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jdgcreates's review
1.0
I should have loved this book, or at least gotten more than a few pages into it thanks to its settings of France, Algeria, and New England, but the formal and pretentious tone of the narration was aggravating and distanced me from any interest in the character or her story.
coleeflower's review
2.0
I almost gave up on this book. I thought the writing style was overly descriptive. It would've taken me forever to finish if I looked up every word that I had never seen before. I like books that challenge me but the vocabulary of this book just seemed unnecessary. Every once in a while though, there would be a great sentence that made you stop and re-read it, appreciating it's meaning.
ailsabristow's review
2.0
This book was a real struggle for me - which, given I was reading it on holiday (which usually allows me to get in pretty deep to my books) is really saying something. Everything just felt very flat - the characters, the plot, even the intricately detailed descriptions. The scope of this novel is impressive, encompassing the familial history of the LaBasse family, who as former French-Algerians forced to recreate themselves in Metropolitan France and in particular on Sagesse - who born in France but with an American mother and steeped in her family's colonial history is emblematic of the kind of overdetermination that typifies this book.
It is perhaps this excess that ultimately deadens the effect of this book for me, compelling though some of its ideas were. There's too many tragedies, too many unrelentingly awful characters, too much philosophical digressing, which left me feeling overburdened. Despite the feeling that this was a smart, "big" book engaging with complex issues, I could never bring myself to be interested in reading it.
Ultimately this was a book I wanted to enjoy more than I actually could.
It is perhaps this excess that ultimately deadens the effect of this book for me, compelling though some of its ideas were. There's too many tragedies, too many unrelentingly awful characters, too much philosophical digressing, which left me feeling overburdened. Despite the feeling that this was a smart, "big" book engaging with complex issues, I could never bring myself to be interested in reading it.
Ultimately this was a book I wanted to enjoy more than I actually could.
innatejames's review
3.0
Had a hard time connecting with this one too (see review of The Emporer's Children). Parts I had to skim through. Claire Messud is an excellent writer and I was interested in the idea of someone's family history directly affecting their life. But the emotional baggage Sagesse carried was either too heavy or too light for me...how to explain...
SPOILERS AHOY AHOY!
I couldn't really get into the teenage girl having troubles with friends and at home thing. Does her boyfriend like her? Or not? Does Marie-Jose like her? Or not? Does Sagesse want Marie-Jose to like her? What is this rash on her back? Girl needs some Stridex or sumthin'.
Too light.
Her family was ripped out of the country they had known and loved for all their lives. They had to relocate back to France, where they neither belonged nor were enchanted with. The effects of this move rattled through 3 generations of her family. Her brother's mental deficiencies were a huge anchor in all of their lives and she would delve into the complicated feelings a sister would have for an handicapped brother. Her family constantly fought about things not said. Her grandfather's frustration and rage. Her father's suicide...
Too heavy.
There were so many terrible things going on that emotionally I had to just skim over the top. I think it's just my reaction to that sort of thing. I will probably come to love the book after a few months of mulling over what it all meant. Reading this book felt a little like experiencing a hurricane. Just this barrage of wind and rain and thunder and confusion. You spend your time in the middle of it just trying to see the end and then when it's over you walk out from underneath all the debris and assess the damage.
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Update: No, I did not love this book.
SPOILERS AHOY AHOY!
I couldn't really get into the teenage girl having troubles with friends and at home thing. Does her boyfriend like her? Or not? Does Marie-Jose like her? Or not? Does Sagesse want Marie-Jose to like her? What is this rash on her back? Girl needs some Stridex or sumthin'.
Too light.
Her family was ripped out of the country they had known and loved for all their lives. They had to relocate back to France, where they neither belonged nor were enchanted with. The effects of this move rattled through 3 generations of her family. Her brother's mental deficiencies were a huge anchor in all of their lives and she would delve into the complicated feelings a sister would have for an handicapped brother. Her family constantly fought about things not said. Her grandfather's frustration and rage. Her father's suicide...
Too heavy.
There were so many terrible things going on that emotionally I had to just skim over the top. I think it's just my reaction to that sort of thing. I will probably come to love the book after a few months of mulling over what it all meant. Reading this book felt a little like experiencing a hurricane. Just this barrage of wind and rain and thunder and confusion. You spend your time in the middle of it just trying to see the end and then when it's over you walk out from underneath all the debris and assess the damage.
----------------------
Update: No, I did not love this book.
lnatal's review
4.0
A gift sent by dear TA, thanks you so much friend. Another book with a passport.
This is the story of a French Algerian family saga, told by her daughter Sagesse LaBasse.
She describes how they have beed discriminated by the French, how their culture overcome their difficult times after World War II. Camus is quite often cited along this book.
In order to regain her own identity, Sagesse decided to move to United States.
A very well written book, even if her first book (The Emperor's Children) was very badly criticized.
This is the story of a French Algerian family saga, told by her daughter Sagesse LaBasse.
She describes how they have beed discriminated by the French, how their culture overcome their difficult times after World War II. Camus is quite often cited along this book.
In order to regain her own identity, Sagesse decided to move to United States.
A very well written book, even if her first book (The Emperor's Children) was very badly criticized.
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