Reviews

L'Ecume des jours by Boris Vian

sidharthvardhan's review against another edition

4.0

More like 3.5 stars. It has a kind of Disney reality in which animals, for example, talk to people and there is that somewhat infantile humor. The book begins in a kind of innocent world of some young people who haven't come across the suffering yet. The characters resist and are afraid of things that are for grown-ups - especially having to earn a living. The girls want to buy pretty things and boys want to be able to buy those things for them. As the suffering in its countless forms raises the ugly hand for the four youngsters that are central characters of the book, they struggle to keep the happiness they had gained in their innocent times.

The surreal art, as far as I understand, tries to use elements from the unconscious mind, and since 'meaning' is an invention of the consious mind - everything surreal must be definition be meaningless or at least have a meaning that is very difficult to put in words. I am not sure surrealism is the word for strange occurrences of the book. They are more like literary devices used by the author to color his prose n the same innocent shade with which its main characters are made. Even as the characters themselves struggle against the suffering of the world, the prose continues to retain the sam Disney shade till the very end.

asgard224's review against another edition

4.0

O poveste de dragoste suprarealistă ce se îmbină perfect cu piesa de la Radiohead - Lotus flower.

pheeebz's review

dark emotional sad medium-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

2.25

beckymrtn's review against another edition

5.0

Charming and imaginative - transports you into a beautiful, fictional French world filled with jazz, flowers, books, cocktails, and NO WORK! :)

A tragic love story at its best...

givli's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

tchouktche's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

‘du point de vue moral, il est recommandable de payer des impôts, pour avoir en contrepartie le droit de se faire saisir parce que d'autres payent des impôts qui servent à entretenir la police et les hauts fonctionnaires, c'est un cercle vicieux à briser, que personne n'en paie plus pendant assez longtemps et les fonctionnaires mourront tous de consomption et la guerre n'existera plus.’

i was not familiar with your game mr boris vian!!!

j’ai beaucoup aimé la plume de l’auteur, le monde qu’il crée est loufoque mais bizarrement  très apaisant aussi. 

ce livre est aussi une critique du capitalisme et de la police et j’ai trouvé très intéressante la façon dont l’auteur a pu traiter ces sujets 

bon en vrai c’est peut etre pas réellement un 4 étoiles mais plutôt un 3.99 mais c’est pas grave, il est super drôle 

ps: slay alise , personne n’incarne le libre arbitre mieux qu’elle (les actes de pyromanies ne sont pas à normaliser) et colin :(

oustiti321's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

clarasym's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

« Le plus clair de mon temps, je le passe à l’obscurcir. » 

philolulu's review against another edition

dark emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

fr_eddie's review against another edition

3.5

3,5 "Arrivavano, cantando, undici ragazzine cieche dell’orfantrofio di Giulio l’Apostolico."

E con questa frase divertente (ma anche tragica dato il contesto) finisce "La schiuma dei giorni". Libro molto bello per tutti i giochi di parole dell'autore, per la situazione finale che descrive (tutto invecchia a causa del dolore) e per specifiche parti assurde che diventano proprio per questo divertentissime, come la frase di prima.

Grazie a Boris, però, ho capito che l'assurdità è una delle cose che cerco meno in un libro. Quando ha un contesto ok, però leggere descrizioni magnifiche di piatti, che sono così lunghe e senza senso da sembrare infinite, non fa proprio per me.
La maggior parte delle scene del matrimonio non le ho lette appieno, proprio perché così tanto esagerate che non ci capivo più niente. Ma questo è un mio difetto.

Il libro, però, si faceva leggere anche abbastanza velocemente (questo in maniera particolare grazie alla lunghezza non eccessiva dei capitoli) e parlava di varie tematiche, come la morte, l'ossessione (nel caso di Chick per Partre) o il capitalismo (quando Chick viene licenziato in pochissimo perché non è abbastanza efficiente o come Colin venga trattato malissimo perché non riesce a permettersi il funerale).

Temi molto profondi, anche se lo stile non faceva per me.
Altri difetti che ho trovato sono stati sicuramente tutti i commenti sul corpo di Chole (anche meno, ecco) e tutti i commenti sulla vita sessuale di Nicolas. 

Lo consiglierei? Sì, i messaggi sono belli, ed è corto. L'unica cosa sono tutte quelle descrizioni assurde che si possono benissimo saltare.