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Suite Francaise
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £7.05
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 Customer Reviews
Disappointing, 06 Nov 2008
Contrary to other reviewers, I found this book rather boring. Indeed, I have shelved the book whilst only two-thirds of the way through. Perhaps it lost something in translation as I found the narrative rather naïve and the constant use of parentheses irritating and unnecessary.
I wonder if the fate of Irene Nemirovsky merely served to hype the book rather more than it deserved.
Tragically unfinished, 30 Nov 2007
Suite Francaise consists of two short novels, originally intended to be part of a set of five. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, was a Russian Jew living in France, and was tragically killed in Auschwitz before her project could be completed.
The first of the two, 'Storm in June', is concerned with a variety of characters fleeing Paris as the Nazis occupy France as part of World War II. The second, 'Dolce', is about the German occupation of a small village in central France. Some characters feature in both stories, and it is clear that, had Nemirovsky lived to complete all five, the storylines of this disparate group would probably have come together.
The characters are realistic although often not particularly likable - certainly Nemirovsky draws on her first hand knowledge to depict the strange way human beings behave in extraordinary circumstances. There is a sense of bitterness underlying much of the narrative, particularly in the merciless depictions of the selfish upper class characters.
Knowledge of the circumstances in which the books were written adds to their impact. I felt that they were more realistic than many war stories, perhaps partly because I knew they were written by someone as they lived through it, but also by the many small details included. The hardcover edition includes two appendices containing Nemirovsky's plans for the other books, her correspondence, and the remarkable story of her life and how her manuscript survived the war when she did not. This is well worth reading as it enhances the overall experience of the book and serves as an important reminder of the sheer horror of the treatment meted out to Jews by the Nazis.
The two stories do seem a little unfinished - although given that Nemirovsky could have had few opportunities to revise them, are more polished than might be expected. It is a great sadness that she never had the chance to complete the other three books as I believe the final five-volume work would have been greater than the sum of its parts. Having been introduced to the characters there isn't much chance to get to know them before the book's premature end.
However, it is worth reading and has the same haunting effect as the Diary of Anne Frank.
French Manners and Morals!, 06 Oct 2007
This book is truly amazing and being able to read it can be considered a priviledge. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, a White Russian, was born in Kiev in 1903. Her father was a successful Russian banker and the family enjoyed a life of luxury in Russia, but at the start of 1918 the family fled the Russian Revolution, leaving their fortune behind. They spent a year or so in Finland, then Sweden, before arriving in France in 1919, where the author became a bestselling novelist at the age of 26. The book is really two stories in one: the two parts that make-up the novel, plus the notes and letters that tell us the tragic story of the author and her husband (Michel Epstien) during their final months. Suite Francais is the first and second parts of a planned five-part, 1,000 page novel (although each part is complete in itself), but Irene Nemirovsky never wrote the remaining parts, as she died in Auschwitz in August 1942. It's a story written with such insight and honesty, regarding the way people from different walks of life and with differing attitudes, respond to the deprivations of war. What I also found remarkable was the fact that although the Germans were her tormentors, the story she tells contains no condemnation of the German Army, as we might expect, simply objective observations woven into the fabric. We're priviledged not only because it's an excellent read, but also for the fact that the story survived to be told at all! Following the author's arrest, her husband was arrested 3 months later, but the couple's two daughters were hidden by friends and mercifully survived the rest of the war. We learn how the eldest daughter, Denise, thinking that the notebook was her mother's diary, took it as a momento and it travelled with her from hiding place to hiding place; neither girl, however, ever attempted to read it. After the war, the girls discovered that their parents had in fact perished; they found it too painful to even open the notebook. It was many years later that they decided to entrust it to an organisation dedicated to documenting memories of war, but before doing so Denise decided to type a copy. To do so required the use of a magnifying glass, as the writing was so tiny, but on undertaking this painstaking job it soon became apparent to her that the contents were not a diary, but a work that conveyed a vivid snapshot of France and the French just before and during the occupation. She sent the manuscript to a publisher and 64 years after her mother's death, this book was published. We are also indebted to Sandra Smith for her translation that enabled us English-speakers to read this wonderful book.
WW2 novel, 11 Sep 2007
This isn't the typical WW2 story that focuses on the troops and various battles etc. Instead it looks at the effect of the German advancement into France from the perspective of several different characters - rich and poor, young and old, men and women, in the city and countryside. What is fascinating is how most of them are connected in the story in the most innocuos ways - they pass each other on the street, stay in the same house etc. Worth noting is that the story doesn't build up into any grand climax. It just details the day to day affairs of living in a country at war from the perspective of people like you or I who unwittingly get caught up in it. It's emotional and thought provoking as opposed to gripping and action packed. If you're easily bored this may be one to avoid.
The book is divided into 2 parts, the first deals with the panic surrounding the news of the Germans entering France and heading towards Paris with ease. The second part is about the occupation and examines the peoples reaction to it. The book also contains an appendix with the authors notations and diary extracts about the 5 part book she was hoping to write but couldn't. Finally there is a bit sbout the authors as a life before and during the war and how the book got to being published 60 years later.I thought this was a good touch as it is a moving tale in itself.
Reading Suite Francaise in French, 21 Jul 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel in French. The plot is quite complicated with so many characters but I kept a piece of paper with the book and wrote down who was where and what had happened to them which really helped. Wikipedia has a good resume of the plot too.
It was an ideal book to read in French as I could not put it down and the flight from Paris in the first part is very exciting.
Some friends were critical of her attitude to the characters, feeling that she did not like people in general, but I found her portrayal of the characters very realist, and their motivations in relation to the occupation were interesting and complex.
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Customer Reviews
Disappointing, 06 Nov 2008
Contrary to other reviewers, I found this book rather boring. Indeed, I have shelved the book whilst only two-thirds of the way through. Perhaps it lost something in translation as I found the narrative rather naïve and the constant use of parentheses irritating and unnecessary.
I wonder if the fate of Irene Nemirovsky merely served to hype the book rather more than it deserved.
Tragically unfinished, 30 Nov 2007
Suite Francaise consists of two short novels, originally intended to be part of a set of five. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, was a Russian Jew living in France, and was tragically killed in Auschwitz before her project could be completed.
The first of the two, 'Storm in June', is concerned with a variety of characters fleeing Paris as the Nazis occupy France as part of World War II. The second, 'Dolce', is about the German occupation of a small village in central France. Some characters feature in both stories, and it is clear that, had Nemirovsky lived to complete all five, the storylines of this disparate group would probably have come together.
The characters are realistic although often not particularly likable - certainly Nemirovsky draws on her first hand knowledge to depict the strange way human beings behave in extraordinary circumstances. There is a sense of bitterness underlying much of the narrative, particularly in the merciless depictions of the selfish upper class characters.
Knowledge of the circumstances in which the books were written adds to their impact. I felt that they were more realistic than many war stories, perhaps partly because I knew they were written by someone as they lived through it, but also by the many small details included. The hardcover edition includes two appendices containing Nemirovsky's plans for the other books, her correspondence, and the remarkable story of her life and how her manuscript survived the war when she did not. This is well worth reading as it enhances the overall experience of the book and serves as an important reminder of the sheer horror of the treatment meted out to Jews by the Nazis.
The two stories do seem a little unfinished - although given that Nemirovsky could have had few opportunities to revise them, are more polished than might be expected. It is a great sadness that she never had the chance to complete the other three books as I believe the final five-volume work would have been greater than the sum of its parts. Having been introduced to the characters there isn't much chance to get to know them before the book's premature end.
However, it is worth reading and has the same haunting effect as the Diary of Anne Frank.
