A review by veelaughtland
Jules et Jim by Henri-Pierre Roché
3.0
I haven't seen the famous film of this novel, but I know people that I have, and they have all sung its praises. When I saw this book in the library (I wasn't even aware the film was based on a novel before!), I couldn't resist snapping it up. It was an easy read, but the subject matter wasn't as lighthearted as I'd assumed from reading the blurb on the back.
Anything to do with bohemianism, Paris, café culture and free spirits tends to lure me in where books are concerned, but I was surprised to find that this was not the crux of the story in Jules et Jim. Roché's novel is somewhat autobiographical which is very interesting, more so because it was his debut novel and was written in his seventies. He based the character Jim on himself, and Jules on a friend in his life, and what characters they both were! All the women in their lives they shared equally, and without hatred and distrust, which is a concept I can't even begin to understand. I think I was more surprised at this attitude to life and love because of the time period it was set in, around 1907 and onwards. There was me thinking that back in the early twentieth century people were very uptight when it came to love, sex, and everything in between!
Kate is the character that truly tests Jules and Jim. She is a firecracker, a woman akin to the two men in terms of her view and approach to life. However, I found her a very difficult character to warm to. Although not without her charms, Kate was in short an extremely selfish woman, brash and quick to act whilst not always making the right decisions. She was easily angered throughout, even when as a reader I felt she shouldn't have been, and she was not shy of hurting people to get her own back on them, particularly Jules and later Jim.
What saddened me a little with this novel, and hence the slightly lower rating, was that although the title is Jules et Jim, Jules wasn't in very much of the book at all! It should have been Jules, Jim, et Kate, or even Jim et Kate, although I suppose without the complete alliteration it doesn't have quite the same ring to it. I found myself missing Jules as a character (although he seemed a bit silly at the start), and longing to be rid of Jim and his ridiculous feelings for Kate for just a few chapters!
I fully intend on watching the film, as I'd love to see how this simple story was transferred to the screen. The writing in the novel is so simple and direct, that it's almost like just reading an everyday diary (although there are moments of literary beauty), and I imagine that it would lend itself quite well to a film, whilst allowing room for development in certain areas. For those who have seen the film and enjoyed it, I'd suggest giving the book a go - maybe you'll get something extra from it, who knows.
Anything to do with bohemianism, Paris, café culture and free spirits tends to lure me in where books are concerned, but I was surprised to find that this was not the crux of the story in Jules et Jim. Roché's novel is somewhat autobiographical which is very interesting, more so because it was his debut novel and was written in his seventies. He based the character Jim on himself, and Jules on a friend in his life, and what characters they both were! All the women in their lives they shared equally, and without hatred and distrust, which is a concept I can't even begin to understand. I think I was more surprised at this attitude to life and love because of the time period it was set in, around 1907 and onwards. There was me thinking that back in the early twentieth century people were very uptight when it came to love, sex, and everything in between!
Kate is the character that truly tests Jules and Jim. She is a firecracker, a woman akin to the two men in terms of her view and approach to life. However, I found her a very difficult character to warm to. Although not without her charms, Kate was in short an extremely selfish woman, brash and quick to act whilst not always making the right decisions. She was easily angered throughout, even when as a reader I felt she shouldn't have been, and she was not shy of hurting people to get her own back on them, particularly Jules and later Jim.
What saddened me a little with this novel, and hence the slightly lower rating, was that although the title is Jules et Jim, Jules wasn't in very much of the book at all! It should have been Jules, Jim, et Kate, or even Jim et Kate, although I suppose without the complete alliteration it doesn't have quite the same ring to it. I found myself missing Jules as a character (although he seemed a bit silly at the start), and longing to be rid of Jim and his ridiculous feelings for Kate for just a few chapters!
I fully intend on watching the film, as I'd love to see how this simple story was transferred to the screen. The writing in the novel is so simple and direct, that it's almost like just reading an everyday diary (although there are moments of literary beauty), and I imagine that it would lend itself quite well to a film, whilst allowing room for development in certain areas. For those who have seen the film and enjoyed it, I'd suggest giving the book a go - maybe you'll get something extra from it, who knows.