3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A bearable lightness of being, December 29, 2009
This review is from: The Discreet Pleasures of Rejection: A Novel (Paperback)
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This is an odd little story, at least in the pre-publication proof, and I don't expect it will get any less odd in the final editing (there are a few small errors that need fixing). But "oddity" is the price we pay for entering into another literary world. It is very French in ethos and atmosphere, and I mean in a way beyond being set in Paris. (OK, for the anti-French Neanderthals among us, I'll point out the part where our rather lost hero, Virgil, describes the remembered highlights of a weekend visit to the house of some friends: "He enjoyed some great Burgundies, ate the best cheeses (camembert with calvados, livarot, and some pont-l'évêque.")
At one point the book seems to be essentially an Impressionist portrait of an uncertain, hazy figure against a background evocation of a - mostly! - beloved city. Also, in French (or 19th century English) style, we can feel that some of the emotions ascribed to Virgil (about the city, for example) are really those of the author: and the author is not shy of speaking directly to us in a philosophical aside.
The whole thing is not designed to be as "absorbing" as a more typical novel: it is a light framework created to carry many intriguing moments and light witticisms. But it is credible - after all, how disoriented would you be if there was a serious message on your answering machine from a woman addressing you by name and saying she was breaking up with you...and you had no idea who this was?
Unlike The Ginger Man, I found much quiet humor in Virgil's changing reactions to his situation and in the events of the story. There's a neat little "what else can go wrong" moment when his friend Faustine delivers to him a box of clothes that he had left at a previous girlfriend's apartment months ago. He was certainly glad to have them back...except that when he opened the box, they were not his clothes...oops...they belonged to a man twice his size and whose taste was twice as bad. Hmm - was he so completely forgettable?
There are several French references that may be obscure to readers, Nechayev, POUM, historical figures like Thiers and Louise Michel (his assassin). Doesn't matter much, and there's always Google. I enjoyed the trip far from my New England environment.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Despite the Obvious Smarts of this Author...., January 21, 2010
This review is from: The Discreet Pleasures of Rejection: A Novel (Paperback)
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... the narrator, somewhat autobiographically, seemed too self-preoccupied to be interesting and the events that unfolded regarding his non-girlfriend seemed much ado about nothing. if one can like the narrator at least some strong emotion might be evoked towards him. Yes he's described as a dilettante student yet he doesn't stick to his studies nor to gaining insights about what happens "to" him. I longed for some redemption, some breakthrough - or some thoughtful writing that made me care about his being stuck. But I bet i am in the cranky minority here s his books have been translated into a dozen languages. Maybe I lean toward to bold or even goofy characters with some peculiarities that make you wonder how things will turn out.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing, January 17, 2010
This review is from: The Discreet Pleasures of Rejection: A Novel (Paperback)
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Overview:
The second translated work by this author, this was not as much fun to read as the first. I was, quite honestly, a bit disappointed by this.
Plot:
The protagonist, Victor, returns from work to discover a message on his answering machine informing him that his girlfriend is breaking up with him. Naturally, this causes him some consternation, not the least reason of which is that he can't remember her. At all. Apparently, the entirety of their relationship has slipped his mind.
The remainder of the book is comprised of Victor's attempts to 1) remember his girlfriend and 2) find her.
The plot is, unsurprisingly, poorly developed. This is unsurprising, since Martin Page typically writes character-centered pieces, rather than spy novels. But, in this case, it is astonishingly bad. There ought to be SOME plot here, but there isn't, really. It is unfortunate, because if Martin Page were to pcik up these skills somewhat, his books could be classics.
Characters:
The main character, and the only one of any real import is Victor. Victor is a self-absorbed young man, who is trying to understand why a relationship, which may or may not have even really happened, has failed.
Setting:
The story is set in modern day France, but could be set anywhere. The setting is not really relevant.
Theme:
The theme of the story is the foreignness of self, at least on occasion. Victor's sudden dissociation with his own life is a critical element of the story, as he finds himself questioning all of his own reality.
Point of View:
The point of view is uniquely from Victor's, which is not surprising, considering that we are intended to feel his same sense of fragmentation and confusion about his life.
Aesthetics:
The aesthetics are good, as they always are when Martin Page is involved. This is true despite the medium of translation. Speaking of which...
Translation:
Since I cannot read French, it is a little difficult to evaluate the translation in many aspects. But, the one aspect that it is possible to evaluate it in is whether the translation seems stilted, unreadable, or otherwise appears to bring up a barrier hindering the understanding of the story.
Conclusion:
While I was a big fan of "How I Became Stupid", I was a bit disappointed by this book. The piquant nihilism of the former is replaced here with a pale and vapid meaninglessness. Hopefully his next translated work will be a bit better.
Grade: C+
Harkius
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