Customer Reviews

Paris 75016: Hell's Diary (French Millennium Library)

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

 

 

This book didn't manage to make me feel anything. I simply couldn't get myself to sympathise with the heroine. Sure, she is just a kid, lost in life, looking for honest human relationships and struggeling with the superficiality and indifference of the world around her, but at the same time a lot of her misery seems rather self-inflicted. Even if this might make me sound ultra-conservative, it's not like she lacks the means to make other choices and no circumstances force her to spend her life between clubs, drugs and designer clothes.

As for the shock value (a cynical teenager taking drugs, drinking and having random sex with everybody in sight) it is all a little too constructed to be truely shocking and there are other books about similar issues (American Psycho) that do a much better job in getting to you.

I have just purchased the book but I have seen the movie "Hell" based on this novel of Lolita Pille. Trust me, the story of Hell will shock you and will definitely encourage you to look at many things in life from different angle. If you're not sure about the book, watch the movie first and I bet next thing you will do will be buying this book.

Though many people say they could not get into the character of Hell and all her escapades, I found her facinating. When she eventually goes straight it was almost a let down from her former self and I found myself wanting her to be the old Hell. She is a spoiled rich bitch but she tells you that from the beginning.

Didn't take long to get to the house and I loved the book!! Great seller.

I read this novel, and I did not like it. It's a story about a rather tiresome Parisian teenager, the daughter of wealthy parents, who spends her time partying it up and spending money. But, despite the fact this young woman has money to burn, all she does is moan and complain and whine about her personal problems. Sorry, I can't feel much sympathy. It gets boring real fast. Hell, the main character is just not very likeable and I found myself thinking, who cares about her problems when the French-born children of African immigrants have it so much worse? Plus, the writing is rather awkward and stilted -- which most probably is the fault of the translator, I'll give Ms. Pille the benefit of the doubt on that score. All in all, this book is a mess, I felt it was a waste of my time, it isn't much of a read. As someone else said about this book, it's a morality tale without a point.

Great read, sharp writing, and I especially admired the translation. Can't be easy to render the world of a rich bitch French teenage rebel into another language. What got me the most was how the apparent ranting of a spoiled brat in fact turns into a very profound look at love.