A review by laviskrg
The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier
5.0
Wow, just wow.
What started off as a really spontaneous buy turned out to be an unputdownable deluxe manifestation of literature, a perfect novel in my eyes, on absolutely all accounts, from writing style, to premise, to characters, to ending. What a joy to read a book I have nothing negative to say about.
This is a novel about a simple, yet very complicated scenario, that defeats science, religion and philosophy: the complete doubling of a plane and everyone on board. How Monsieur Le Tellier managed to write in maths, physics, programming, social science, philosophy and literature is beyond me but it is clear why his work deserves the prestigious Prix Goncourt. His writing is witty, firm, breathtaking at times, plain and utilitarian at others. Colour me impressed.
The way in which the main characters, their lives and their situations are depicted is insanely perfect. Every story is different, every voice is unique and, most important, they are all believable and human, which I find to be increasingly rare in this world of Netflix trash where writers write for agenda, not accuracy. Do I need to state that the hitman and the author were my favourite characters but that the female lawyer's ending tore me to shreds because I know what it means to have to force yourself to un-love the love of your life simply to be able to breathe a second in his absence? I think each reader will vibe with several characters in different ways specifically due to their own personal lives and that is the magic, the true magic of the writing in this book.
Chapeau 100%.
What started off as a really spontaneous buy turned out to be an unputdownable deluxe manifestation of literature, a perfect novel in my eyes, on absolutely all accounts, from writing style, to premise, to characters, to ending. What a joy to read a book I have nothing negative to say about.
This is a novel about a simple, yet very complicated scenario, that defeats science, religion and philosophy: the complete doubling of a plane and everyone on board. How Monsieur Le Tellier managed to write in maths, physics, programming, social science, philosophy and literature is beyond me but it is clear why his work deserves the prestigious Prix Goncourt. His writing is witty, firm, breathtaking at times, plain and utilitarian at others. Colour me impressed.
The way in which the main characters, their lives and their situations are depicted is insanely perfect. Every story is different, every voice is unique and, most important, they are all believable and human, which I find to be increasingly rare in this world of Netflix trash where writers write for agenda, not accuracy. Do I need to state that the hitman and the author were my favourite characters but that the female lawyer's ending tore me to shreds because I know what it means to have to force yourself to un-love the love of your life simply to be able to breathe a second in his absence? I think each reader will vibe with several characters in different ways specifically due to their own personal lives and that is the magic, the true magic of the writing in this book.
Chapeau 100%.