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noranie's review
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
star_girl54's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5
nailicheballah's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
it feels so scary getting old
debbooks17's review
challenging
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
nunuseli's review against another edition
5.0
'El baile' es un libro perfecto con todas las letras. No le sobra ni le falta nada. Es una pequeña obra maestra concentrada en menos de 100 páginas. Despierta mi envidia hasta límites insospechados.
Antoinette es una niña de 14 años, hija de un matrimonio que gracias a un golpe de suerte en la bolsa ha conseguido situarse en la alta sociedad del París de antes de la segunda guerra mundial. Por eso deciden celebrar un gran baile e invitar la flor y nata, pero no tienen pensado que Antoinette asista ni remotamente al baile, sino que dejarán que duerma en el cuarto de planchar, porque también necesitarán su habitación para que sirva de guardarropa. Evidentemente a Antoinette esto no le hace mucha gracia, que digamos.
No me gusta sólo porque todos los libros que se centran en chicas adolescentes me pirran, especialmente si están escritos por mujeres y puedo reconocer perfectamente lo que está relatando, porque Antoinette es un personaje tan real y tan creíble, con esos excesos melodramáticos y llenos de autocompasión, las fantasías de suicidio o los momentos "todo el mundo me odia". Pero no penséis que todo es angst, Némirovsky tiene un talento impresionante para analizar psicológicamente sus personajes, mostrándonos con realismo el egoísmo humano y nuestros peores defectos. Y lo mejor de todo es que no tiene piedad: es incisiva, mordaz y sarcástica. Critica tanto Antoinette con sus berrinches, como las pretensiones de los nuevos ricos, y también las envidias que despiertan en la gente que los rodea.
Pero a pesar de todo, a pesar de que los personajes están llenos de defectos, son tan reales que acabas compadeciéndote de ellos, porque todos sufren y tienen sus motivos, nada distintos de los nuestros: Antoinette, por ejemplo, sólo está impaciente para empezar a vivir, hacerse mayor y disfrutar de lo que le han prometido, mientras que su madre sólo se siente estafada porque no ha podido disfrutar de lo que le habían prometido y siente que se le está escapando el tiempo. Y es que la relación entre madre y hija está magistralmente descrita, de una forma cruda, detallando las envidias y los malentendidos que surgen entre ellas, ejemplificando lo distintas y lo iguales que son.
Pero no sólo por la descripción de personajes destaca esta obra, sino también por su estructura: con cuatro escenas yuxtapuestas nos cuenta unas vidas completas y la tensión va en aumento, creando un suspense incómodo, hasta el final impagable. Pocas veces me atrevo a recomendar libros, pero si recomendara éste creo que iría sobre seguro, porque es perfecto, ya lo he dicho antes.
Antoinette es una niña de 14 años, hija de un matrimonio que gracias a un golpe de suerte en la bolsa ha conseguido situarse en la alta sociedad del París de antes de la segunda guerra mundial. Por eso deciden celebrar un gran baile e invitar la flor y nata, pero no tienen pensado que Antoinette asista ni remotamente al baile, sino que dejarán que duerma en el cuarto de planchar, porque también necesitarán su habitación para que sirva de guardarropa. Evidentemente a Antoinette esto no le hace mucha gracia, que digamos.
No me gusta sólo porque todos los libros que se centran en chicas adolescentes me pirran, especialmente si están escritos por mujeres y puedo reconocer perfectamente lo que está relatando, porque Antoinette es un personaje tan real y tan creíble, con esos excesos melodramáticos y llenos de autocompasión, las fantasías de suicidio o los momentos "todo el mundo me odia". Pero no penséis que todo es angst, Némirovsky tiene un talento impresionante para analizar psicológicamente sus personajes, mostrándonos con realismo el egoísmo humano y nuestros peores defectos. Y lo mejor de todo es que no tiene piedad: es incisiva, mordaz y sarcástica. Critica tanto Antoinette con sus berrinches, como las pretensiones de los nuevos ricos, y también las envidias que despiertan en la gente que los rodea.
