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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Padre tunisino, madre ebrea segnata dai campi di concentramento, cresciuta da uno schiavo tunisino che è stato genitore/amico/confidente il personaggio di Patience Portefeux è originale, autentico, ironico, malinconico e divertente:
I soldi la fanno da padrone per tutto il romanzo e l'inizio lo dice chiaramente:
Nasce ricca, poi diventa povera, il libro racconta le vicende che portano Patience a diventare nuovamente mostruosamente ricca attraverso il commercio di cannabis ma questo non appare come un crimine, in fin dei conti per combattere il narcotraffico basterebbe legalizzarla ma non succederà mai perché a molti conviene così:
Ok ho messo più citazioni che pensieri miei ma non sono bravo come Hannelore Cayre, lei è avvocato penalista, regista, sceneggiatrice e scrittrice...
in definitiva una lettura consigliata.
E perché mi hanno chiamato Patience, pazienza?
Ma perché sei nata dopo dieci mesi. Tuo padre ci ha sempre detto che era la neve che gli aveva impedito di prendere l’auto dal garage per venire a vederti dopo il parto, ma in verità era che dopo un’attesa così lunga, era arci deluso di avere avuto una femmina. E tu eri enorme… cinque chili.. un mostro… di una bruttezza… con metà della faccia schiacciata dal forcipe. Quando alla fine riuscirono a estirparti dal mio corpo, c’era tanto sangue intorno a me che sembravo saltata su una mina. Una vera macelleria! E tutto questo perché? Per una femmina? Era veramente ingiusto.
I soldi la fanno da padrone per tutto il romanzo e l'inizio lo dice chiaramente:
I miei genitori erano evasori che amavano visceralmente il denaro, non come qualcosa di inerte che si nasconde in una cassaforte o che si tiene su un conto. No. Lo consideravano come un essere vivente e intelligente che può creare e distruggere, dotato della facoltà di riprodursi. Qualcosa di formidabile che forgia i destini, che distingue il bello dal brutto, il perdente da chi ce l’ha fatta. Il denaro è tutto: il condensato di tutto quello che si acquista in un mondo dove ogni cosa è in vendita.
Nasce ricca, poi diventa povera, il libro racconta le vicende che portano Patience a diventare nuovamente mostruosamente ricca attraverso il commercio di cannabis ma questo non appare come un crimine, in fin dei conti per combattere il narcotraffico basterebbe legalizzarla ma non succederà mai perché a molti conviene così:
Quattordici milioni di consumatori di cannabis in Francia e ottocentomila coltivatori che vivono di questa coltivazione in Marocco. I due Paesi sono amici, eppure questi giovanotti che intercetto per giornate nelle loro trattative scontano pesanti pene in prigione per aver venduto il loro hashish ai figli degli sbirri che li inseguono, a quelli dei magistrati che li giudicano nonché a tutti gli avvocati che li difendono. Ciò li riempie di amarezza e odio. Nessuno mi toglierà dalla testa (anche se il mio amico poliziotto dice che mi sbaglio) che questo spreco di mezzi, questo accanimento a vuotare con un cucchiaino il mare di cannabis che inonda la Francia è prima di tutto uno strumento di controllo di certe comunità, in quanto permette di verificare l’identità degli arabi e dei neri dieci volte al giorno
Ok ho messo più citazioni che pensieri miei ma non sono bravo come Hannelore Cayre, lei è avvocato penalista, regista, sceneggiatrice e scrittrice...
in definitiva una lettura consigliata.
3.5 stars
Now this was a lovely surprise.
Widow Patience is not necessarily portrayed as a likable character, and honestly, she prefers it that way. Her children are not overly fond of her and her ailing mother is almost more than Patience can handle, emotionally and financially.
Because of Patience work as a translator for the courts she is in an ideal position to listen in on the most intimate conversations between targeted drug suspects. And just by “accident” she becomes the new owner of 1.2 tons of hash……..What to do?
There are 2 stories really, the first is her struggles to deal with an ailing parent. I think this part was portrayed very well. The 2nd story is the fun part, her stumbling into the drug trade of Paris. But I feel that this section could have been fleshed out a lot as there was so much more to tell.
I have been going back and forth with my rating but have now finally settled on 4 stars. The plot is unusual enough to be memorable, the storyline does not drag, in fact I wanted this to be much longer, and the hints of humor (if on the dark side) made this well worth the read.
Recommended
Now this was a lovely surprise.
