Customer Reviews

The Malady of Death

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a book for those that want to understand the pain of the human soul. It tells a story of a person that had died inside, but still continues to exist in the world of the living. He desperately tries to love in order to live again, but fails, because he is ill. His illness has a name, it is called - "The Malady of Death". I assure you, this is not just another french book. This book is written by Marguerite Duras. If you have ever read anything of hers, you would know what I mean. She writes with thoughts instead of sentences, and that alone captivates reader's imagination. This particular creation will inevitably leave a trace in your memory, because her work is not only unforgetable, it is at times disturbing. She knows the other, unknown side to the human soul, and she carries her message across skillfully. If you are one of the people that questions and desires to understand - this is a book for you. Every word has it's place, every sentence has it's mission. Indulge.

I picked up "Malady of Death" in a bargain bin at Waldenbooks many years ago. Having heard a great deal about "The Lover," also by Duras, I decided that at a mere 60+ pages and at a ridiculously low price, there was little to lose. I found myself reading it and re-reading it. There isn't much to the story, nor is it much of one. However, this is not so much a case of what is written as much as how it is written. Duras language is extremely poetic with an ever present sense of longing and sorrow. The lyrical quality in her writing is absolutely magical. The simple story of someone paying for companionship, intimacy and, ultimately, sex because of his inability to love is hardly a groundbreaking premise, but, again, its worth and beauty lie in how it is communicated and the sensation you experience in its wake. Very beautiful, indeed.

Hmmm. One could write a review longer than the book, it seems; I wonder if that would miss the point. I suppose one could impose a number of interpretations upon this very brief novel, but I though of it as a rather literal story. A very lonely and probably shy man pays a woman to spend several nights with him to see if he can ever love or be loved. Sadly, the answer is no. And then she is gone. His effort to exert and enforce control proves to be impotent. Even though he won't even allow her to voice her pleasure - why? - she seems to feelo only a reserved pity for him; not anger, hatred, resentment, fear, or any other emotion I would expect a woman in her position to feel. Such is his own powerlessness, his malady of death. This is an excellent book which, yes, can be read in the book store without spending any money. Shame on you for doing that, and not supporting such inquisitive literature, and giving yourself the opportunity to re-read and study the text.

I thought that "The Malady of Death" was better that "Blue Eyes, Black Hair" in that it was shorter and more to the point, but if you want to read a more in-depth look at the same basic story line, then "Blue Eyes, Black Hair" brings insight into yet another atypical Duras romance even though it tends to drag on. If you like Duras, but want a book that flows easier, I recommend "10:30 on a Summer Night."

I read this book when i was on a "French thing" in my reading, i had read Camus, Satre and Gide before reading this book. I don't think Duras is in quite the same league as those great French writers but she is definately worth reading and based on this book i would like to read more of her work.
The malady of death tells the story of a man who has already died inside but continues to live on. He hires a woman for a few days to see if he can learn to feel love and it is she who diagnosis his condition. He cannot love or be loved and this is his tragedy.
I enjoyed this book very much but i would minus one star because of its brevity.

This book is great to read again and again and still find new meanings and personal understandings each time. It is deceptively light - and the rich meanings underneath the words could easily be missed because of the style in delivery. A Beautiful piece of truth and human poetry.

not as accessible as some of her other work... it is in some ways connected to "blue eyes, black hair" which you might like to read first....

powerful stuff, if a bit ... hard to get into at times, but as always the writing is beautiful.

Although Marguerite Duras is one of my favorite writers, I don't recommend buying this book... anywhere. It is so short you can read the entire book in a bookstore and save yourself some money! When I purchased this book, I was hoping to read a novel but was disappointed to find that it is nothing short of a really long poem dragged out in size 16 font over 60 pages of reading. Which I read in about 15-20 minutes. Although I found the story quite intriguing it was not what I'd hoped for; it lacked the type of stream of consciousness writing Marguerite Duras is known for which is autobiographical in nature and very real. The malady of death is a poem. So if you are looking for a novel to read, this is not it. I recommend, "The Lover" it is by far her best work.