Pero a pesar de todo, a pesar de que los personajes están llenos de defectos, son tan reales que acabas compadeciéndote de ellos, porque todos sufren y tienen sus motivos, nada distintos de los nuestros: Antoinette, por ejemplo, sólo está impaciente para empezar a vivir, hacerse mayor y disfrutar de lo que le han prometido, mientras que su madre sólo se siente estafada porque no ha podido disfrutar de lo que le habían prometido y siente que se le está escapando el tiempo. Y es que la relación entre madre y hija está magistralmente descrita, de una forma cruda, detallando las envidias y los malentendidos que surgen entre ellas, ejemplificando lo distintas y lo iguales que son.
Pero no sólo por la descripción de personajes destaca esta obra, sino también por su estructura: con cuatro escenas yuxtapuestas nos cuenta unas vidas completas y la tensión va en aumento, creando un suspense incómodo, hasta el final impagable. Pocas veces me atrevo a recomendar libros, pero si recomendara éste creo que iría sobre seguro, porque es perfecto, ya lo he dicho antes.
lorees_reading_nook's review against another edition
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.75
Real rating 3.7
Despite the brevity of both stories in this book, I felt that the author expertly captured the essence of her main characters and was able to convey them to her readers. Antoinette is a typical teenager, self-centred with violent mood swings, that she gives into without thinking of the consequences as long as she has her revenge. It was uncomfortable to deal with her petulance but it made for a very realistic read. None of the Kampfs are likeable but I believe that this is intended. As a reader, I was never sure where my sympathies lay. Probably with none of them.
Snow In Autumn is a sadder story. The protagonist, Tatiana. Is an elderly servant who remains loyal to her masters even when faced with poverty and exile. It was heart-breaking to read about the plight of this stoic woman who left her beloved country and customs behind and tried to adapt to a new way of life. The writing is exquisite and Tatiana’s grief is palpable.
Both stories offer an insight into the harsh realities of family dynamics. But, whereas Le Bal is tense and dramatic, Snow In Autumn has a slower, melancholic pace. It was definitely my favourite of the two.
I highly recommend this book as an excellent introduction to Irene Nemirovsky’s writing.
Despite the brevity of both stories in this book, I felt that the author expertly captured the essence of her main characters and was able to convey them to her readers. Antoinette is a typical teenager, self-centred with violent mood swings, that she gives into without thinking of the consequences as long as she has her revenge. It was uncomfortable to deal with her petulance but it made for a very realistic read. None of the Kampfs are likeable but I believe that this is intended. As a reader, I was never sure where my sympathies lay. Probably with none of them.
Snow In Autumn is a sadder story. The protagonist, Tatiana. Is an elderly servant who remains loyal to her masters even when faced with poverty and exile. It was heart-breaking to read about the plight of this stoic woman who left her beloved country and customs behind and tried to adapt to a new way of life. The writing is exquisite and Tatiana’s grief is palpable.
Both stories offer an insight into the harsh realities of family dynamics. But, whereas Le Bal is tense and dramatic, Snow In Autumn has a slower, melancholic pace. It was definitely my favourite of the two.
I highly recommend this book as an excellent introduction to Irene Nemirovsky’s writing.
milesjmoran's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 for Le Bal. I really liked this story but I wasn't moved by it at all really. The premise is great, and the execution is good but I wanted a little something more from this.
4 for Snow in Autumn. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, which I think may have been due to the setting/subject (a wealthy Russian family flee to France in the wake of the Russian Revolution). Emotive, haunting and beautifully written, this is one I'll think about for a while.
