A review by jennareadsbooks
Four Soldiers by Hubert Mingarelli

dark reflective medium-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

2.75

I read Four Soldiers by Hubert Mingarelli for the #10books10decades challenge. It was originally published in French in 2003, and won the Prix Médici, a French literary award for fiction. This book is about four young soldiers in the Red Army in 1919. This is not what I think of a typical war book - there aren’t major battles and there really isn’t much action. Instead, it focuses on the close friendship of four soldiers who are always waiting for what is to come. Waiting for spring at the end of a frigid winter, or waiting for marching orders, or simply waiting for a chance to sneak away from their battalion to linger around a hidden pond.

This book felt melancholy, and though it was short, it did seem to drag along with their days. The writing is simplistic and sparse. I didn’t end up having strong feelings about this one, but I am surprised that it was a prize winner and that it was longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize in 2019 too. It just didn’t feel inspiring or insightful or really stir up many emotions for me at all. I think I will feel okay about skipping Mingarelli’s other works.