Le Divorce - Diane Johnson

Fiction

Verdict: Read it if you have an interest in France

I picked up this novel at a thrift store when I was in the US becaue I was bored and needed a novel and I became a bit obsessed with other people's divorces. This book didn't really solve either problem. 

The novel is about a young lady who moves to France to help her pregnant and deserted sister. She doesn't have a strong connection to France, nor any particularly compelling reason to go, besides it seems expected she will. It's then the usual story of expat adjustments, loving and hating a new country, and then becoming strangely unwilling to leave. For anyone who reads books of this sort or who has lived a life of this sort, it's a pretty text book case. I found myself unable to stay interested because at times it seemed that the author was overly invested in explaining French culture to her readers. While this is not a bad goal for another type of book, it's a pretty poor one for a novel.  Fortunately, there was no happily ever after at the end - like the sister gettng back together with her useless husband nor the protagonist having some happily ever after with her May December affair. There were so many different directions the author could have pursued or deep dove into but kept it very surface level. I'm not against having mundane, every day events in a plot line, but they should be contributing something to the theme. I just didn't feel that for this book. 

To be fair, I know nothing about Diane Johnson, and I try not to uselessly criticize, but I just couldn't get into this book. Perhaps if the reader is into French culture/Paris then this would be enjoyable as a time pass afternoon book. 

Meh.

~Becky~

French Lover - Taslima Nasrin

Fiction
Verdict: Interesting, yet depressing

I can't quite remember why I picked this book to read - I believe it was recommended to me.  

The protagonist is an Indian woman with a past who has accepted an arranged marriage to escape from the rumors and problems at home. He lives very comfortably in France and she moves to be with him. She does not know him well, and they really are ill-suited for each other. After a spate of uncomfortable confrontations and traditional minded unmatched expectations from him, she leaves and moves in with a co-worker.  

She wanders through life and job, re-finding herself and generally being content. Then she meets the french lover. Life is good and interesting. They have their ups and downs, but are generally happy. As the story progresses, we see our heroine slowly losing herself once again and being sucked into mind fuck games - such as constant comparisons with a wife she knew nothing about.

In the end he ends up hating her and cursing her, because he feels like he has her. There is no longer a challenge.

Nasrin's protagonist was portrayed brilliantly. She is both courageous and flawed, brave and naive. The husband and the lover were also portrayed in an all too read sense. This book was incredibly hard for me to read as a result. After my relationship history, I think that Nasrin probably had similar encounters with men in her life - the descriptions just ring too true and too vivid. 

It also opened up insecurities in me that I wasn't aware I still harbored. Will he end up hating me? Does he just like me because I'm exotic? I've tried not to linger on these thoughts, but as with anyone who finds themselves married to a stranger, time doesn't give a sense of security all the time. 

Read it if you want your relationship naivety cherry popped, but it's a difficult one.

Becky