Reviews

The Lover by Marguerite Duras

bassant's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

When she says "nous" I don't know if she is talking about her family or her and the lover;
she moves from past to present to past again every one or two passages which is confusing.
L'amant is a tittle that suggests a love story but this is not what this book is about; her lover is pedophile and she's not in love with him it's supposed to be about race (her white,and him Chinese) and colony which means the age gap wasn't necessary.

hannahrehman's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Marguerite Duras had such a beautiful writing style that I found completely captivating. This novel would have been 5 stars if the age gap between the girl and her lover weren’t so concerning. I also found that the sporadic jumps between time/plot lines could be a little bit confusing if you did not notice it immediately. However, Duras was still able to do a remarkable job of capturing the complex relationships found in the girl’s life. She was able to convey heartbreaking sentiments with such an ease that truly makes her writing even more powerful.

giovianna's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

haunting in its rot and gently reeking of death

katiebartmess's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

3.0

Very strong start, but slow finish. Interesting how the narrator kept switching up tenses and ownership over her stories. The whole book feels like a very adequate and comforting representation of the sort of anxious and sad fever dream it is to be a woman. 

spiritlesscatalyst's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective sad medium-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? Yes

3.5

untamable_shrew's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

jayden_mccomiskie's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Fucking great

lululera99's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

sarataff's review against another edition

Go to review page

i’ll never know why this book took me so long to wrap up …?

lukija's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Toivun.

”Sängyn ja kaupungin välillä on vain sälekaihtimet, pumpulinen rullaverho. Mikään kova materiaali ei erota meitä ihmisistä. He eivät tiedä olemassaolostamme. Me erotamme jotain heidän olemassaolostaan, heidän ääntensä ja liikkeidensä summan, joka sireenin lailla puhaltaa särkynyttä, surullista, kaiutonta huutoa.”
..
Rakkaustarina, kielletty rakkaus, kastroitava rakkaus, insestinen suhde. Lapsuuden ja nuoruuden kuvaus ajallisesta etäisyydestä kirjoitettuna. Perhetragedia: äidin mielen sairaus ja isoveljen sielun sairaus - vaiko toisin päin? Kuin aave kertoisi paluun menneisyyteen muistoissa. Ajatusvanoista, hetkellisyyksistä rakentuva tarina, jolla on alku ja loppu. Ajasta ajattomasti. Kuin kuva, jota toistetaan laittamalla siihen uusi kerros ja uusi kerros ja niin edelleen. Duras’n tekstit ovat minulle kiehtovia. Kun niitä yrittää määritellä, niin koen tasapainoilevani ääripäiden välillä: aikaan sidottuja hetkiä - ajattomuus, rumuus - kauneus, pintatila - syvällinen tai horisontaalinen - vertikaalinen, inhottava/epämukava - ihailtava/rauhoittava ja niin edelleen.