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2 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Pleasant, Witty, Read
M. Rene is a very pleasant, worldly novel that has all of the charm that one would expect from Ustinov, but also some very real intelligence, obviously the product of a thoughtful life. The writing can be a bit meandering, but I'm more interested in characters than plots, so that was not fatal. The story of an old man having an awakening, having a rebirth of sorts, is a...
Published on April 27, 2001
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
An old man's darling
For some reason I always find that books or movies made by exceptionally clever men like Peter Ustinov or Orson Welles to be just that touch TOO clever and that, somehow, they always miss the mark with me... perhaps my tastes are a bit too plebian to fully appreciate their work. Monsieur Rene is a recently retired hotel concierge who has worked at the top hotels around...
Published on October 3, 2006 by Beverley Strong
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Pleasant, Witty, Read,
By A Customer
This review is from: Monsieur Rene: A Novel (Hardcover)
M. Rene is a very pleasant, worldly novel that has all of the charm that one would expect from Ustinov, but also some very real intelligence, obviously the product of a thoughtful life. The writing can be a bit meandering, but I'm more interested in characters than plots, so that was not fatal. The story of an old man having an awakening, having a rebirth of sorts, is a wonderful thing, showing the fact that our lives are always capable of being renewed in spirit. Ustinov also gave us a nice glimpse into Swiss society and into the world of those who work in fashionable hotels, which are doubtless more familiar to him than they are to the rest of us! Overall, I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to those in search of a book with some brains and a sense of humor. Just don't look for a "thrilling, intricate, page-turner of a novel." It's more ruminating than that, and infinitely more satisfying.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
An old man's darling,
By
This review is from: Monsieur Rene: A Novel (Hardcover)
For some reason I always find that books or movies made by exceptionally clever men like Peter Ustinov or Orson Welles to be just that touch TOO clever and that, somehow, they always miss the mark with me... perhaps my tastes are a bit too plebian to fully appreciate their work. Monsieur Rene is a recently retired hotel concierge who has worked at the top hotels around the world and is acquainted with the leading lights in politics, theatre etc. and knows all of their personal foibles. He had been in a loveless marriage for many years but is happier as a widower until he meets a woman who reignites feelings of passion and, after just one night of love making, opens him up to feelings that he has never before experienced. Rene and a couple of his friends dabble in police matters in an attempt by old men to fill their days with something other than the mundane, and bite off more than they could chew. It's all a bit bland and, unfortunately, I found it neither funny or particularly interesting, much as I have the deepest admitation for Peter Ustinov.
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Monsieur Rene: A Novel by Peter Ustinov (Hardcover - Dec. 1999)
$27.98 $26.62
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