French Manners and Morals!, 06 Oct 2007
This book is truly amazing and being able to read it can be considered a priviledge. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, a White Russian, was born in Kiev in 1903. Her father was a successful Russian banker and the family enjoyed a life of luxury in Russia, but at the start of 1918 the family fled the Russian Revolution, leaving their fortune behind. They spent a year or so in Finland, then Sweden, before arriving in France in 1919, where the author became a bestselling novelist at the age of 26. The book is really two stories in one: the two parts that make-up the novel, plus the notes and letters that tell us the tragic story of the author and her husband (Michel Epstien) during their final months. Suite Francais is the first and second parts of a planned five-part, 1,000 page novel (although each part is complete in itself), but Irene Nemirovsky never wrote the remaining parts, as she died in Auschwitz in August 1942. It's a story written with such insight and honesty, regarding the way people from different walks of life and with differing attitudes, respond to the deprivations of war. What I also found remarkable was the fact that although the Germans were her tormentors, the story she tells contains no condemnation of the German Army, as we might expect, simply objective observations woven into the fabric. We're priviledged not only because it's an excellent read, but also for the fact that the story survived to be told at all! Following the author's arrest, her husband was arrested 3 months later, but the couple's two daughters were hidden by friends and mercifully survived the rest of the war. We learn how the eldest daughter, Denise, thinking that the notebook was her mother's diary, took it as a momento and it travelled with her from hiding place to hiding place; neither girl, however, ever attempted to read it. After the war, the girls discovered that their parents had in fact perished; they found it too painful to even open the notebook. It was many years later that they decided to entrust it to an organisation dedicated to documenting memories of war, but before doing so Denise decided to type a copy. To do so required the use of a magnifying glass, as the writing was so tiny, but on undertaking this painstaking job it soon became apparent to her that the contents were not a diary, but a work that conveyed a vivid snapshot of France and the French just before and during the occupation. She sent the manuscript to a publisher and 64 years after her mother's death, this book was published. We are also indebted to Sandra Smith for her translation that enabled us English-speakers to read this wonderful book.
WW2 novel, 11 Sep 2007
This isn't the typical WW2 story that focuses on the troops and various battles etc. Instead it looks at the effect of the German advancement into France from the perspective of several different characters - rich and poor, young and old, men and women, in the city and countryside. What is fascinating is how most of them are connected in the story in the most innocuos ways - they pass each other on the street, stay in the same house etc. Worth noting is that the story doesn't build up into any grand climax. It just details the day to day affairs of living in a country at war from the perspective of people like you or I who unwittingly get caught up in it. It's emotional and thought provoking as opposed to gripping and action packed. If you're easily bored this may be one to avoid.
The book is divided into 2 parts, the first deals with the panic surrounding the news of the Germans entering France and heading towards Paris with ease. The second part is about the occupation and examines the peoples reaction to it. The book also contains an appendix with the authors notations and diary extracts about the 5 part book she was hoping to write but couldn't. Finally there is a bit sbout the authors as a life before and during the war and how the book got to being published 60 years later.I thought this was a good touch as it is a moving tale in itself.
Reading Suite Francaise in French, 21 Jul 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel in French. The plot is quite complicated with so many characters but I kept a piece of paper with the book and wrote down who was where and what had happened to them which really helped. Wikipedia has a good resume of the plot too.
It was an ideal book to read in French as I could not put it down and the flight from Paris in the first part is very exciting.
Some friends were critical of her attitude to the characters, feeling that she did not like people in general, but I found her portrayal of the characters very realist, and their motivations in relation to the occupation were interesting and complex.
Great for improving your language skills!, 25 Jun 2007
Just the right level for the anyone with a basic command of Spanish (GCSE and above) and who wants to improve their vocabulary and sentence structure. A great story too!
Fantastic journey!!!, 09 Apr 2007
Extraordinary!!!
If you are looking for inspiration when you cannot find any...you must read it!!!
It is a fantastic journey inside the fantastic world every one of us keep very deep....you can learn to dream and have hopes again..never stop to dream because the destiny will conspire to make all your dreams come true..
great line..Paulo....
Follow your dreams!, 02 Aug 2005
This book is absolutely FANTASTIC!!!
Pulp Fiction, 09 Jun 2005
I had to give up reading the Alchemist probably to my relief, before it had got 'started'. As I turned the pages it seemed to me that the monotonous rythm, and general lack of music, which could have been created since the author had this unique opportunity sent me to sleep. The plot was patronisingly allegorical and I found myself writing open ended continuations for the book; I felt in this case I could flick through the volume to the end perhaps to get the gist. It turned out that the entire book was going to carry on in this uneventful, 'plodding' manner - so evidently I gave up.
El Alquimista, 15 Nov 2003
Trata de un joven pastor quien decide ir en busca de un tesoro.
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 |
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Customer Reviews
Disappointing, 06 Nov 2008
Contrary to other reviewers, I found this book rather boring. Indeed, I have shelved the book whilst only two-thirds of the way through. Perhaps it lost something in translation as I found the narrative rather naïve and the constant use of parentheses irritating and unnecessary.
I wonder if the fate of Irene Nemirovsky merely served to hype the book rather more than it deserved.
Tragically unfinished, 30 Nov 2007
Suite Francaise consists of two short novels, originally intended to be part of a set of five. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, was a Russian Jew living in France, and was tragically killed in Auschwitz before her project could be completed.
The first of the two, 'Storm in June', is concerned with a variety of characters fleeing Paris as the Nazis occupy France as part of World War II. The second, 'Dolce', is about the German occupation of a small village in central France. Some characters feature in both stories, and it is clear that, had Nemirovsky lived to complete all five, the storylines of this disparate group would probably have come together.
The characters are realistic although often not particularly likable - certainly Nemirovsky draws on her first hand knowledge to depict the strange way human beings behave in extraordinary circumstances. There is a sense of bitterness underlying much of the narrative, particularly in the merciless depictions of the selfish upper class characters.
Knowledge of the circumstances in which the books were written adds to their impact. I felt that they were more realistic than many war stories, perhaps partly because I knew they were written by someone as they lived through it, but also by the many small details included. The hardcover edition includes two appendices containing Nemirovsky's plans for the other books, her correspondence, and the remarkable story of her life and how her manuscript survived the war when she did not. This is well worth reading as it enhances the overall experience of the book and serves as an important reminder of the sheer horror of the treatment meted out to Jews by the Nazis.
The two stories do seem a little unfinished - although given that Nemirovsky could have had few opportunities to revise them, are more polished than might be expected. It is a great sadness that she never had the chance to complete the other three books as I believe the final five-volume work would have been greater than the sum of its parts. Having been introduced to the characters there isn't much chance to get to know them before the book's premature end.
However, it is worth reading and has the same haunting effect as the Diary of Anne Frank.
French Manners and Morals!, 06 Oct 2007
This book is truly amazing and being able to read it can be considered a priviledge. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, a White Russian, was born in Kiev in 1903. Her father was a successful Russian banker and the family enjoyed a life of luxury in Russia, but at the start of 1918 the family fled the Russian Revolution, leaving their fortune behind. They spent a year or so in Finland, then Sweden, before arriving in France in 1919, where the author became a bestselling novelist at the age of 26. The book is really two stories in one: the two parts that make-up the novel, plus the notes and letters that tell us the tragic story of the author and her husband (Michel Epstien) during their final months. Suite Francais is the first and second parts of a planned five-part, 1,000 page novel (although each part is complete in itself), but Irene Nemirovsky never wrote the remaining parts, as she died in Auschwitz in August 1942. It's a story written with such insight and honesty, regarding the way people from different walks of life and with differing attitudes, respond to the deprivations of war. What I also found remarkable was the fact that although the Germans were her tormentors, the story she tells contains no condemnation of the German Army, as we might expect, simply objective observations woven into the fabric. We're priviledged not only because it's an excellent read, but also for the fact that the story survived to be told at all! Following the author's arrest, her husband was arrested 3 months later, but the couple's two daughters were hidden by friends and mercifully survived the rest of the war. We learn how the eldest daughter, Denise, thinking that the notebook was her mother's diary, took it as a momento and it travelled with her from hiding place to hiding place; neither girl, however, ever attempted to read it. After the war, the girls discovered that their parents had in fact perished; they found it too painful to even open the notebook. It was many years later that they decided to entrust it to an organisation dedicated to documenting memories of war, but before doing so Denise decided to type a copy. To do so required the use of a magnifying glass, as the writing was so tiny, but on undertaking this painstaking job it soon became apparent to her that the contents were not a diary, but a work that conveyed a vivid snapshot of France and the French just before and during the occupation. She sent the manuscript to a publisher and 64 years after her mother's death, this book was published. We are also indebted to Sandra Smith for her translation that enabled us English-speakers to read this wonderful book.
