Customer Reviews

The Woman in the Row Behind

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The "official" book review states this book is funny. It definitely is not. Maybe something got lost in the translation... I don't know. What I do know is this book, even though definitely not funny, is excellent. I was hooked within the first paragraph, and could not put it down until I got to the end.

Nina's life is boring. The reader gets the impression that she does indeed love her husband, but more out of obligation than out of passion. And then all of a sudden she embarks on a very strange inner journey that leads to infidelity, but also reinvigorates her idea of her husband. Unfortunately for her, her husband doesn't play along.

The best part of the book is the glimpse the reader gets into what goes on in Nina's head as she takes this rocky path. Even though she engages in infidelity, the author writes her in such a touching and thoughtful way that readers care about Nina, and want to see her marriage survive.

Does it? Read it to find out.

The best thing I can say about this book is it was a very quick read. I read it in one sitting and the only reason I finished it was because it was such a quick read. The story is sad. It's hard to care for the characters, they are not very sympathetic. The story is a glimpse into the life of an unhappy, ill-suited married couple living in Paris running a newstand. They lack any ability to communicate with each other and she ends up cheating on him physically, while he cheats mentally with her alter-ego, unbeknownst to him. Neither are happy. Nor does happiness appear on the horizon. The bottom line: Nina is in need of a good therapist. This doesn't make for happy or even interesting reading. I'll leave it to the French.