Customer Reviews

Diary of a Chambermaid

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The fact that the publisher is trying to sell this book as a salacious novel says more about the publisher than the book.

Mirbeau was a social critic and a disciple of Tolstoy, not the pervert that the publisher would have you believe. He believed that modern civilization was built on cruelty and that much of society, especially the ruling classes, were morally corrupt. The fact that this novel was adapted by such sensitive artists and social critics as Jean Renoir and Luis Bunuel should tell you that it's a serious work.

Read the novel and watch the films. Note how the story is so powerful that both filmmakers had to water it down for film audiences.

I consider this the best novel I have ever read because this novel, in my opinion, is the work of art that comes closest to revealing women's true nature. It should be a touchstone for any woman who reads it. Because Mirbeau does his best to make Joseph as despicable as possible. But, Women, when you've read the book ask yourself, "Do you like Joseph"?

We read this for bookclub & watched 2 movies made from this book. The book is not as naughty as was expected.

This book will tell you the experiences of a maid and what she does to her patron and what her patron does to her, as all these kind of books, after you read half of it you will know what will happen in the next page, in the middle of the book is a murder that nobody can solve and after that is a robbery that also nobody can solve, so this book is a waste of time, nevertheless let me tell you that what happened with that maid in 1900 is exactly what happen with the maids today.