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raedanni's review against another edition
5.0
I tried to write a proper review for "The Life of Elves" but it seems that I can't, at least for the moment. While I understand the mixed reviews that this novel has received (it was confusing at times (the character list is VERY important) and it can come off a bit "preachy" for lack of a better word) I feel like it is extremely important for me to say that this novel changed me greatly for the better. So really I guess this review is more of a thank you to Muriel Barbery for giving me this gift of a story that I will definitely never forget. It is a insight into people, humanity, and nature that I very much needed at this point in my life. I only have one piece of advice: read this book slowly, absorb the beauty of each paragraph because I don't believe you will regret it if you do.
trizie81's review against another edition
1.0
I forced myself half way through it... And finally gave up. Too boring for my taste. There is literally nothing happening pages after pages. Everything is described in a forced way to fill blank spaces in a short story. I guess you can sum up the story in one chapter - the rest is dispensable futile telling.
winterafternoons's review against another edition
2.0
Reading this felt like I was swimming through her prose only to wind up on a shore with no clear memory or reason for being there - and not in a fun, dreamy, post-modern way. There were a few nice lines, but overall this book really dragged. The last 30 pages kind of picked up, but it was too little too late, and I was annoyed by the ending. I don't mind books where nothing happens, but the writing has to be good enough to sustain my interest. That definitely wasn't the case here.
I really wanted to like this, since I loved elegance of the hedgehog, but I just kept rolling my eyes at some of the descriptions and honestly the whole motif of simple, honest peasants who are good and pure and full of love felt like obnoxious overkill to me. This trope just reminds me of Flannery O'Connor's story "Good Country People", and I image she'd roll over in her grave while reading this.. but to be fair, maybe it's only American country people who are depraved - maybe peasants in the french countryside really are pure of heart.
(To be fair, when I first read elegance of a hedgehog I vehemently hated it - it wasn't until a few years later that I reread it and fell in love.. so maybe that's a common theme with me and Barbery's work, and I just need to revisit this in a few years?)
I really wanted to like this, since I loved elegance of the hedgehog, but I just kept rolling my eyes at some of the descriptions and honestly the whole motif of simple, honest peasants who are good and pure and full of love felt like obnoxious overkill to me. This trope just reminds me of Flannery O'Connor's story "Good Country People", and I image she'd roll over in her grave while reading this.. but to be fair, maybe it's only American country people who are depraved - maybe peasants in the french countryside really are pure of heart.
(To be fair, when I first read elegance of a hedgehog I vehemently hated it - it wasn't until a few years later that I reread it and fell in love.. so maybe that's a common theme with me and Barbery's work, and I just need to revisit this in a few years?)
pshepp's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
luran's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
bookherd's review against another edition
3.0
To read this book, you need to have a lot of patience with not knowing what's going on. There is some sort of epic battle going on between elves, their human allies, and another unnamed but evil force. Two little girls with mysterious pasts, Maria in France and Clara in Italy, are key to the outcome of this battle. As the story progresses, we learn a little more about who these girls are and why they are so important, but we don't learn all that much about who the enemy is and what's at stake. It's a testament to the beauty of the writing and characterization that I still cared about the outcome of the story.
I've read that this is the first book of a proposed trilogy. I doubt I'll read the next installment.
I've read that this is the first book of a proposed trilogy. I doubt I'll read the next installment.
littermentart's review against another edition
2.0
Gillade den inte särskilt mycket av någon anledning. Tyckte språket var lite för poetiskt och utsmyckat. Kanske beror det bara på att jag varit lite okoncentrerad under läsningen vilket gjorde det svårt att komma in i det ordentligt.
beetree's review against another edition
2.0
I tend to love writing with a poetic lilt, but this book just didn't do it for me. It kind of felt like the flourishes in the writing were a bit too much, and I found it really hard to be engaged. I think it would read better in French, though.
katyhannah's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.5
I feel like this could have been a good fantasy if the world and characters were built better from the start, it feels like a lot of description in this book is irrelevant and confusing. There are a lot of characters and I don’t feel particularly attached to the main two girls making it quite hard to finish this book. The plot is quite slow and then the end is very quick to wrap everything up.