the answer to the previously jotted down ideas by Nemirovsky of the purity of the parents who were guilty when they were young.
jacki_f's review against another edition
3.0
This novel was discovered many years after Irene Nemirovsky's tragic death. It is technically unfinished, but not to the point where it cannot be read and enjoyed. The narrator is Silvio, aged in his 60s, who lives alone just outside a small French village. In his youth he traveled the world and had affairs, but now he regards that younger self as being so removed from him that it's almost as if it were someone else. He believes that "fire in the blood" is only for the young: living life with passion and disregard for the consequences.
The book takes place over a few years, as Silvio observes the actions of the younger people in the village. It is only towards the end of the book that we realise the secrets that connect them all.
It's a beautifully written story that develops at its own pace. You can almost see the village, smell the lavender, hear the insects buzzing, taste the rustic soup. It's a shame that the ending is as abrupt as it is. It's not that you're left wondering what was going to happen, but more that you feel cheated of having the ends neatly tied up. Nevertheless a lyrical, evocative read.
The book takes place over a few years, as Silvio observes the actions of the younger people in the village. It is only towards the end of the book that we realise the secrets that connect them all.
It's a beautifully written story that develops at its own pace. You can almost see the village, smell the lavender, hear the insects buzzing, taste the rustic soup. It's a shame that the ending is as abrupt as it is. It's not that you're left wondering what was going to happen, but more that you feel cheated of having the ends neatly tied up. Nevertheless a lyrical, evocative read.