WW2 novel, 11 Sep 2007
This isn't the typical WW2 story that focuses on the troops and various battles etc. Instead it looks at the effect of the German advancement into France from the perspective of several different characters - rich and poor, young and old, men and women, in the city and countryside. What is fascinating is how most of them are connected in the story in the most innocuos ways - they pass each other on the street, stay in the same house etc. Worth noting is that the story doesn't build up into any grand climax. It just details the day to day affairs of living in a country at war from the perspective of people like you or I who unwittingly get caught up in it. It's emotional and thought provoking as opposed to gripping and action packed. If you're easily bored this may be one to avoid.
The book is divided into 2 parts, the first deals with the panic surrounding the news of the Germans entering France and heading towards Paris with ease. The second part is about the occupation and examines the peoples reaction to it. The book also contains an appendix with the authors notations and diary extracts about the 5 part book she was hoping to write but couldn't. Finally there is a bit sbout the authors as a life before and during the war and how the book got to being published 60 years later.I thought this was a good touch as it is a moving tale in itself.
Reading Suite Francaise in French, 21 Jul 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel in French. The plot is quite complicated with so many characters but I kept a piece of paper with the book and wrote down who was where and what had happened to them which really helped. Wikipedia has a good resume of the plot too.
It was an ideal book to read in French as I could not put it down and the flight from Paris in the first part is very exciting.
Some friends were critical of her attitude to the characters, feeling that she did not like people in general, but I found her portrayal of the characters very realist, and their motivations in relation to the occupation were interesting and complex.
Great for improving your language skills!, 25 Jun 2007
Just the right level for the anyone with a basic command of Spanish (GCSE and above) and who wants to improve their vocabulary and sentence structure. A great story too!
Fantastic journey!!!, 09 Apr 2007
Extraordinary!!!
If you are looking for inspiration when you cannot find any...you must read it!!!
It is a fantastic journey inside the fantastic world every one of us keep very deep....you can learn to dream and have hopes again..never stop to dream because the destiny will conspire to make all your dreams come true..
great line..Paulo....
Follow your dreams!, 02 Aug 2005
This book is absolutely FANTASTIC!!!
Pulp Fiction, 09 Jun 2005
I had to give up reading the Alchemist probably to my relief, before it had got 'started'. As I turned the pages it seemed to me that the monotonous rythm, and general lack of music, which could have been created since the author had this unique opportunity sent me to sleep. The plot was patronisingly allegorical and I found myself writing open ended continuations for the book; I felt in this case I could flick through the volume to the end perhaps to get the gist. It turned out that the entire book was going to carry on in this uneventful, 'plodding' manner - so evidently I gave up.
El Alquimista, 15 Nov 2003
Trata de un joven pastor quien decide ir en busca de un tesoro.
dissapointed, 14 Nov 2008
i orderd this book as i am directing for my last year of uni and when it arrived it was all in french! so now i have to reconsider my options.
Wonderful and Enlightening, 15 Sep 2002
Although so aptly called 'No Way Out', this book does open doors for it's readers by keeping shut the door in the room which, for these three people, each from a different walk of life, is their hell.
As you read this play, many things appear to you, subtly said, and the wonderous comments it makes sink in even days after you have read it.
This book has encouraged me to expand my existentialist fiction reading even further, and has put forward fantastical possibilities and amazed me with its subtle wit and theories.
Enjoy!!
Excellent insight into the work., 30 Jan 2002
Succinct and to the point. Provides useful and orignal insights into the work. Recommended.
excellent, 01 Nov 2001
This book is one of the best I have ever read. Very easy to read, this short play is focused entirely on its fascinating characters, and explains - and convince you!- the very famous "Hell is other people". Shouldn't be missed.
A glorious exstension of sartres genius, 23 Jun 2001
This book of plays makes an excellent and neccessary companion to Sartre's other works, such as Nausea and the Road to Freedom Trilogy. This works undoubtly mark Sartre as one of the most influential philosophers and human beings of the twentieth century.
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Ensemble, C'est Tout
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £7.46
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Customer Reviews
Disappointing, 06 Nov 2008
Contrary to other reviewers, I found this book rather boring. Indeed, I have shelved the book whilst only two-thirds of the way through. Perhaps it lost something in translation as I found the narrative rather naïve and the constant use of parentheses irritating and unnecessary.
I wonder if the fate of Irene Nemirovsky merely served to hype the book rather more than it deserved.
Tragically unfinished, 30 Nov 2007
Suite Francaise consists of two short novels, originally intended to be part of a set of five. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, was a Russian Jew living in France, and was tragically killed in Auschwitz before her project could be completed.
The first of the two, 'Storm in June', is concerned with a variety of characters fleeing Paris as the Nazis occupy France as part of World War II. The second, 'Dolce', is about the German occupation of a small village in central France. Some characters feature in both stories, and it is clear that, had Nemirovsky lived to complete all five, the storylines of this disparate group would probably have come together.
The characters are realistic although often not particularly likable - certainly Nemirovsky draws on her first hand knowledge to depict the strange way human beings behave in extraordinary circumstances. There is a sense of bitterness underlying much of the narrative, particularly in the merciless depictions of the selfish upper class characters.
Knowledge of the circumstances in which the books were written adds to their impact. I felt that they were more realistic than many war stories, perhaps partly because I knew they were written by someone as they lived through it, but also by the many small details included. The hardcover edition includes two appendices containing Nemirovsky's plans for the other books, her correspondence, and the remarkable story of her life and how her manuscript survived the war when she did not. This is well worth reading as it enhances the overall experience of the book and serves as an important reminder of the sheer horror of the treatment meted out to Jews by the Nazis.
The two stories do seem a little unfinished - although given that Nemirovsky could have had few opportunities to revise them, are more polished than might be expected. It is a great sadness that she never had the chance to complete the other three books as I believe the final five-volume work would have been greater than the sum of its parts. Having been introduced to the characters there isn't much chance to get to know them before the book's premature end.
However, it is worth reading and has the same haunting effect as the Diary of Anne Frank.
French Manners and Morals!, 06 Oct 2007
This book is truly amazing and being able to read it can be considered a priviledge. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, a White Russian, was born in Kiev in 1903. Her father was a successful Russian banker and the family enjoyed a life of luxury in Russia, but at the start of 1918 the family fled the Russian Revolution, leaving their fortune behind. They spent a year or so in Finland, then Sweden, before arriving in France in 1919, where the author became a bestselling novelist at the age of 26. The book is really two stories in one: the two parts that make-up the novel, plus the notes and letters that tell us the tragic story of the author and her husband (Michel Epstien) during their final months. Suite Francais is the first and second parts of a planned five-part, 1,000 page novel (although each part is complete in itself), but Irene Nemirovsky never wrote the remaining parts, as she died in Auschwitz in August 1942. It's a story written with such insight and honesty, regarding the way people from different walks of life and with differing attitudes, respond to the deprivations of war. What I also found remarkable was the fact that although the Germans were her tormentors, the story she tells contains no condemnation of the German Army, as we might expect, simply objective observations woven into the fabric. We're priviledged not only because it's an excellent read, but also for the fact that the story survived to be told at all! Following the author's arrest, her husband was arrested 3 months later, but the couple's two daughters were hidden by friends and mercifully survived the rest of the war. We learn how the eldest daughter, Denise, thinking that the notebook was her mother's diary, took it as a momento and it travelled with her from hiding place to hiding place; neither girl, however, ever attempted to read it. After the war, the girls discovered that their parents had in fact perished; they found it too painful to even open the notebook. It was many years later that they decided to entrust it to an organisation dedicated to documenting memories of war, but before doing so Denise decided to type a copy. To do so required the use of a magnifying glass, as the writing was so tiny, but on undertaking this painstaking job it soon became apparent to her that the contents were not a diary, but a work that conveyed a vivid snapshot of France and the French just before and during the occupation. She sent the manuscript to a publisher and 64 years after her mother's death, this book was published. We are also indebted to Sandra Smith for her translation that enabled us English-speakers to read this wonderful book.
