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A review by thewordsdevourer
Lie With Me by Philippe Besson
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
lie with me is a sparsely written novel that overflows w/ a sense of nostalgia and lost youth, one whose very last paragraph elevates the whole book.
despite the story's relatively short length, besson manages to render his main characters fully dimensional, steeped w/ backstory and illustrating how philippe and thomas - despite their love - could only diverge from one another. we learn abt them prior to their relationship, during and after it as well, and while it might not be too much, what we learn allows us to paint a fuller, clearer picture.
there also isnt a sentence wasted, the prose sparse yet effective. more than being fueled w/ the plot, the novel's instead focused on its impressions and senses, and my fav thing abt it is how besson's able to so accurately, succinctly, and precisely capture the sense of lost youth and nostalgia - tinged w/ a lil regret - that so pervade the book. i couldnt help being startled or a lil in awe often while reading, thinking "yes! thats exactly how it feels," all the while relievedly reveling in the fact that im not alone in my sentiments. the metaphor and imagery are sublime as well.
while i cant decide whether it's a good or bad thing that this book doesnt hit me too hard in the feels - except for that last letter-form paragraph which nails me like a hammer, god - what i appreciate abt this novel above all else is its reflections and sense of feeling, how it so perfectly encapsulates nostalgia, youth, and regret. i recommend this to those who doesnt mind character over plot.
despite the story's relatively short length, besson manages to render his main characters fully dimensional, steeped w/ backstory and illustrating how philippe and thomas - despite their love - could only diverge from one another. we learn abt them prior to their relationship, during and after it as well, and while it might not be too much, what we learn allows us to paint a fuller, clearer picture.
there also isnt a sentence wasted, the prose sparse yet effective. more than being fueled w/ the plot, the novel's instead focused on its impressions and senses, and my fav thing abt it is how besson's able to so accurately, succinctly, and precisely capture the sense of lost youth and nostalgia - tinged w/ a lil regret - that so pervade the book. i couldnt help being startled or a lil in awe often while reading, thinking "yes! thats exactly how it feels," all the while relievedly reveling in the fact that im not alone in my sentiments. the metaphor and imagery are sublime as well.
while i cant decide whether it's a good or bad thing that this book doesnt hit me too hard in the feels - except for that last letter-form paragraph which nails me like a hammer, god - what i appreciate abt this novel above all else is its reflections and sense of feeling, how it so perfectly encapsulates nostalgia, youth, and regret. i recommend this to those who doesnt mind character over plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Suicide
Minor: Death, Vomit, and Death of parent