Customer Reviews

I Wish Someone Were Waiting For Me Somewhere

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I understand that Anna Gavalda is French, and the evidence is her wry, Gallic humor and tendency to understate the obvious in her stories. Ostensibly a collection of love stories, Gavalda's collection really runs the gamut of many emotions.

Some leave you rueful, others make you wish she had stretched them out and made even more of the story. Some shock--"Catgut" is an example of an emotionally charged story of horror and revenge. "Junior" is a sad story of a young man's folly -- and not a misstep with love. My favorites of the collection are "For Years", as a man meets his lost love, and learns she is dying, "Pregnant", a tale of shock and sadness that many of us have had to face, and the lead tale, "Courting Rituals of the Saint-Germain-des-Pres", in which a young woman surfaces her doubts about love at first sight by finding a cellular pretense to leave a man she is attracted to.

Gavalda has an interesting, rich voice, slants her stories from several perspectives, keeps you refreshed and reading. When you are finished, disappointment that there is no more lets you know that you are truly in the presence of a great young writer.

Exciting, bold, makes you want to read more by Gavalda!

I was in need of a book and I didn't know where to begin...so I began shopping for titles. This captivates you right off. The novel is simply a defining moment in writing. I think it is one of the best pieces of literature I have ever read, in that it stays with you. Another unique ability this author has is she masters the ability to change "voice" of her characters from story to story. I have lent this book out numerous times and never without fail- everyone adores it. I would say the only possiblity that you might not be captivated by it is if you don't take the time to let it dissolve in your mind. Truly a fine fine book.

"I wish someone were waiting for me somewhere" --- this echoes what we all feel in our hearts. For some it may be a feeling they harbor secretly, while for others it's a well advertised fact told to all they know, and for those few who always seem in control of their lives this feeling hides in the shadows of their heart but is always there --- for everyone, everywhere wishes for that special someone.

Anna Gavalda has captured these unusual yet down-to-earth stories with so much charisma. From the aging singer who is tired of life but who finds love unexpectedly, to the man in the "lead story" who faces a dire dilemma, these are all stories with an essence of truth in them. They deal with broken hearts, lost loves, happiness and sadness. And at times, these stories may lead you to think more deeply about your own past, your secrets and fears.

I must admit that at first I found the book daunting to read, as Anna Gavalda writes in a very straightforward manner. For someone like me who enjoys reading crime novels, thrillers and lighthearted fare, the writing was quite different. But I eventually warmed to the book, and was both entertained and touched by its many wonderful stories. Whether they mean anything to you or not, these stories will open your eyes to situations you may never have imagined.

To sit down and read a book based purely on life takes maturity and an understanding beyond all that you know and believe. Perhaps it is time for many of you readers out there --- secrets, fears and all --- to delve deep into your soul and look beyond your circle of life to learn about the reality of those around you.

--- Reviewed by Vin Patel

The stories are real. There's nothing cushy in them. They make you laugh, and make you think "I would've done the same thing". They're cynical too. But the are GOOD. Reading these stories was like sitting down with a girlfriend and a glass of wine and talking for hours. Perfect. Especially when you're tired of all the books with perfectly wrapped up happy endings.

This collection of short stories by Anna Gavalda, a former high-school teacher and mother of two, won the Academie Francaise Short Story Award in 2000. The citation mentions the 'dry wit and almost involuntary elegance' apparent in the twelve stories. The translation (by Karen Marker, published in 2003) manages to preserve both the wit and elegance - these stories were fun to read.

Courting rituals of the Saint-Germain-de-Pres, a country vet's terrible revenge, an indelible encounter between a wild boar and a Jaguar which cannot end well: Gavalda's range is impressive. There are stories about longing and loss, a few almost unbearably poignant; others hilariously funny. Remarkably, in many cases, it's only in the last few lines that Gavalda reveals her hand.

Many of the stories reach the level of Dorothy Parker at her best, which is to say they are very good indeed. Gavalda shifts easily between male and female perspectives; in almost every case the result is moving, without being sentimental, and is told with a dry, often devastating, wit.

I picked this one up because I had heard some good things and love Dorothy Parker. As a whole, I loved the collection. Gavalda is equally comfortable describing the intricacies of a Parisian date as she is writing (with chilling frankness) about a terrifying episode in "Catgut." An excellent French writer whose voice is preserved in the translation.

Can Anna Gavalda become the new generation Françoise Sagan of French literature?... Most probably not, in terms of the much settled life style of hers but when it comes to her style in literature, most probably yes, for in her stories you can find the warmth and the detachment; the happiness and the loneliness; the laughters and the tears of human beings, intact and strong as they were in Sagan's works...

These stories are lovely, direct and unsettling all at once. Gavalda's writing style is quite distinctive, providing carefully chosen details and insights in a small amount of space. This gives the reader a snapshot of a particular person, relationship or situation in each story.

Some stories have more action than others, some are humorous and others are tragic, but each is a gem. Although the stories are brief, I suggest reading only one or two at a time (if you can) to really savor them.

"I shifted somewhat abruptly. She stood back up behind me and put both hands flat on my shoulders. She said, "I'm going to go. I want you not to move and not to turn around. Please I am begging of you. "
I didn't move I didn't want to anyway, because I didn't want her to see me with my eyes swollen and my face all contorted.
I waited a while, and then headed to my car."
A scene from the story "For Years".

Anna Gavalda has seen a lot in her life. This novel with twelve short stories of people trying to connect, shows her capturing their inner dialogues with perfect pitch. Reaching out, knowing they are missing something and moving to the center to find exactly what it is. These stories, all small snippets of life. Coming-apart love, met-again love, aborted love, unknown love and of love lost; all woven from separate stories into a theme.

The saddest is the "Pregnancy". The story of a new love and the nine months it takes to grow this new love, only to have an unknown enemy defeat it.

In "Clic-Clac", a young man learns that his love or lust for Sarah Briot may not come to fruition if he continues to live with his two sisters. He doesn't understand this until one of his sisters makes fun of a gift he has hidden. The emergence of this maturity, and his move to a new apartment attracts the attention of Sarah Briot, and this newly found attention has turned his world around. Lucky man.

In "For Years' a man searches for his lost love. Not reality searching but in his mind. He knows where she lives but not why she left. Both of them have moved on but he knows not why. And, then one day twelve years later he hears from her.

In "Courting Rituals of the Saint-Germaine-des-Pres", an attractive woman smiles at a passing man, and he pursues her. He asks her out to dinner. They meet hours later, both with a purpose of their own. They are attracted to each other and she is thinking of what might happen after dinner, when all of a sudden his cell phone goes off. At that moment he shuts it off, but she sees him surreptiously look at the number of the caller. She knows that the evening is over, forever.

Each of these stories is better then the other, each one tells a separate but seemingly familar tale. These are the stories of a friend who is telling you bits and pieces of life. These are lively stories told with flourish and style. There is variety that surprises you, Parisian chic or hilarious, sophisticated farce. Anna Gavalda sees through ordinary appearances to our hidden longings. Highly Recommended. prisrob 3-4-06

My whole entire French Lit class was based on this book. Although I read it in French, I was able to learn and understand a lot about Anna Gavalda. All the short stories are 3rd person, except for the final story, which is told by Gavalda, from her life. She is an intriging author and I was lucky enough to have my teacher sit and go through each story to fully understand the meanings of everything. Buy this book if you don't want some sappy love story, or if you like something real. Each of these characters are real, and the portrail of relationships for each of them isn't a fairytale, its life. Another little piece of information which might make someone understand where she was coming from at the time, is that Gavalda was going through a divorce while in the process of writing this book.