WW2 novel, 11 Sep 2007
This isn't the typical WW2 story that focuses on the troops and various battles etc. Instead it looks at the effect of the German advancement into France from the perspective of several different characters - rich and poor, young and old, men and women, in the city and countryside. What is fascinating is how most of them are connected in the story in the most innocuos ways - they pass each other on the street, stay in the same house etc. Worth noting is that the story doesn't build up into any grand climax. It just details the day to day affairs of living in a country at war from the perspective of people like you or I who unwittingly get caught up in it. It's emotional and thought provoking as opposed to gripping and action packed. If you're easily bored this may be one to avoid.
The book is divided into 2 parts, the first deals with the panic surrounding the news of the Germans entering France and heading towards Paris with ease. The second part is about the occupation and examines the peoples reaction to it. The book also contains an appendix with the authors notations and diary extracts about the 5 part book she was hoping to write but couldn't. Finally there is a bit sbout the authors as a life before and during the war and how the book got to being published 60 years later.I thought this was a good touch as it is a moving tale in itself.
Reading Suite Francaise in French, 21 Jul 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel in French. The plot is quite complicated with so many characters but I kept a piece of paper with the book and wrote down who was where and what had happened to them which really helped. Wikipedia has a good resume of the plot too.
It was an ideal book to read in French as I could not put it down and the flight from Paris in the first part is very exciting.
Some friends were critical of her attitude to the characters, feeling that she did not like people in general, but I found her portrayal of the characters very realist, and their motivations in relation to the occupation were interesting and complex.
Great for improving your language skills!, 25 Jun 2007
Just the right level for the anyone with a basic command of Spanish (GCSE and above) and who wants to improve their vocabulary and sentence structure. A great story too!
Fantastic journey!!!, 09 Apr 2007
Extraordinary!!!
If you are looking for inspiration when you cannot find any...you must read it!!!
It is a fantastic journey inside the fantastic world every one of us keep very deep....you can learn to dream and have hopes again..never stop to dream because the destiny will conspire to make all your dreams come true..
great line..Paulo....
Follow your dreams!, 02 Aug 2005
This book is absolutely FANTASTIC!!!
Pulp Fiction, 09 Jun 2005
I had to give up reading the Alchemist probably to my relief, before it had got 'started'. As I turned the pages it seemed to me that the monotonous rythm, and general lack of music, which could have been created since the author had this unique opportunity sent me to sleep. The plot was patronisingly allegorical and I found myself writing open ended continuations for the book; I felt in this case I could flick through the volume to the end perhaps to get the gist. It turned out that the entire book was going to carry on in this uneventful, 'plodding' manner - so evidently I gave up.
El Alquimista, 15 Nov 2003
Trata de un joven pastor quien decide ir en busca de un tesoro.
dissapointed, 14 Nov 2008
i orderd this book as i am directing for my last year of uni and when it arrived it was all in french! so now i have to reconsider my options.
Wonderful and Enlightening, 15 Sep 2002
Although so aptly called 'No Way Out', this book does open doors for it's readers by keeping shut the door in the room which, for these three people, each from a different walk of life, is their hell.
As you read this play, many things appear to you, subtly said, and the wonderous comments it makes sink in even days after you have read it.
This book has encouraged me to expand my existentialist fiction reading even further, and has put forward fantastical possibilities and amazed me with its subtle wit and theories.
Enjoy!!
Excellent insight into the work., 30 Jan 2002
Succinct and to the point. Provides useful and orignal insights into the work. Recommended.
excellent, 01 Nov 2001
This book is one of the best I have ever read. Very easy to read, this short play is focused entirely on its fascinating characters, and explains - and convince you!- the very famous "Hell is other people". Shouldn't be missed.
A glorious exstension of sartres genius, 23 Jun 2001
This book of plays makes an excellent and neccessary companion to Sartre's other works, such as Nausea and the Road to Freedom Trilogy. This works undoubtly mark Sartre as one of the most influential philosophers and human beings of the twentieth century.
This novel is a classic of modern literature!, 17 Mar 2006
Anna Gavalda is a writer of genius! And "Ensemble, c'est tout" is a brilliantly written novel and classic of our time!
This novel is a classic of modern literature!, 14 Mar 2006
Anna Gavalda is a writer of genius! And "Ensemble, c'est tout" is a brilliantly written novel and classic of our time!
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Voleur De Maigret, Le
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Glennkill
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Customer Reviews
Disappointing, 06 Nov 2008
Contrary to other reviewers, I found this book rather boring. Indeed, I have shelved the book whilst only two-thirds of the way through. Perhaps it lost something in translation as I found the narrative rather naïve and the constant use of parentheses irritating and unnecessary.
I wonder if the fate of Irene Nemirovsky merely served to hype the book rather more than it deserved.
Tragically unfinished, 30 Nov 2007
Suite Francaise consists of two short novels, originally intended to be part of a set of five. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, was a Russian Jew living in France, and was tragically killed in Auschwitz before her project could be completed.
The first of the two, 'Storm in June', is concerned with a variety of characters fleeing Paris as the Nazis occupy France as part of World War II. The second, 'Dolce', is about the German occupation of a small village in central France. Some characters feature in both stories, and it is clear that, had Nemirovsky lived to complete all five, the storylines of this disparate group would probably have come together.
The characters are realistic although often not particularly likable - certainly Nemirovsky draws on her first hand knowledge to depict the strange way human beings behave in extraordinary circumstances. There is a sense of bitterness underlying much of the narrative, particularly in the merciless depictions of the selfish upper class characters.
Knowledge of the circumstances in which the books were written adds to their impact. I felt that they were more realistic than many war stories, perhaps partly because I knew they were written by someone as they lived through it, but also by the many small details included. The hardcover edition includes two appendices containing Nemirovsky's plans for the other books, her correspondence, and the remarkable story of her life and how her manuscript survived the war when she did not. This is well worth reading as it enhances the overall experience of the book and serves as an important reminder of the sheer horror of the treatment meted out to Jews by the Nazis.
The two stories do seem a little unfinished - although given that Nemirovsky could have had few opportunities to revise them, are more polished than might be expected. It is a great sadness that she never had the chance to complete the other three books as I believe the final five-volume work would have been greater than the sum of its parts. Having been introduced to the characters there isn't much chance to get to know them before the book's premature end.
However, it is worth reading and has the same haunting effect as the Diary of Anne Frank. French Manners and Morals!, 06 Oct 2007
This book is truly amazing and being able to read it can be considered a priviledge. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, a White Russian, was born in Kiev in 1903. Her father was a successful Russian banker and the family enjoyed a life of luxury in Russia, but at the start of 1918 the family fled the Russian Revolution, leaving their fortune behind. They spent a year or so in Finland, then Sweden, before arriving in France in 1919, where the author became a bestselling novelist at the age of 26. The book is really two stories in one: the two parts that make-up the novel, plus the notes and letters that tell us the tragic story of the author and her husband (Michel Epstien) during their final months. Suite Francais is the first and second parts of a planned five-part, 1,000 page novel (although each part is complete in itself), but Irene Nemirovsky never wrote the remaining parts, as she died in Auschwitz in August 1942. It's a story written with such insight and honesty, regarding the way people from different walks of life and with differing attitudes, respond to the deprivations of war. What I also found remarkable was the fact that although the Germans were her tormentors, the story she tells contains no condemnation of the German Army, as we might expect, simply objective observations woven into the fabric. We're priviledged not only because it's an excellent read, but also for the fact that the story survived to be told at all! Following the author's arrest, her husband was arrested 3 months later, but the couple's two daughters were hidden by friends and mercifully survived the rest of the war. We learn how the eldest daughter, Denise, thinking that the notebook was her mother's diary, took it as a momento and it travelled with her from hiding place to hiding place; neither girl, however, ever attempted to read it. After the war, the girls discovered that their parents had in fact perished; they found it too painful to even open the notebook. It was many years later that they decided to entrust it to an organisation dedicated to documenting memories of war, but before doing so Denise decided to type a copy. To do so required the use of a magnifying glass, as the writing was so tiny, but on undertaking this painstaking job it soon became apparent to her that the contents were not a diary, but a work that conveyed a vivid snapshot of France and the French just before and during the occupation. She sent the manuscript to a publisher and 64 years after her mother's death, this book was published. We are also indebted to Sandra Smith for her translation that enabled us English-speakers to read this wonderful book. WW2 novel, 11 Sep 2007
This isn't the typical WW2 story that focuses on the troops and various battles etc. Instead it looks at the effect of the German advancement into France from the perspective of several different characters - rich and poor, young and old, men and women, in the city and countryside. What is fascinating is how most of them are connected in the story in the most innocuos ways - they pass each other on the street, stay in the same house etc. Worth noting is that the story doesn't build up into any grand climax. It just details the day to day affairs of living in a country at war from the perspective of people like you or I who unwittingly get caught up in it. It's emotional and thought provoking as opposed to gripping and action packed. If you're easily bored this may be one to avoid.
