Reviews

An Astronomer in Love by Antoine Laurain

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greyemk's review

3.25

Very French book. It’s a romcom, it’s pretty cute, the historical stuff was a nice twist. Overall a bit boring and one-note, but not an unpleasant one. Just not likely to make a lasting impression.

pazley's review

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adventurous inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

mfumarolo's review

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5.0

There can be something so incredibly magical about browsing shelves and coming across one singular item that grabs you in a way that nothing else does. That was the case for me many years ago when I first came across Antoine Laurain's novel The Red Notebook at my favorite local indie. Ever since, I have kept a keen eye out for his latest releases, and I can't believe this one almost passed me by! The story alternates between the recent past and the far past and two men each finding love in unexpected ways, united by a single telescope and the astronomical event known as the transit of Venus. In the 1700s, readers get to know Guillaume Le Gentil, an astronomer who has the blessing of the King of France to sail across the world to witness the transit of Venus, an instance where the planet Venus crosses between the sun and the earth. It occurs rarely - once every 121 years, then again 8 years later, then not again for another 105 years. Meanwhile in 2012, Victor is a real estate agent who has come into the possession of an old telescope that was left behind at an apartment he recently negotiated the sale of. He keeps it so he and his son can observe the heavens, but first he uses it to look in on the local sights, one of which includes a beautiful woman with a zebra in her living room.

This book, though short, has a way of being cozy and charming. It demonstrates that base human desire for connection, for wanting to see the best in people and find the bright side. Laurain has not ventured into the realms of magical realism here, but he has walked just up to the edge of it. He has weaved together characters and events that make it feel like magic could be possible at any moment. I want to bump into these people on the street and it was such a privilege to be escape into their worlds for a while. It's not like a Hallmark movie where things are super sanitary - these people still felt like real people, with complications and faults that felt relatable and realistic. And yet, they exist on the verge of extraordinary, and I already have a sneaking suspicion I'll be rereading this along with Laurain's other works very soon.