A review by escape_through_pages
Lullaby by Leïla Slimani

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

📖 REVIEW 📖

Lullaby is a very dark, deeply disturbing, claustrophobic psychological thriller. 

The opening reveals the end, ‘The baby is dead…’ two young children have been murdered by their nanny. The story then goes back in time to the point when career lawyer turned stay at home mum, Myriam, decides to return to work. She and her husband, Paul look for a nanny to facilitate this. Along comes Louise, who is a breath of fresh air after several failed interviews. Louise bonds well with the children, exceeds expectations, and soon proves indispensable. 

Over time, with so many hours spent inside each other’s lives in a small Paris apartment, tensions mount. Everyone is by now trapped in this state of codependence, so there seemingly is no way out. Louise also has hidden stresses of poverty and impending eviction from her bedsit. This alongside her past life and personal and professional relationships, are gradually revealed to the reader, which gives some insight into Louise’s behaviour. It also serves to provide a contrast of class and privilege and raises the question of how do you determine whether goodwill is being exploited or is being freely given? 

You read the entire novel knowing something terrible is coming, which for me meant, despite it being a short book, I had to take breaks from it. I see that as a good thing, that the writing had the power to make me feel this uncomfortable. 

If you like things neatly wrapped up, this isn’t the book. There is very little of the aftermath and some questions remain. I found this only added to the eerie discomfort the novel evokes and would recommend this to fans of translated fiction who can handle the subject matter.