The book is divided into 2 parts, the first deals with the panic surrounding the news of the Germans entering France and heading towards Paris with ease. The second part is about the occupation and examines the peoples reaction to it. The book also contains an appendix with the authors notations and diary extracts about the 5 part book she was hoping to write but couldn't. Finally there is a bit sbout the authors as a life before and during the war and how the book got to being published 60 years later.I thought this was a good touch as it is a moving tale in itself. Reading Suite Francaise in French, 21 Jul 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel in French. The plot is quite complicated with so many characters but I kept a piece of paper with the book and wrote down who was where and what had happened to them which really helped. Wikipedia has a good resume of the plot too.
It was an ideal book to read in French as I could not put it down and the flight from Paris in the first part is very exciting.
Some friends were critical of her attitude to the characters, feeling that she did not like people in general, but I found her portrayal of the characters very realist, and their motivations in relation to the occupation were interesting and complex.
Great for improving your language skills!, 25 Jun 2007
Just the right level for the anyone with a basic command of Spanish (GCSE and above) and who wants to improve their vocabulary and sentence structure. A great story too! Fantastic journey!!!, 09 Apr 2007
Extraordinary!!!
If you are looking for inspiration when you cannot find any...you must read it!!!
It is a fantastic journey inside the fantastic world every one of us keep very deep....you can learn to dream and have hopes again..never stop to dream because the destiny will conspire to make all your dreams come true..
great line..Paulo.... Follow your dreams!, 02 Aug 2005
This book is absolutely FANTASTIC!!! Pulp Fiction, 09 Jun 2005
I had to give up reading the Alchemist probably to my relief, before it had got 'started'. As I turned the pages it seemed to me that the monotonous rythm, and general lack of music, which could have been created since the author had this unique opportunity sent me to sleep. The plot was patronisingly allegorical and I found myself writing open ended continuations for the book; I felt in this case I could flick through the volume to the end perhaps to get the gist. It turned out that the entire book was going to carry on in this uneventful, 'plodding' manner - so evidently I gave up. El Alquimista, 15 Nov 2003
Trata de un joven pastor quien decide ir en busca de un tesoro. dissapointed, 14 Nov 2008
i orderd this book as i am directing for my last year of uni and when it arrived it was all in french! so now i have to reconsider my options. Wonderful and Enlightening, 15 Sep 2002
Although so aptly called 'No Way Out', this book does open doors for it's readers by keeping shut the door in the room which, for these three people, each from a different walk of life, is their hell. As you read this play, many things appear to you, subtly said, and the wonderous comments it makes sink in even days after you have read it. This book has encouraged me to expand my existentialist fiction reading even further, and has put forward fantastical possibilities and amazed me with its subtle wit and theories. Enjoy!! Excellent insight into the work., 30 Jan 2002
Succinct and to the point. Provides useful and orignal insights into the work. Recommended. excellent, 01 Nov 2001
This book is one of the best I have ever read. Very easy to read, this short play is focused entirely on its fascinating characters, and explains - and convince you!- the very famous "Hell is other people". Shouldn't be missed. A glorious exstension of sartres genius, 23 Jun 2001
This book of plays makes an excellent and neccessary companion to Sartre's other works, such as Nausea and the Road to Freedom Trilogy. This works undoubtly mark Sartre as one of the most influential philosophers and human beings of the twentieth century. This novel is a classic of modern literature!, 17 Mar 2006
Anna Gavalda is a writer of genius! And "Ensemble, c'est tout" is a brilliantly written novel and classic of our time! This novel is a classic of modern literature!, 14 Mar 2006
Anna Gavalda is a writer of genius! And "Ensemble, c'est tout" is a brilliantly written novel and classic of our time! A very informative read!, 20 Mar 1999
I first read The Buried Mirror as a college student 7 years ago. Since then, I have travelled through Mexico, Guatemala, and Spain and have always looked to "The Burried Mirror" as a valuable source of insight to the cultures I experience. For anyone who has ever wondered about how the cultures and histories of those from the Iberian Peninsula and the Americas have comingled and collided, this is the book for you!
the book is excellent. However it is very expensive., 30 Aug 1998
The book is excellent but may not be available for everyone to read. I am a student at FIU in Miami Florida and I am unable to buy this book. As a future educator my most important goal is to be able to allow every potential student that wants to read be able too. Please allow the books to be more accesible to all people through reduced stuent pricing or any other methods that will allow individuals to have the opportunity to enhance and inrich their nowledge. thank you for your understanding. (bolivar68.aol.com)
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El Burlador De Sevilla
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £4.59
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Customer Reviews
Disappointing, 06 Nov 2008
Contrary to other reviewers, I found this book rather boring. Indeed, I have shelved the book whilst only two-thirds of the way through. Perhaps it lost something in translation as I found the narrative rather naïve and the constant use of parentheses irritating and unnecessary.
I wonder if the fate of Irene Nemirovsky merely served to hype the book rather more than it deserved.
Tragically unfinished, 30 Nov 2007
Suite Francaise consists of two short novels, originally intended to be part of a set of five. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, was a Russian Jew living in France, and was tragically killed in Auschwitz before her project could be completed.
The first of the two, 'Storm in June', is concerned with a variety of characters fleeing Paris as the Nazis occupy France as part of World War II. The second, 'Dolce', is about the German occupation of a small village in central France. Some characters feature in both stories, and it is clear that, had Nemirovsky lived to complete all five, the storylines of this disparate group would probably have come together.
The characters are realistic although often not particularly likable - certainly Nemirovsky draws on her first hand knowledge to depict the strange way human beings behave in extraordinary circumstances. There is a sense of bitterness underlying much of the narrative, particularly in the merciless depictions of the selfish upper class characters.
Knowledge of the circumstances in which the books were written adds to their impact. I felt that they were more realistic than many war stories, perhaps partly because I knew they were written by someone as they lived through it, but also by the many small details included. The hardcover edition includes two appendices containing Nemirovsky's plans for the other books, her correspondence, and the remarkable story of her life and how her manuscript survived the war when she did not. This is well worth reading as it enhances the overall experience of the book and serves as an important reminder of the sheer horror of the treatment meted out to Jews by the Nazis.
The two stories do seem a little unfinished - although given that Nemirovsky could have had few opportunities to revise them, are more polished than might be expected. It is a great sadness that she never had the chance to complete the other three books as I believe the final five-volume work would have been greater than the sum of its parts. Having been introduced to the characters there isn't much chance to get to know them before the book's premature end.
