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lisawhelpley's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like I missed a ton of what I was supposed to "get" or "understand" in this book. Reminded me of college English when I questioned if I was truly a reader or not...but those years are long gone, and I know that I am indeed a reader, but I don't think this book was for me. I read it in full, but I can't say I enjoyed it.
tstuppy's review against another edition
5.0
Read first in Aug 2013
Second time in 2015
Upon rereading, I was captured by the language but less engaged. I just read THE HUNTERS, so maybe it was a comparative thing, or maybe that I am not reading on the beach this second time. Either way, still quite a novel.
Second time in 2015
Upon rereading, I was captured by the language but less engaged. I just read THE HUNTERS, so maybe it was a comparative thing, or maybe that I am not reading on the beach this second time. Either way, still quite a novel.
morganmcburney's review against another edition
2.5
I can’t lie- the writing was beautiful. I just have no idea what happened throughout the book even after finishing
joshcoh85's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
karcherj's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
shawnita's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
booksnbops's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Beautiful sentences marred by racism
johndiconsiglio's review against another edition
You always remember your first time…reading Salter’s much beloved 1967 erotic classic. (What did you think I meant?) His publisher complained that the novel had “more than the normal amount of sex.” Strange then that the mismatched (& explicit) Paris lovers—a callow Yale dropout adrift in Europe & a young French shopgirl—are less intriguing today than the monumentally unreliable (& sorta creepy) narrator. The years haven’t put out this fire.
jillrisberg's review against another edition
4.5
unmatched prose, particularly in the descriptions of setting/weather. really crisp, short sentences which I love. beautiful little book.
emckeon1002's review against another edition
3.0
Since Salter has been lionized as one of America's greatest living, and least appreciated, authors I thought I needed to read something by him. I decided to start with something which received great critical acclaim. Though written with an obvious command of language, and erotic, the novel never really engaged me. This is a sexual travelogue of rural France, with a cad who doesn't trust his emotions, and a woman who understands her lust, but is less confident in her ability to connect otherwise with her lover. As you might expect, it ends badly, but in a deus-ex-machina fashion. The peculiar structure which flows between a narrator who seems omniscent, and slips between the first and third person, while not confusing, seems forced. Greatest living? Not sure I agree.