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spayette's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.5
The last chapter is the best chapter of the book so don’t bail before then!
sujuv's review against another edition
4.0
An exceptionally honest and generous book that lives up to its title: it is a memoir that is about the lives of others. And somehow it manages to succeed at both. Carrere starts with a story so awful - being in Sri Lanka at the time of the deadly tsunami and befriending a fellow French family that lost its 4-year old to the wave - and moves on to another more quotidian but equally heartbreaking story of a young mother (his sister-in-law) dying of cancer, leaving behind three young daughters in addition to other heartbroken family members. He dives into the lives, including backstories, of all of these people, and also - surprisingly - a man who worked with his sister-in-law for years as a fellow judge in a small, consumer court in France that managed to make a difference in people's lives. Carrere's great gift is to be able to look at each person and find the value and beauty in their existence while at the same time looking honestly at himself and seeing where he fails and who he is at heart. I learned about this book from the New York Times 50 best memoirs list and I am so grateful I did. Reading it was a truly moving and worthwhile experience.
anaisrvlr's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
Waouh. Magnifique livre, très bien écrit. Les histoires sont tristes à en pleurer.
Pourquoi l’auteur a écrit ce livre et a choisi cette structure ? Dur à dire et c’est pour que je ne mets pas 5. On dirait qu’il choisit ses sujets un peu au hasard mais grâce à son talent d’écrivain, ca marche.
Waouh. Magnifique livre, très bien écrit. Les histoires sont tristes à en pleurer.
Pourquoi l’auteur a écrit ce livre et a choisi cette structure ? Dur à dire et c’est pour que je ne mets pas 5. On dirait qu’il choisit ses sujets un peu au hasard mais grâce à son talent d’écrivain, ca marche.
kathrinpassig's review against another edition
4.0
Vielleicht nicht das beste Carrère-Buch für den Einstieg, wenn man noch nie eins gelesen hat. Die Geschichte ist ein bisschen formlos, der Anfang des Buchs ist wie eine Filmprotagonistin, die schon nach zehn Minuten stirbt und dann nicht mehr auftaucht, und es passiert eigentlich nicht viel, aber egal: Right or wrong, my author.
kategci's review against another edition
5.0
This memoir was discussed several times on the New York Times Book Review podcast over the past 6 months or so and seemed to be liked by all the editors. I knew it started with the 2003 tsunami in Indonesia, but I had no idea what came after in the story. Unexpectedly, this became a very personal story for me and I never would have thought I would have much in common with a French male writer. So well-written, I never would have picked this up on my own as grief memoir is not a favorite genre, but this is a book I will keep thinking about for a while.
valeriamarzano's review against another edition
3.0
Ho avuto un rapporto altalenante con questo libro. Partendo dal fatto che non sono una fan della non-fiction, ho comunque voluto dare una possibilità a Carriere per le ottime recensioni che ho letto/visto sui suoi libri. Ho scelto questo libro per la mia vicinanza con i temi trattati. I primi e gli ultimi capitoli li ho divorati in una sola seduta. La riflessione finale, e la delicatezza nella chiusura del libro, mi hanno commosso moltissimo. L'unica pecca, per quanto mi riguarda, è stata la parte centrale, perché non capivo bene dove volesse andare a parare Carriere. Il capitolo-trattato giuridico mi ha annoiato. Capisco l'importanza del personaggio di Etienne per raccontare la storia di Julie, però era necessario approfondire tanto sul suo lavoro?
Una nota di plauso alla prosa di Carriere: rare volte ho avuto il piacere di leggere un libro scritto così bene.
Una nota di plauso alla prosa di Carriere: rare volte ho avuto il piacere di leggere un libro scritto così bene.
adeleodette's review against another edition
5.0
I have rarely cried while reading a book, and this one made me cry many times. It was an extremely powerful read. He writes about death, sickness, love, and family with such sensitivity and grace, making a work of beauty out of life's most painful and confusing moments. He writes honestly and self-reflectively about his own flaws while elevating others' strength and courage during their times of need. I feel that I understand human nature more deeply because of this book, and that is I think the highest praise I can give a work of art.