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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
A few months ago, I reread Pierre Michon's [b:Small Lives|3006702|Small Lives|Pierre Michon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1354208546l/3006702._SX50_.jpg|1349755], a sort of family chronicle with a rather derogatory view of the author on his ancestors and on himself. When you start Rouaud's book, at first sight it seems that he is following in the same footsteps. But the tone is much more lighthearted, starting with a sympathetic portrayal of the author's idiosyncratic grandfather and the kamikaze-esque control of his '2CV'. Like Michon, Rouaud uses few words, but he is much more visual and expressive. For example, the restrained humorous portrait of his bigoted aunt Marie is simply delightful. But then the First World War pops up and we get a picture of the horrors in the trenches through the family of his father and grandfather. At that point we realize that the title, "Fields of Glory" is clearly meant to be sarcastic. Apparently, this short book was Rouaud's debut (immediately awarded the Goncourt): it seems deceptively simple and non-spectacular, yet efficient and expressive.
Both the blurb and the title in Vietnames (Glorious battlefield) caused me to have a wrong impression about this book, thinking it would be some sorrowful war story. So you see, I was pretty surprised to learn that in fact, this book is about the consequences of war, about a family with several characters and how they dealt with the aftermath.
This novel is super slow-paced. Some chapters are beautiful, especially the first few that described the scenery and the towns; some, on the other hand, are dreadfully boring.
It was not until the end that war is mentioned. These final chapters, in my opinion, are the best ones in this book. It's really a shame that it takes so long to reach these devastating chapters.
Overall, not the most exciting book you'll find, but something nice that leaves a lot for you to ponder.
This novel is super slow-paced. Some chapters are beautiful, especially the first few that described the scenery and the towns; some, on the other hand, are dreadfully boring.
It was not until the end that war is mentioned. These final chapters, in my opinion, are the best ones in this book. It's really a shame that it takes so long to reach these devastating chapters.
Overall, not the most exciting book you'll find, but something nice that leaves a lot for you to ponder.
emotional
reflective
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