Customer Reviews

No More

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This book's greatest values are (a) a look into the mind of a great author approaching death and (b) an interesting writing style ... Duras with a touch of Jabes! Duras approaches death with an honest mix of human emotions - sometimes very attached to Yann, sometimes reconciled to death as the ultimate letting go of Yann; sometimes proud and nearly pretentious regarding her writings, sometimes humbly expecting to be soon forgotten. Unlike some authors writing in similiar straits, Duras feels no need to pretend that age has made her wise. Rather she reflects as if age has only made her experienced.

If you've not read Duras and have no particular interest in human reaction to impending death, read several Duras books before reading No More but at some point read No More - it is time well spent.

A morbid attraction to the dying words of a great writer that fails greatly here. Occasionaly there are glimpses of her past greatness but most of the book is full of nonsense such as like: "I've never been pretentious.", "Both of us are innocents" (Refering to her 29 year old lover and her in her 80's (?)), "I don't know how to add. All I know how to do is create."

This very short work is followed by an essay that has some insight but mostly it's serious prose that sounds weighter than it really is. It is written by Christiane Blot-Labarrere who is (according to the book) "among the very few whose writtings were respected by Duras."

This is the type of book many creative writting students are writting and it is an example of why many intellgent readers do not read "serious books." Pick up the Lover instead to see this woaman's greatness.