Widow Patience is not necessarily portrayed as a likable character, and honestly, she prefers it that way. Her children are not overly fond of her and her ailing mother is almost more than Patience can handle, emotionally and financially.
Because of Patience work as a translator for the courts she is in an ideal position to listen in on the most intimate conversations between targeted drug suspects. And just by “accident” she becomes the new owner of 1.2 tons of hash……..What to do?
There are 2 stories really, the first is her struggles to deal with an ailing parent. I think this part was portrayed very well. The 2nd story is the fun part, her stumbling into the drug trade of Paris. But I feel that this section could have been fleshed out a lot as there was so much more to tell.
I have been going back and forth with my rating but have now finally settled on 4 stars. The plot is unusual enough to be memorable, the storyline does not drag, in fact I wanted this to be much longer, and the hints of humor (if on the dark side) made this well worth the read.
Recommended
2.5 stars - I didn't care for this book at all. I only finished it because I have a problem abandoning books that I have started. I get that this was a commentary on how French people of Arab descent are treated and on government corruption or maybe just corruption in general. I still did not like the book. I don't know if it was the style of writing or the translation but it was not for me.
Interesting read, witty and fascinating main character, and I did enjoy the way it all wrapped up at the end.
Good European crime reading. Didn't change my world, but a nice read
This was an odd book for me. I enjoyed reading it in one go ad it’s short but the writing and story was a bit over the place. Needed to go into more detail in some areas for me. To build the story a bit more. Jumped around a lot. Not sure if that’s in part to the translation from French to English. Probably would give 2.5 stars but upped to 3 as it did keep me interested.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Definitely European.
I loved the presentation of an older protagonist.
I loved the presentation of an older protagonist.
French author Hannelore Cayre provides a most unusual crime story. While not really in the suspense genre, it is full of dark issues, dark humor, and real life. Expected to feel "meh" after reading it. While wanting to read more books in translation and world-lit, often it is just too different. This 185-page gem has made me an enthusiast.
Not being a fan of mafia stories, this is nevertheless just a hoot. Patience Portefeux, a 50+ woman in France, works as a translator for the police. She speaks fluent Arabic and it turns out a LOT of Arabic men are arrested. She can translate as she pleases, make things up, leave things out, etc. But then she realizes so many of the phone calls she is translating are in code. These are drug deals on a large scale.
Patience grew up in a criminal household and is therefore used to guns, strange visitors, and dead bodies. Her father had sudden infusions of money that subsidized her mother's rash spending, the mother who had not wanted any children. Then the money was gone. Now Patience's mother is in a nursing home, requiring all the funds Patience can supply. And Patience is not patient.
Feeling burdened and decidedly un-sexy anymore, she stumbles upon an Arabic conversation that results in tons of marijuana quickly hidden and a frustrated gentle police captain who becomes her lover. Patience decides to become The Godmother, changes her appearance drastically, and creates elaborate plans to move the product that only she knows about. She does massive drug deals in the prison parking lot. Go figure.
This small book reveals so much about why people resort to dealing illegal substances, and yes, racism. It's also about older women who feel invisible. It's about the soul-wrenching side of elder care. It is darkly funny and ironic. Smile while shaking your head. Take a chance and read this.
Not being a fan of mafia stories, this is nevertheless just a hoot. Patience Portefeux, a 50+ woman in France, works as a translator for the police. She speaks fluent Arabic and it turns out a LOT of Arabic men are arrested. She can translate as she pleases, make things up, leave things out, etc. But then she realizes so many of the phone calls she is translating are in code. These are drug deals on a large scale.
Patience grew up in a criminal household and is therefore used to guns, strange visitors, and dead bodies. Her father had sudden infusions of money that subsidized her mother's rash spending, the mother who had not wanted any children. Then the money was gone. Now Patience's mother is in a nursing home, requiring all the funds Patience can supply. And Patience is not patient.
Feeling burdened and decidedly un-sexy anymore, she stumbles upon an Arabic conversation that results in tons of marijuana quickly hidden and a frustrated gentle police captain who becomes her lover. Patience decides to become The Godmother, changes her appearance drastically, and creates elaborate plans to move the product that only she knows about. She does massive drug deals in the prison parking lot. Go figure.
This small book reveals so much about why people resort to dealing illegal substances, and yes, racism. It's also about older women who feel invisible. It's about the soul-wrenching side of elder care. It is darkly funny and ironic. Smile while shaking your head. Take a chance and read this.