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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i wish it would be a sad ending for georges. but overall, very good bookwith interesting points and insights on paris at the time.
Ever wanted to read about a french person who shouts obscenities at rich people because he's poor? Me neither.
But wait, this book is in your school's curriculum so you kinda have to but not really read it. So you did. And you got to experience the wonderful arc that Main Dude (that's how I'll call him because I don't remember his name anymore) completes as from a poor french asshole he grows into a rich french asshole. Really the lessons you want your kids to be taught. The only real exciting bit of this atrocity was when Main Dude almost gets in a duel, but even that surrenders to mediocrity about as fast as the French actually did in WW2.
dark
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Leggendo Bel-Ami continuavo a pensare che è proprio così che lo voglio un protagonista: non un contenitore più o meno vuoto in cui l’autore si riversa e il lettore si immedesima, bensì un personaggio sfaccettato che mi mostri qualcosa di diverso dal mio vissuto e dal mio modo di agire. Nello specifico, Duroy è un arrivista che sfrutta il suo fascino con le donne per acquisire sempre più prestigio nella società parigina. Non un modello da seguire, ma un piacere da leggere.
Avrebbe dovuto capire, pensava lui, che in amore ci vuole estremo tatto, accortezza, prudenza, precisione; e che, essendosi data a lui matura, madre di famiglia, signora della società, avrebbe dovuto farlo con serietà, con una specie di slancio trattenuto, austero, magari piangendo, ma piangendo come Didone, non come Giulietta.
Je ne pensais pas qu'il m'intéresserai autant, mais j'ai été agréablement surprise. C'était passionnant, un peu lent à certains moments mais toujours très sympathique à lire.
I was a little skeptical diving into Bel Ami, another period selection for the Book to Film Club set in 1885 and following a character pretty much described as a scoundrel. Who knew I would end up loving it. I loved that even though I had no sense of the time or place going into the book, I really felt like I could imagine being there, in Paris in 1880 and what it would have been like there in the excitement of the time as well as the challenges. I think that's really want got me into the book is that we start off with George Duroy at a time of great challenge and not much opportunity, and his knowing specificity of exactly how much will get him how far and for how long.
It's and odd thing that it's the specificity and exactness was what sucked me into the book, especially considering it's often described about the tale of a scoundrel and about a man who was with a lot of women, and although I can see that's what people could take from it, it's not really what I took. I took in the essence of the time, the resourcefulness of the character, and the fascinating and varying night life and social events. Where everything was about something of importance, but also felt like it meant nothing at all. It's the story of George Duroy and like Jane Eyre from earlier in this years book club feels like a fictional biography, as it follows a persons life in such detail that it does feel like you are almost reading their diary of thoughts. We are privy to Georges actions and choices, whether we agree with them or not, and because we've been with him the whole time we know and understand the history behind them. It's quite wild from that perspective and although he's not the most likeable character, I didn't actually find him unlikable. He had limited choices and made the best with the offers that came up, so much so that that seem to become habit and would continue to do so even if he didn't need to. He also had quite the way with the ladies, and this habit was very often put to into action here.
I found the book to be way more accessible than I expected from a translated-to-English and older book (1885), and I only occasionally needed to check the explanatory knows (woohoo putting that 12 years of French classes to work!). I also ended up liking the book and the character of George more than I expected, especially because of the charm and spirit of the time it was set in.
I'm very curious about the adaptation, especially as we still don't know when it will be released. I'm very curious about Robert Pattinson as George and a little worried as the role needs not only charisma (check!), starting off on not solid footing (check!) but also lots or romancing (likely fine), but also quite the journey and development of character over time (eep..that's where I'm worried). Although I didn't love him in Water for Elephants, I still still hold true that his performances in both Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Little Ashes were great, so I'm hoping we get a little more edge in the mix. As for the remaining character I'm over the moon thrilled to see Philip Glenister as Forestier because I adored him as Gene Hunt in "Life on Mars". As for the ladies - I hate to say it but I could barely keep all of them straight in the book so I'll be happy to see them in the film so I can figure out who the heck was who! Great line up of talent including Christina Ricci, Kristin Scott Thomas, Uma Thurman, Holliday Grainger and Natalia Tena.
It's and odd thing that it's the specificity and exactness was what sucked me into the book, especially considering it's often described about the tale of a scoundrel and about a man who was with a lot of women, and although I can see that's what people could take from it, it's not really what I took. I took in the essence of the time, the resourcefulness of the character, and the fascinating and varying night life and social events. Where everything was about something of importance, but also felt like it meant nothing at all. It's the story of George Duroy and like Jane Eyre from earlier in this years book club feels like a fictional biography, as it follows a persons life in such detail that it does feel like you are almost reading their diary of thoughts. We are privy to Georges actions and choices, whether we agree with them or not, and because we've been with him the whole time we know and understand the history behind them. It's quite wild from that perspective and although he's not the most likeable character, I didn't actually find him unlikable. He had limited choices and made the best with the offers that came up, so much so that that seem to become habit and would continue to do so even if he didn't need to. He also had quite the way with the ladies, and this habit was very often put to into action here.
I found the book to be way more accessible than I expected from a translated-to-English and older book (1885), and I only occasionally needed to check the explanatory knows (woohoo putting that 12 years of French classes to work!). I also ended up liking the book and the character of George more than I expected, especially because of the charm and spirit of the time it was set in.
I'm very curious about the adaptation, especially as we still don't know when it will be released. I'm very curious about Robert Pattinson as George and a little worried as the role needs not only charisma (check!), starting off on not solid footing (check!) but also lots or romancing (likely fine), but also quite the journey and development of character over time (eep..that's where I'm worried). Although I didn't love him in Water for Elephants, I still still hold true that his performances in both Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Little Ashes were great, so I'm hoping we get a little more edge in the mix. As for the remaining character I'm over the moon thrilled to see Philip Glenister as Forestier because I adored him as Gene Hunt in "Life on Mars". As for the ladies - I hate to say it but I could barely keep all of them straight in the book so I'll be happy to see them in the film so I can figure out who the heck was who! Great line up of talent including Christina Ricci, Kristin Scott Thomas, Uma Thurman, Holliday Grainger and Natalia Tena.
Georges is douche. This is the story of how he makes his fortune in douche-y ways. He's not particularly smart, but he gets help time after time from the smart women of his acquaintance. Then he screws them over. An entertaining read.