However, it is worth reading and has the same haunting effect as the Diary of Anne Frank. French Manners and Morals!, 06 Oct 2007
This book is truly amazing and being able to read it can be considered a priviledge. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, a White Russian, was born in Kiev in 1903. Her father was a successful Russian banker and the family enjoyed a life of luxury in Russia, but at the start of 1918 the family fled the Russian Revolution, leaving their fortune behind. They spent a year or so in Finland, then Sweden, before arriving in France in 1919, where the author became a bestselling novelist at the age of 26. The book is really two stories in one: the two parts that make-up the novel, plus the notes and letters that tell us the tragic story of the author and her husband (Michel Epstien) during their final months. Suite Francais is the first and second parts of a planned five-part, 1,000 page novel (although each part is complete in itself), but Irene Nemirovsky never wrote the remaining parts, as she died in Auschwitz in August 1942. It's a story written with such insight and honesty, regarding the way people from different walks of life and with differing attitudes, respond to the deprivations of war. What I also found remarkable was the fact that although the Germans were her tormentors, the story she tells contains no condemnation of the German Army, as we might expect, simply objective observations woven into the fabric. We're priviledged not only because it's an excellent read, but also for the fact that the story survived to be told at all! Following the author's arrest, her husband was arrested 3 months later, but the couple's two daughters were hidden by friends and mercifully survived the rest of the war. We learn how the eldest daughter, Denise, thinking that the notebook was her mother's diary, took it as a momento and it travelled with her from hiding place to hiding place; neither girl, however, ever attempted to read it. After the war, the girls discovered that their parents had in fact perished; they found it too painful to even open the notebook. It was many years later that they decided to entrust it to an organisation dedicated to documenting memories of war, but before doing so Denise decided to type a copy. To do so required the use of a magnifying glass, as the writing was so tiny, but on undertaking this painstaking job it soon became apparent to her that the contents were not a diary, but a work that conveyed a vivid snapshot of France and the French just before and during the occupation. She sent the manuscript to a publisher and 64 years after her mother's death, this book was published. We are also indebted to Sandra Smith for her translation that enabled us English-speakers to read this wonderful book. WW2 novel, 11 Sep 2007
This isn't the typical WW2 story that focuses on the troops and various battles etc. Instead it looks at the effect of the German advancement into France from the perspective of several different characters - rich and poor, young and old, men and women, in the city and countryside. What is fascinating is how most of them are connected in the story in the most innocuos ways - they pass each other on the street, stay in the same house etc. Worth noting is that the story doesn't build up into any grand climax. It just details the day to day affairs of living in a country at war from the perspective of people like you or I who unwittingly get caught up in it. It's emotional and thought provoking as opposed to gripping and action packed. If you're easily bored this may be one to avoid.
The book is divided into 2 parts, the first deals with the panic surrounding the news of the Germans entering France and heading towards Paris with ease. The second part is about the occupation and examines the peoples reaction to it. The book also contains an appendix with the authors notations and diary extracts about the 5 part book she was hoping to write but couldn't. Finally there is a bit sbout the authors as a life before and during the war and how the book got to being published 60 years later.I thought this was a good touch as it is a moving tale in itself. Reading Suite Francaise in French, 21 Jul 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel in French. The plot is quite complicated with so many characters but I kept a piece of paper with the book and wrote down who was where and what had happened to them which really helped. Wikipedia has a good resume of the plot too.
It was an ideal book to read in French as I could not put it down and the flight from Paris in the first part is very exciting.
Some friends were critical of her attitude to the characters, feeling that she did not like people in general, but I found her portrayal of the characters very realist, and their motivations in relation to the occupation were interesting and complex.
Great for improving your language skills!, 25 Jun 2007
Just the right level for the anyone with a basic command of Spanish (GCSE and above) and who wants to improve their vocabulary and sentence structure. A great story too! Fantastic journey!!!, 09 Apr 2007
Extraordinary!!!
If you are looking for inspiration when you cannot find any...you must read it!!!
It is a fantastic journey inside the fantastic world every one of us keep very deep....you can learn to dream and have hopes again..never stop to dream because the destiny will conspire to make all your dreams come true..
great line..Paulo.... Follow your dreams!, 02 Aug 2005
This book is absolutely FANTASTIC!!! Pulp Fiction, 09 Jun 2005
I had to give up reading the Alchemist probably to my relief, before it had got 'started'. As I turned the pages it seemed to me that the monotonous rythm, and general lack of music, which could have been created since the author had this unique opportunity sent me to sleep. The plot was patronisingly allegorical and I found myself writing open ended continuations for the book; I felt in this case I could flick through the volume to the end perhaps to get the gist. It turned out that the entire book was going to carry on in this uneventful, 'plodding' manner - so evidently I gave up. El Alquimista, 15 Nov 2003
Trata de un joven pastor quien decide ir en busca de un tesoro. dissapointed, 14 Nov 2008
i orderd this book as i am directing for my last year of uni and when it arrived it was all in french! so now i have to reconsider my options. Wonderful and Enlightening, 15 Sep 2002
Although so aptly called 'No Way Out', this book does open doors for it's readers by keeping shut the door in the room which, for these three people, each from a different walk of life, is their hell. As you read this play, many things appear to you, subtly said, and the wonderous comments it makes sink in even days after you have read it. This book has encouraged me to expand my existentialist fiction reading even further, and has put forward fantastical possibilities and amazed me with its subtle wit and theories. Enjoy!! Excellent insight into the work., 30 Jan 2002
Succinct and to the point. Provides useful and orignal insights into the work. Recommended. excellent, 01 Nov 2001
This book is one of the best I have ever read. Very easy to read, this short play is focused entirely on its fascinating characters, and explains - and convince you!- the very famous "Hell is other people". Shouldn't be missed. A glorious exstension of sartres genius, 23 Jun 2001
This book of plays makes an excellent and neccessary companion to Sartre's other works, such as Nausea and the Road to Freedom Trilogy. This works undoubtly mark Sartre as one of the most influential philosophers and human beings of the twentieth century. This novel is a classic of modern literature!, 17 Mar 2006
Anna Gavalda is a writer of genius! And "Ensemble, c'est tout" is a brilliantly written novel and classic of our time! This novel is a classic of modern literature!, 14 Mar 2006
Anna Gavalda is a writer of genius! And "Ensemble, c'est tout" is a brilliantly written novel and classic of our time! A very informative read!, 20 Mar 1999
I first read The Buried Mirror as a college student 7 years ago. Since then, I have travelled through Mexico, Guatemala, and Spain and have always looked to "The Burried Mirror" as a valuable source of insight to the cultures I experience. For anyone who has ever wondered about how the cultures and histories of those from the Iberian Peninsula and the Americas have comingled and collided, this is the book for you!
the book is excellent. However it is very expensive., 30 Aug 1998
The book is excellent but may not be available for everyone to read. I am a student at FIU in Miami Florida and I am unable to buy this book. As a future educator my most important goal is to be able to allow every potential student that wants to read be able too. Please allow the books to be more accesible to all people through reduced stuent pricing or any other methods that will allow individuals to have the opportunity to enhance and inrich their nowledge. thank you for your understanding. (bolivar68.aol.com)
Well below par, 25 Apr 2007
For me, this is definitely Vargas Llosa's weakest offering yet. Although entertaining enough, and written with his undeniable skill and style, this latest novel is well short of Vargas Llosa's normal high standards.
Essentially this novel is a story following the inextricably linked lives of the 2 main characters, across various continents and decades. Disappointingly, however, the underlying theme of the novel seems to be the author's desire to demonstrate his knowledge of all the countries in which he himself has lived over the various decades, rather than having any great story to tell. The story itself is threadbare, a poor man's Love in the Time of Cholera, and is essentially a ridiculous sequence of coincidental meetings between the writer and the nina mala. The novel crescendos to a farcical level, when the protagonist has a chance meeting with the nina's father in Peru.
Normally so insightful and probing, Vargas Llosa spends little time or care in examining or describing characters outside of the central plot.
Once I have overcome my disappointment, I will re-read some of his other works, so as not to leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
Passionate, brilliant, 20 Apr 2007
In its passion for love, life and writing, Mario Vargas Llosa's latest novel returns brilliantly to the inspirations of one of his best novels 'Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter'. In 'Travesuras de la Niña Mala', a young idealistic young man leaves Miraflores in Peru with no greater ambition than to spend the rest of his years living in the most beautiful city in the world, Paris. He is content to be nothing more than a humble translator and interpreter as long as it allows him to remain there, but a mysterious beautiful woman from his past turns up unexpectedly, and his life never again knows a moment's peace. Despite the torments she puts him through over the subsequent decades, he is continually unable to resist her charms.
