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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
One of my favorite books of last year was In Memoriam, so when I saw another sad gay WWI story on NetGalley I knew I had to read it. I think this was really good, but maybe I went in with expectations that were too high.
Split into 3 distinct parts, In the Absence of Men follows Vincent, an aristocratic teenager in the summer of 1916. That summer he meets Marcel, a middle aged writer, and also begins an affair with the son of his governess who is home on leave. As we watch Vincent’s interactions with these two men, we get caught up in the thrills of first love while still feeling the melancholy of a world at war. The writing is beautiful and the story is full of emotion so now as I’m writing this I wonder why I didn’t like it more and I think it’s because I wish it had focused more on Vincent and Arthur and less on Marcel. I understand why it did, and I think thematically it makes sense but I was more drawn to the relationship between Vincent and Arthur than I was with the one between Vincent and Marcel. That being said, I would be interested to see more of Philippe Besson’s work in translation.
One of my favorite books of last year was In Memoriam, so when I saw another sad gay WWI story on NetGalley I knew I had to read it. I think this was really good, but maybe I went in with expectations that were too high.
Split into 3 distinct parts, In the Absence of Men follows Vincent, an aristocratic teenager in the summer of 1916. That summer he meets Marcel, a middle aged writer, and also begins an affair with the son of his governess who is home on leave. As we watch Vincent’s interactions with these two men, we get caught up in the thrills of first love while still feeling the melancholy of a world at war. The writing is beautiful and the story is full of emotion so now as I’m writing this I wonder why I didn’t like it more and I think it’s because I wish it had focused more on Vincent and Arthur and less on Marcel. I understand why it did, and I think thematically it makes sense but I was more drawn to the relationship between Vincent and Arthur than I was with the one between Vincent and Marcel. That being said, I would be interested to see more of Philippe Besson’s work in translation.
This one broke me into a million pieces, and I dont think I will ever recover. What a beautiful piece of literature. A book about love and desire, friendship and heartache, pain and loss, communication, and writing. This one will be reread simply for the magnificent prose. Bravo
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hated this book. Great quotes but it gave me the ick
Men. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Literally now one of my favorite books, I think about it all the time. Such a quick read but didn't lose any of its meaning.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Sexual content
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a book of two halves for me. The first half felt hard to get through, overly poetic with a lack of plot driving it. But in the second half that’s exactly what made it beautiful. I was more than happy I stuck around. The poetry of writing, examining every thought and phrase uttered to the greatest degree, is what helped me to stay in the moment with the love, pain and suffering. In the end I was incredibly touched by the book.
medium-paced