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emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
‘Without the war, without this magnificent summer, this absence of men, would we ever have met?’
Since finishing ‘Lie With Me’ (still my favourite book I’ve ever read) last year, I wanted to read anything and everything by Philippe Besson but I came across a problem… I can’t read French… and only LWM and ‘In the Absence of Men’ have been translated into English… so I tried to pace myself with getting to this book but finally I’ve finished it. And oh my was it worth the wait. I wouldn’t say it’s close to being as great as LWM but it’s certainly an incredible read, one I will come back and highly recommend.
The novel is split into three ‘books’ (parts would be a more apt term given their (and the the total) length) all set in 1916’s France. The first details an eventful week in the life of our sixteen-year-old main character Vincent as he befriends the famous writer Marcel - it’s likely Proust - in one of Paris’s salons deserted of men during the middle of WW1 and begins a relationship with the soldier-son of his family’s governess Arthur who’s on leave from the Front. Both encounters grow in importance as the week progresses and it’s apparent they’ll impact Vincent’s life for ever more. The second section consists of letters shared between Vincent and Arthur and Vincent and Marcel as each pair are separated. To finish, Besson places Vincent and the previously little-mentioned character of Blanche (Arthur’s mum) in a dialogue setting which was just incredible. There is more to the story but I want to avoid spoilers and by listing the TWs I would give some of them away but be aware war and death are recurring themes.
Like LWM the writing is once again exquisite and so beautifully heartbreakingly raw and honest. Everything comes from the heart and has immense meaning - I can’t say for certain but I believe Besson must do many rounds of editing because his passages are so razor sharp and concise that say a lot but with little effort, it’s truly a delight to read, I also have to applaud the translator Frank Wynn. There were many many parts underlined and stared in my copy, it’s super quotable and just in general a real joy to read this book. Our three main characters (most of all Vincent) are well developed and complex, they’re realised and you can’t help but just want the best for them… oh how I wish I could read an alternate version of this story. Blanche’s part at the end was an incredible addition which I loved. Again, the reality of growing up queer is explored here, not to the extent of LWM but there’s still some relatable parts that spoke to me.
I think some part of me finds some discomfort in the fact of Vincent being sixteen and having these experiences and going through these things. I don’t see anything particularly predatory or the like in Marcel’s relationship and theirs is only friendship and similarly with Arthur but it is sexual. I can understand Vincent’s maturity for his age and the deeper connection he has with Arthur so I get it but still there’s a slight uncomfortable feeling I can’t quite shift. If I were to have read a book about a female sixteen year old having a sexual relationship with a male twenty one year old I think I would’ve viewed it differently with more apprehension so maybe there’s a double standard there? Quite possibly… I’m not too sure. I think it’s something I’ll ponder on. With that being said I do think their love is still very pure and deeply important.
I think I’ll add some quotes on my second reading. In the meantime can someone please translate more of his books… please.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, War
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Murder, Classism
emotional
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Phillipe Besson's debut novel is a great one! I'm very glad I read this, each line is well thought out and the whole story contains beautiful prose and characterizations. This would be a great novel to just fill a day with. I'm looking forward to reading his other works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, War
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Murder, Pregnancy
Minor: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book is incredibly lyrical and has a very interesting narrator choice. The story is told from a 16 years old boy, Vincent, point of view. It is also written as first person, in which Vincent alternates between talking to Marcel or Arthur. Because of this it feels very intimate to read.
The way the author writes the thought process of a teenager seems very realistic. All the characters seem both complex enough to hold themselves up and limited since we are seeing all of them from the perspective of Vincent.
This is mostly a coming of age story that mixes a teenager self assurance and confusion. Something that is registered when Vincent says "Is this what it means to become an adult? Giving up the beliefs which reassure us, which help us to survive?".
When it comes to thematics, it had discussions of class, war, aging, death and fearing it, grief, trauma, repression, etc.
My favorite thing about the book was for sure the writing, I underlined it intensely. In terms of characters I really appreciated the scenes between Vincent and Arthur. My favorite part was for sure the first one but the second one was quite enjoyable, and really showed me that I was able to picture the characters voices on their own. I feel like I was not a fan of the third part, I would either make it larger and better developed or take it out completely.
The way the author writes the thought process of a teenager seems very realistic. All the characters seem both complex enough to hold themselves up and limited since we are seeing all of them from the perspective of Vincent.
This is mostly a coming of age story that mixes a teenager self assurance and confusion. Something that is registered when Vincent says "Is this what it means to become an adult? Giving up the beliefs which reassure us, which help us to survive?".
When it comes to thematics, it had discussions of class, war, aging, death and fearing it, grief, trauma, repression, etc.
My favorite thing about the book was for sure the writing, I underlined it intensely. In terms of characters I really appreciated the scenes between Vincent and Arthur. My favorite part was for sure the first one but the second one was quite enjoyable, and really showed me that I was able to picture the characters voices on their own. I feel like I was not a fan of the third part, I would either make it larger and better developed or take it out completely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, War
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
Better description of the 'adult/minor relationship' and 'pedophilia' tags: The main relationship is between a 21 year old dude and a 16 year old, it is implied that the first has been in love with the second for a long time. As someone that is usually very uncomfortable with age gaps that involve underaged individuals I have to say that I was somehow okay with this one. The pedophilia tag was added for another character, a middle age guy that never actually gets with anyone romantically or sexually but expresses a desire for young boys.
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Phillipe besson does it again omg. this novel was absolutely phenomenal. there's something so important about reading love stories in french. what a piece.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, War
Minor: Homophobia, Classism