There is little doubt that the desirable but uncontrollable 'niña mala' is nothing more than Ricardo's muse, the vital impulse to interact with life and write about it - each of her appearances coinciding with a new decade and new stage in the opening up of narrator's life. Even when the author is describing the most passionate of love scenes with the irresistible 'bad girl', you suspect that the only banging going on in all those hotel rooms and Parisian garrets is on a typewriter.
It sounds like a clever conceit, and anyone failing to catch the subtle literary subtext will undoubtedly struggle to get past the apparent coincidences of Ricardo's encounters, but Vargas Llosa makes it all completely real with his passionate and brilliant writing. 'Travesuras de la Niña Mala' is a dazzling, entertaining and deeply poignant work that, whether you are a writer or not, sums up the need to wholeheartedly embrace life, to make the most of the friendships that come your way, accepting all the joys and the heartaches that enrich the experience.
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Customer Reviews
Disappointing, 06 Nov 2008
Contrary to other reviewers, I found this book rather boring. Indeed, I have shelved the book whilst only two-thirds of the way through. Perhaps it lost something in translation as I found the narrative rather naïve and the constant use of parentheses irritating and unnecessary.
I wonder if the fate of Irene Nemirovsky merely served to hype the book rather more than it deserved.
Tragically unfinished, 30 Nov 2007
Suite Francaise consists of two short novels, originally intended to be part of a set of five. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, was a Russian Jew living in France, and was tragically killed in Auschwitz before her project could be completed.
The first of the two, 'Storm in June', is concerned with a variety of characters fleeing Paris as the Nazis occupy France as part of World War II. The second, 'Dolce', is about the German occupation of a small village in central France. Some characters feature in both stories, and it is clear that, had Nemirovsky lived to complete all five, the storylines of this disparate group would probably have come together.
The characters are realistic although often not particularly likable - certainly Nemirovsky draws on her first hand knowledge to depict the strange way human beings behave in extraordinary circumstances. There is a sense of bitterness underlying much of the narrative, particularly in the merciless depictions of the selfish upper class characters.
Knowledge of the circumstances in which the books were written adds to their impact. I felt that they were more realistic than many war stories, perhaps partly because I knew they were written by someone as they lived through it, but also by the many small details included. The hardcover edition includes two appendices containing Nemirovsky's plans for the other books, her correspondence, and the remarkable story of her life and how her manuscript survived the war when she did not. This is well worth reading as it enhances the overall experience of the book and serves as an important reminder of the sheer horror of the treatment meted out to Jews by the Nazis.
The two stories do seem a little unfinished - although given that Nemirovsky could have had few opportunities to revise them, are more polished than might be expected. It is a great sadness that she never had the chance to complete the other three books as I believe the final five-volume work would have been greater than the sum of its parts. Having been introduced to the characters there isn't much chance to get to know them before the book's premature end.
However, it is worth reading and has the same haunting effect as the Diary of Anne Frank. French Manners and Morals!, 06 Oct 2007
This book is truly amazing and being able to read it can be considered a priviledge. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, a White Russian, was born in Kiev in 1903. Her father was a successful Russian banker and the family enjoyed a life of luxury in Russia, but at the start of 1918 the family fled the Russian Revolution, leaving their fortune behind. They spent a year or so in Finland, then Sweden, before arriving in France in 1919, where the author became a bestselling novelist at the age of 26. The book is really two stories in one: the two parts that make-up the novel, plus the notes and letters that tell us the tragic story of the author and her husband (Michel Epstien) during their final months. Suite Francais is the first and second parts of a planned five-part, 1,000 page novel (although each part is complete in itself), but Irene Nemirovsky never wrote the remaining parts, as she died in Auschwitz in August 1942. It's a story written with such insight and honesty, regarding the way people from different walks of life and with differing attitudes, respond to the deprivations of war. What I also found remarkable was the fact that although the Germans were her tormentors, the story she tells contains no condemnation of the German Army, as we might expect, simply objective observations woven into the fabric. We're priviledged not only because it's an excellent read, but also for the fact that the story survived to be told at all! Following the author's arrest, her husband was arrested 3 months later, but the couple's two daughters were hidden by friends and mercifully survived the rest of the war. We learn how the eldest daughter, Denise, thinking that the notebook was her mother's diary, took it as a momento and it travelled with her from hiding place to hiding place; neither girl, however, ever attempted to read it. After the war, the girls discovered that their parents had in fact perished; they found it too painful to even open the notebook. It was many years later that they decided to entrust it to an organisation dedicated to documenting memories of war, but before doing so Denise decided to type a copy. To do so required the use of a magnifying glass, as the writing was so tiny, but on undertaking this painstaking job it soon became apparent to her that the contents were not a diary, but a work that conveyed a vivid snapshot of France and the French just before and during the occupation. She sent the manuscript to a publisher and 64 years after her mother's death, this book was published. We are also indebted to Sandra Smith for her translation that enabled us English-speakers to read this wonderful book. WW2 novel, 11 Sep 2007
This isn't the typical WW2 story that focuses on the troops and various battles etc. Instead it looks at the effect of the German advancement into France from the perspective of several different characters - rich and poor, young and old, men and women, in the city and countryside. What is fascinating is how most of them are connected in the story in the most innocuos ways - they pass each other on the street, stay in the same house etc. Worth noting is that the story doesn't build up into any grand climax. It just details the day to day affairs of living in a country at war from the perspective of people like you or I who unwittingly get caught up in it. It's emotional and thought provoking as opposed to gripping and action packed. If you're easily bored this may be one to avoid.
The book is divided into 2 parts, the first deals with the panic surrounding the news of the Germans entering France and heading towards Paris with ease. The second part is about the occupation and examines the peoples reaction to it. The book also contains an appendix with the authors notations and diary extracts about the 5 part book she was hoping to write but couldn't. Finally there is a bit sbout the authors as a life before and during the war and how the book got to being published 60 years later.I thought this was a good touch as it is a moving tale in itself. Reading Suite Francaise in French, 21 Jul 2007
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel in French. The plot is quite complicated with so many characters but I kept a piece of paper with the book and wrote down who was where and what had happened to them which really helped. Wikipedia has a good resume of the plot too.
It was an ideal book to read in French as I could not put it down and the flight from Paris in the first part is very exciting.
Some friends were critical of her attitude to the characters, feeling that she did not like people in general, but I found her portrayal of the characters very realist, and their motivations in relation to the occupation were interesting and complex.
Great for improving your language skills!, 25 Jun 2007
Just the right level for the anyone with a basic command of Spanish (GCSE and above) and who wants to improve their vocabulary and sentence structure. A great story too! Fantastic journey!!!, 09 Apr 2007
Extraordinary!!!
If you are looking for inspiration when you cannot find any...you must read it!!!
