A review by eccles
Standing Heavy by Gauz

funny hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

A wonderful pair of eyes to see Paris.  “Like taking a stroll along the Tower of Babel if it had been expertly toppled by a demolition crew such that, rather than standing vertical, it runs horizontally from Belleville to Place de la Republique.”   A touching personal perspective on life as an undocumented West African in France, not sensational, frequently merely quotidian, but always clear-eyed and first-hand. Perhaps it is by standing at a Sephora on the Champs-Elysées, rather than sitting at a cafe, that you will see the whole world going by.  Part of this sense of first-hand, unmediated observation comes through a series of comments about people shopping in Paris, comments that are frequently glib and at times troublingly stereotypical.  These I thought are integral to the authenticity of this voice, but may be more problematic for some readers.