A review by jblawson
Lie with Me by Philippe Besson

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

My, oh, my.


This book touched me in the deepest of ways, bringing out something I hadn’t felt in many years: the feeling of being seen in literature.

Though this story wasn’t mine, the experience that was Phillipe’s often felt like my own. There is a particular experience that most (if not all) queer people must endure: love that cannot be. A swarming desire that must be compressed. I’ve experienced it myself.

This feeling of love, it transports me; it makes me happy. At the same time, it consumes me and makes me miserable, the way all impossible loves are miserable.

The double meaning of the translated title was pure genius. The nuance of the characters (specifically Thomas) was so well written. The unmistakable love that could not see the light of day ate away at me. The untarnishable mark that is left after a great love (and loss)… this book was so much more than I could’ve asked of it to be.
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