4 for Snow in Autumn. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, which I think may have been due to the setting/subject (a wealthy Russian family flee to France in the wake of the Russian Revolution). Emotive, haunting and beautifully written, this is one I'll think about for a while.
d_iris's review against another edition
3.0
I thought that this book was harsh. The messed up realities of families and their dynamics are fascinating and heartbreaking. So I liked this book, I did, but I don't think I'd read it again.
bella_mckinnon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
La Bal:
* well-written
* sharp, intense, fierce
* related to the angsty teen struggle of a child who despises their parent, thought it was clear and on-the-nose
* Antoinette’s lines about being so alone and knowing that things will get better one day while acknowledging her current situation is hopeless, was also painfully relatable and i though sensitively done
* good wit about the story
* sweet touch with the ending, on a surprising empathy and increased understanding of a petty woman going through her own struggles and projecting them on others
* good, enjoyable, quick read
* 5/5
Snow in Autumn:
* sharp, harsh
* paints vivid image of a cold, desperate, bleak living for a struggling family
* tragic
* loved the historical setting, their pov of the impact of the Bolsheviks
* excellent vivid descriptions of everything from the weather, to feelings, to despair, to human faces, and so on
* enjoyed the continuation of what seems to be a pattern in Nemirovsky’s works; sharp, straightforward characters hardened by lifetimes of misfortune
* as a lover of history, I pondered on this for a while “Death. He wasn’t afraid of it. But to leave this earth in the turmoil of a revolution, forgotten by everyone, abandoned…It was all so absurd…” — thought this was really interesting. It’s true we learn more about the drama of the revolutions and then how Bolshevism led to Lenism, Trotskyism and Stalinism, then the USSR and all that…amidst all that drama, we forget about the indivisible stories of the people who were immediately affected by the Bolshevik revolutions and later Russian history. Loved this line of thought.
* harder to follow than La Bal as there were more characters and the names were foreign to me so they took longer to get to, but this is no complaint really, just need to read a little bit more methodically
* really enjoyed, good read again — I feel like Nemirovsky could have had a lucrative career had she not been lost to us due to the horrific events of the Holocaust. Really tragic, she had immense potential.
* 4.75/5
* well-written
* sharp, intense, fierce
* related to the angsty teen struggle of a child who despises their parent, thought it was clear and on-the-nose
* Antoinette’s lines about being so alone and knowing that things will get better one day while acknowledging her current situation is hopeless, was also painfully relatable and i though sensitively done
* good wit about the story
* sweet touch with the ending, on a surprising empathy and increased understanding of a petty woman going through her own struggles and projecting them on others
* good, enjoyable, quick read
* 5/5
Snow in Autumn:
* sharp, harsh
* paints vivid image of a cold, desperate, bleak living for a struggling family
* tragic
* loved the historical setting, their pov of the impact of the Bolsheviks
* excellent vivid descriptions of everything from the weather, to feelings, to despair, to human faces, and so on
* enjoyed the continuation of what seems to be a pattern in Nemirovsky’s works; sharp, straightforward characters hardened by lifetimes of misfortune
* as a lover of history, I pondered on this for a while “Death. He wasn’t afraid of it. But to leave this earth in the turmoil of a revolution, forgotten by everyone, abandoned…It was all so absurd…” — thought this was really interesting. It’s true we learn more about the drama of the revolutions and then how Bolshevism led to Lenism, Trotskyism and Stalinism, then the USSR and all that…amidst all that drama, we forget about the indivisible stories of the people who were immediately affected by the Bolshevik revolutions and later Russian history. Loved this line of thought.
* harder to follow than La Bal as there were more characters and the names were foreign to me so they took longer to get to, but this is no complaint really, just need to read a little bit more methodically
* really enjoyed, good read again — I feel like Nemirovsky could have had a lucrative career had she not been lost to us due to the horrific events of the Holocaust. Really tragic, she had immense potential.
* 4.75/5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Mother is pretty verbally abusive to her daughter in 'Le Bal; gives me very narcissistic parenting vibes so if that's a trigger, fair enough.