It is a fantastic journey inside the fantastic world every one of us keep very deep....you can learn to dream and have hopes again..never stop to dream because the destiny will conspire to make all your dreams come true..
great line..Paulo.... Follow your dreams!, 02 Aug 2005
This book is absolutely FANTASTIC!!! Pulp Fiction, 09 Jun 2005
I had to give up reading the Alchemist probably to my relief, before it had got 'started'. As I turned the pages it seemed to me that the monotonous rythm, and general lack of music, which could have been created since the author had this unique opportunity sent me to sleep. The plot was patronisingly allegorical and I found myself writing open ended continuations for the book; I felt in this case I could flick through the volume to the end perhaps to get the gist. It turned out that the entire book was going to carry on in this uneventful, 'plodding' manner - so evidently I gave up. El Alquimista, 15 Nov 2003
Trata de un joven pastor quien decide ir en busca de un tesoro. dissapointed, 14 Nov 2008
i orderd this book as i am directing for my last year of uni and when it arrived it was all in french! so now i have to reconsider my options. Wonderful and Enlightening, 15 Sep 2002
Although so aptly called 'No Way Out', this book does open doors for it's readers by keeping shut the door in the room which, for these three people, each from a different walk of life, is their hell. As you read this play, many things appear to you, subtly said, and the wonderous comments it makes sink in even days after you have read it. This book has encouraged me to expand my existentialist fiction reading even further, and has put forward fantastical possibilities and amazed me with its subtle wit and theories. Enjoy!! Excellent insight into the work., 30 Jan 2002
Succinct and to the point. Provides useful and orignal insights into the work. Recommended. excellent, 01 Nov 2001
This book is one of the best I have ever read. Very easy to read, this short play is focused entirely on its fascinating characters, and explains - and convince you!- the very famous "Hell is other people". Shouldn't be missed. A glorious exstension of sartres genius, 23 Jun 2001
This book of plays makes an excellent and neccessary companion to Sartre's other works, such as Nausea and the Road to Freedom Trilogy. This works undoubtly mark Sartre as one of the most influential philosophers and human beings of the twentieth century. This novel is a classic of modern literature!, 17 Mar 2006
Anna Gavalda is a writer of genius! And "Ensemble, c'est tout" is a brilliantly written novel and classic of our time! This novel is a classic of modern literature!, 14 Mar 2006
Anna Gavalda is a writer of genius! And "Ensemble, c'est tout" is a brilliantly written novel and classic of our time! A very informative read!, 20 Mar 1999
I first read The Buried Mirror as a college student 7 years ago. Since then, I have travelled through Mexico, Guatemala, and Spain and have always looked to "The Burried Mirror" as a valuable source of insight to the cultures I experience. For anyone who has ever wondered about how the cultures and histories of those from the Iberian Peninsula and the Americas have comingled and collided, this is the book for you!
the book is excellent. However it is very expensive., 30 Aug 1998
The book is excellent but may not be available for everyone to read. I am a student at FIU in Miami Florida and I am unable to buy this book. As a future educator my most important goal is to be able to allow every potential student that wants to read be able too. Please allow the books to be more accesible to all people through reduced stuent pricing or any other methods that will allow individuals to have the opportunity to enhance and inrich their nowledge. thank you for your understanding. (bolivar68.aol.com)
Well below par, 25 Apr 2007
For me, this is definitely Vargas Llosa's weakest offering yet. Although entertaining enough, and written with his undeniable skill and style, this latest novel is well short of Vargas Llosa's normal high standards.
Essentially this novel is a story following the inextricably linked lives of the 2 main characters, across various continents and decades. Disappointingly, however, the underlying theme of the novel seems to be the author's desire to demonstrate his knowledge of all the countries in which he himself has lived over the various decades, rather than having any great story to tell. The story itself is threadbare, a poor man's Love in the Time of Cholera, and is essentially a ridiculous sequence of coincidental meetings between the writer and the nina mala. The novel crescendos to a farcical level, when the protagonist has a chance meeting with the nina's father in Peru.
Normally so insightful and probing, Vargas Llosa spends little time or care in examining or describing characters outside of the central plot.
Once I have overcome my disappointment, I will re-read some of his other works, so as not to leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
Passionate, brilliant, 20 Apr 2007
In its passion for love, life and writing, Mario Vargas Llosa's latest novel returns brilliantly to the inspirations of one of his best novels 'Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter'. In 'Travesuras de la Niña Mala', a young idealistic young man leaves Miraflores in Peru with no greater ambition than to spend the rest of his years living in the most beautiful city in the world, Paris. He is content to be nothing more than a humble translator and interpreter as long as it allows him to remain there, but a mysterious beautiful woman from his past turns up unexpectedly, and his life never again knows a moment's peace. Despite the torments she puts him through over the subsequent decades, he is continually unable to resist her charms.
There is little doubt that the desirable but uncontrollable 'niña mala' is nothing more than Ricardo's muse, the vital impulse to interact with life and write about it - each of her appearances coinciding with a new decade and new stage in the opening up of narrator's life. Even when the author is describing the most passionate of love scenes with the irresistible 'bad girl', you suspect that the only banging going on in all those hotel rooms and Parisian garrets is on a typewriter.
It sounds like a clever conceit, and anyone failing to catch the subtle literary subtext will undoubtedly struggle to get past the apparent coincidences of Ricardo's encounters, but Vargas Llosa makes it all completely real with his passionate and brilliant writing. 'Travesuras de la Niña Mala' is a dazzling, entertaining and deeply poignant work that, whether you are a writer or not, sums up the need to wholeheartedly embrace life, to make the most of the friendships that come your way, accepting all the joys and the heartaches that enrich the experience.
To see the whole world, 03 May 2007
Trying to full describe the writings of Jorge Luis Borges is like trying to explain exactly why Leonardo da Vinci's art still captivates. The man wrote works of art.
"The Aleph and Other Stories" includes several of Borges' stories, with all sorts of surreal twists in a seemingly ordinary world. But this collection is a shining example of why people enjoy Borges -- magical, rich in language, and lets us glimpse the minds of anything and anyone he can conjure up.
The title story involves a sort of fictional version of Borges, who makes regular pilgrimages to the house of a woman he loved, and encounters her slightly nuts first cousin Daneri, who is composing a horrible epic poem describing the whole world. When Daneri's house is threatened, he reveals how he's composed the poem -- the Aleph, which he discovered as a child, and he allows Borges to catch a glimpse of... everything.
The other stories have tales of heretics and holy men, of a man's last days awaiting an assassin's bullet, of a girl who coldly seeks revenge for her father, and the Zahir (the opposite of the Aleph), which can cause an all-encompassing obsession in the one who sees it, until they shut out reality.
It's hard to even find a flaw with "The Aleph" -- Borges' writing is exquisitely detailed and atmospheric, and densely packed with philosophical pockets. The main flaw with this collection is that it's basically split into two very dissimilar styles -- some of them are short and relatively plain, while the others are dense pockets of philosophy. In fact, all the stories are based on the idea of shared experiences and infinite time, where there are no "new" experiences but only repetition.
And Borges wraps these stories in lush, digified prose that takes a little while to wade through, but the richness of the words he uses is worth it ("every generation of mankind includes four honest men who secretly hold up the universe and justify it"). And his writing takes on many different people's selves -- he even makes readers squirm by taking us into the mind of a loyal Nazi.
It's almost like another world, Borgeworld, which is almost like ours, but where magical items are hidden in the cellars, soldiers are forgotten, the Minotaur plays in his maze, and God dreams of mortal lives. The most entrancing foray into Borgeworld is "The Immortal," about a Roman soldier who goes searching for a city of immortals, and finds an ancient poet who seems very familiar.
"The Aleph and Other Stories" is a brilliant collection of Borges' exquisite stories. Magical and gritty, beautiful and haunting -- this collection should be cherished.
Intellectual ecstasy, 31 Dec 2001
"The Aleph" is the title given to a collection of short narratives written by J.L.Borges one of the most prominent Latin American writers who, contrary to his contemporaries, was mainly concerned with the eternal questions of existence, leaving political and social issues aside. An elusive personality, a solitary intellect, Borges addressed the selective ones and not the masses. With a succinct, sometimes laconic style, in an ironic and nihilistic attitude, he deals with philosophical questions, history, time, personal identity, human ethics, and the mystical experience of the Oneness. Most known for his poetry, Borges also wrote essays and short stories. His short stories can be viewed as essays, or essays which have turned into fiction. Borges had a metaphysical perspective of reality and his fictional universe is inmerssed in esoteric concepts and theological speculations on Gnosticism and Cabala. (The Aleph -- first letter of the Hebrew alphabet -- is considered by the Cabalists as the mystical letter through which it is possible to see the whole universe). Borges incorporates this concept in his obsession to find the ultimate elixir of life. For him life's purpose has no meaning, what is important is the ethical and intellectual instinct; reality is seen as ideas which only persist while they are perceived, time has no beginning and is not infinite. In this unconceivable world, the self must be extinguised in order to achieve revelation. To understand Borges requires rereading and interpretation, it requires an internalization of his philosophical perspectives which paradoxically means the impossibility of understanding. Borges draws literature into the world of quantum reality!
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