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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
Found this book in a fabulous book store in Middlebury, VT. The review was so encouraging I had to buy the book. A gripping story from the first page. Great character development and detailed descriptions. A great book for a beach vacation. Strong writing and well worth reading.
The different media praises for this book all refer to it as a "thriller", but the first chapter already states how the story ends and who the culprit is. No much interest in keeping turning the pages.
The story didn't even give much more backstory on Louise, the nanny, just a procession of different episodes that doesn't add anything to the plot. The two kids are dead and the nanny killed them. There. No need to read past Chapter 1. :/
I wish I had read the book in French as the writing felt a bit dearticulated at times. I appreciated the feeling of claustrophobia felt in the last few chapters but overall wouldn't recommend it despite being the winner of the Prix Goncourt.
The story didn't even give much more backstory on Louise, the nanny, just a procession of different episodes that doesn't add anything to the plot. The two kids are dead and the nanny killed them. There. No need to read past Chapter 1. :/
I wish I had read the book in French as the writing felt a bit dearticulated at times. I appreciated the feeling of claustrophobia felt in the last few chapters but overall wouldn't recommend it despite being the winner of the Prix Goncourt.
Literary, deep, multi-layered, but still sort of a thriller?? Intelligent, interesting, excellent.
I would call this book some sort of psychological thriller - but I liked this book (and I don't like thrillers) and the ending is clear from the very first sentence: "The baby is dead." It is not action packed and there are no cliff hangers along the way. It is a painful, introspective book about mothering, working mothers, nannying, and the grueling aspects of caring for children. There are subtle heavy issues (criticism of working moms and class differences) too.
There were points when I was very aware that I was reading a translation - where the otherwise fluent and unique descriptions turned temporarily cliche - and I imagine in the original French is it engrossing.
In some ways I think the book could provide a more complete understanding of the crime at the center of the book - the psychological profile isn't quite sufficient to be satisfying.
Based loosely on a true story, there are tidbits from the real story that serve as anchors in the novel.
There were points when I was very aware that I was reading a translation - where the otherwise fluent and unique descriptions turned temporarily cliche - and I imagine in the original French is it engrossing.
In some ways I think the book could provide a more complete understanding of the crime at the center of the book - the psychological profile isn't quite sufficient to be satisfying.
Based loosely on a true story, there are tidbits from the real story that serve as anchors in the novel.
This book starts with a murder scene; the nanny kills her two young charges before attempting to kill herself. What follows is the lead up to the horror, and it is a clever and disturbing look at the struggles of modern parenthood, career, city living, and the fascinating situation of inviting someone into your one to care for your children. I raced through it to the abrupt, but not unsatisfying, end.
A morality tale for our times - chilling, too close for comfort - that supposedly most benign of people, the family nanny and how it can all go so terribly wrong. In the family home two children are dead, there is blood everywhere, the nanny has been taken to hospital. There is never any question as to who the killer is, but I kept hoping in my reading that someone else was responsible.
As parents, and I am will be treading on toes here, more specficially as mothers, we are torn between two polar forces - being a Mum, caring for and nurturing our precious children, with all the stress, pressure, exhaustion, and tedium that goes along with it; and being our own person, continuing and maintaining the career that has been put on hold, friendships, interests, holidays, a life that we had before children. When children come along, one parent has to make the sacrifice, usually the mother, as unfair and unequal as it may be. So the Nanny - next best thing to Mum. But how little do we really know about the people we entrust our beloved children to.
This novel, made more perfect by being just on 200 pages, captures the dilemma of Myriam who has the opportunity to return to her legal career, and yet has to find the right person to look after her two children. Musician husband Paul is in favour of the idea, but does not make things easy for Myriam; I would say sub-consciously believing that the mother is the best person to look after small children. Louise comes along, seemingly perfect, and bonds immediately with the two children. But Louise has not had an easy or happy life, or even a good life, and over time her overwhelming baggage spills out.
It is the writing that pushes this story to a higher level than what you may think is a bunny-boiler-domestic-horror. The author is inside the minds and emotions of the parents, particularly Myriam, and of course Louise. The tragedy is an event that has been waiting to happen for Louise, it was inevitable really, it could be any family she has worked for in past years, or it may well have been the next family she would be a nanny for. For Myriam and Paul the tragedy came to them.
As parents, and I am will be treading on toes here, more specficially as mothers, we are torn between two polar forces - being a Mum, caring for and nurturing our precious children, with all the stress, pressure, exhaustion, and tedium that goes along with it; and being our own person, continuing and maintaining the career that has been put on hold, friendships, interests, holidays, a life that we had before children. When children come along, one parent has to make the sacrifice, usually the mother, as unfair and unequal as it may be. So the Nanny - next best thing to Mum. But how little do we really know about the people we entrust our beloved children to.
This novel, made more perfect by being just on 200 pages, captures the dilemma of Myriam who has the opportunity to return to her legal career, and yet has to find the right person to look after her two children. Musician husband Paul is in favour of the idea, but does not make things easy for Myriam; I would say sub-consciously believing that the mother is the best person to look after small children. Louise comes along, seemingly perfect, and bonds immediately with the two children. But Louise has not had an easy or happy life, or even a good life, and over time her overwhelming baggage spills out.
It is the writing that pushes this story to a higher level than what you may think is a bunny-boiler-domestic-horror. The author is inside the minds and emotions of the parents, particularly Myriam, and of course Louise. The tragedy is an event that has been waiting to happen for Louise, it was inevitable really, it could be any family she has worked for in past years, or it may well have been the next family she would be a nanny for. For Myriam and Paul the tragedy came to them.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Tense and atmospheric, but I didn't feel like I got to know the nanny. It seemed the author was withholding her inner life in order to preserve mystery, but that was a little frustrating to me.