A review by chrissych
სათვალიანი ქალი თოფით მანქანაში by Sébastien Japrisot

4.0

Interesting but unsatisfying. Japrisot falls to the mystery novel trap of building up an immensely intriguing and suspenseful narrative that he has to then tear apart clumsily in the last 30 pages to explain himself. The first two "acts" are stunning psychological noir material, fast-paced and full of character intricacies, secrets, and neuroses; an absolute thrill to read, the kind that forces your hand to keep turning the pages. The main character, Dany, grows more and more interesting over the series of events, as do the men she encounters along the way. However, the final act is a gaping flaw in every aspect from character to suspense to plausibility to atmosphere and so on. It read like a dry, longwinded factual explanation that, drained of the eerie uncertainty that overshadowed the rest of the story, struck me as weak and unconvincing, and all the unexpected twists in the world couldn't make it feel right.

It's truly a shame that Dany's character, after revealing hints and loose threads of psychological disorder and past trauma throughout, should be almost tossed aside in a single concluding paragraph.
She is far too unusual for the ordinary end she receives.

I'm still infatuated with Japrisot's writing style, on the whole. As in A Very Long Engagement, he paints an extraordinary picture of France and fills it with desperate but strong women that even I can't help but fall in love with. I'd like to read more of his work if I can find translations somewhere in this city....