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voodoolobster's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
kellymariez's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
polw's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
2.75
Read this by mistake - meant to read the Jill Clement title but was intrigued by the account. It's a difficult truth to face that such behaviour exists and that the boundaries surrounding this can be blurred. It also exposes how prevalent neglect is - neglect of self, neglect from parents, neglect from society that all contributes to supporting these acts.
I feel for the author and respect her bravery in writing this and sharing her experience.
I feel for the author and respect her bravery in writing this and sharing her experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
nathalieokdeh's review against another edition
5.0
“Does literature really excuse everything?”
This book is Vanessa Springora’s memoir about her “relationship” with the previously famous french author, Gabriel Matzneff, referred to as G. in the book.
For reference, she was 13-14 and he was 49-50 years old. A real and tragic story.
Their “situation” wasn’t a secret, at all. Her divorced parents knew, his colleagues knew, her teachers knew, everyone knew what was going on.
No one did anything. Her mum would even invite G. for dinner!
“On the other hand, I instinctively understood that the fact that no one ever expressed surprise at the situation meant the world around me was out of kilter.”
V. wasn’t G.’s first “minor lover”. He had multiple relationships with adolescents, girls and boys, which he’d talk about in detail in his books.
His books that were published and praised by many.
V. also speaks about how she lost her sense of self in face of what happened and how he’d speak of it in his literary works.
“What link could there be between this paper character, fabricated from beginning to end, and the person I really was?”
“Everything around me was fake and I was no exception.”
“You mean all this is true? I’m not . . . fiction?”
Maybe, indeed, there isn’t a thing as a “moral” or “immoral” book. Many argue that sometimes we should separate the author from the book.
I guess one should but with exceptions.
One major exception being if the content is true and criminal.
This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s raw, beautifully written, and heartbreaking.
I read the translated version and intend to read the french version.
A must-read for anyone who can digest its content.
This book is Vanessa Springora’s memoir about her “relationship” with the previously famous french author, Gabriel Matzneff, referred to as G. in the book.
For reference, she was 13-14 and he was 49-50 years old. A real and tragic story.
Their “situation” wasn’t a secret, at all. Her divorced parents knew, his colleagues knew, her teachers knew, everyone knew what was going on.
No one did anything. Her mum would even invite G. for dinner!
“On the other hand, I instinctively understood that the fact that no one ever expressed surprise at the situation meant the world around me was out of kilter.”
V. wasn’t G.’s first “minor lover”. He had multiple relationships with adolescents, girls and boys, which he’d talk about in detail in his books.
His books that were published and praised by many.
V. also speaks about how she lost her sense of self in face of what happened and how he’d speak of it in his literary works.
“What link could there be between this paper character, fabricated from beginning to end, and the person I really was?”
“Everything around me was fake and I was no exception.”
“You mean all this is true? I’m not . . . fiction?”
Maybe, indeed, there isn’t a thing as a “moral” or “immoral” book. Many argue that sometimes we should separate the author from the book.
I guess one should but with exceptions.
One major exception being if the content is true and criminal.
This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s raw, beautifully written, and heartbreaking.
I read the translated version and intend to read the french version.
A must-read for anyone who can digest its content.
betka_s's review against another edition
4.0
Jsem šokovaná a znechucená. Svolení je strašně dobře napsaný, je to strohý a intenzivní a citlivý, ale zároveň nepopsatelně nechutný. Springora totiž od 14 do 16 udržovala konsenzuální partnerský vztah se spisovatelem Gabrielem Matzneffem, veřejně známým dobytkem, který se ve svých knihách chlubil tím, kolik zneužil nezletilých chlapců a děvčat.
Je absolutně donebevolající, jak na to francouzská literární společnost reagovala - hej, Vanesso, buď ráda, je fakt dobrej, kde bys bez něho byla. Je nechutný, jak se odpor její matky vmžiku zlomil do rezignovaného souhlasu.
A absolutně nejvíc šokující mi přijdou některé reakce čtenářstva: "Co řešíte? Však to bylo konsenzuální, ona to chtěla, byla do něj zamilovaná. Navíc hranice legálního sexu je 15 let, rok sem, rok tam..."
AKORÁT ŽE VŮBEC! Matzneff zneužíval svého postavení a nadřazenosti vůči malé holce. I kdyby jí bylo 18, vztah s padesátiletým týpkem by nebyl v žádném vesmíru v pořádku. Ten odpornej prasák si nezaslouží víc než pořádnou dávku cancel culture.
Je absolutně donebevolající, jak na to francouzská literární společnost reagovala - hej, Vanesso, buď ráda, je fakt dobrej, kde bys bez něho byla. Je nechutný, jak se odpor její matky vmžiku zlomil do rezignovaného souhlasu.
A absolutně nejvíc šokující mi přijdou některé reakce čtenářstva: "Co řešíte? Však to bylo konsenzuální, ona to chtěla, byla do něj zamilovaná. Navíc hranice legálního sexu je 15 let, rok sem, rok tam..."
AKORÁT ŽE VŮBEC! Matzneff zneužíval svého postavení a nadřazenosti vůči malé holce. I kdyby jí bylo 18, vztah s padesátiletým týpkem by nebyl v žádném vesmíru v pořádku. Ten odpornej prasák si nezaslouží víc než pořádnou dávku cancel culture.
alicia_sg's review against another edition
2.0
Me alegra que Vanessa Springora se haya reapropiado del espacio literario como lugar de denuncia a un hombre que usó ese espacio para impedirla seguir adelante y robarla su voz.
Una denuncia en el mismo espacio, la literatura, como hizo Rociito en los platos, volviendo en ambos casos a poner el foco, a indicar las violencias y lo que nunca debió suceder.
Ahora bien, este señor debería estar arrestado y no con su historia publicada en Pingüinos Random House, en mi opinión, este libro puede ser una denuncia, pero no es literatura y no debería venderse como tal. Alimenta el morbo y estoy segura que en muchos casos su lectura se ha acompañado más en un “querer saber” que en un “qué esto no se repita”
Me alegro por la señora Springora y admiro su valentía aunque su libro, como artefacto literario, me parezca bastante pobre.
Una denuncia en el mismo espacio, la literatura, como hizo Rociito en los platos, volviendo en ambos casos a poner el foco, a indicar las violencias y lo que nunca debió suceder.
Ahora bien, este señor debería estar arrestado y no con su historia publicada en Pingüinos Random House, en mi opinión, este libro puede ser una denuncia, pero no es literatura y no debería venderse como tal. Alimenta el morbo y estoy segura que en muchos casos su lectura se ha acompañado más en un “querer saber” que en un “qué esto no se repita”
Me alegro por la señora Springora y admiro su valentía aunque su libro, como artefacto literario, me parezca bastante pobre.