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A review by jj24
French Rhapsody by Antoine Laurain
2.0
Merde.
Having loved [b:The President's Hat|17594390|The President's Hat|Antoine Laurain|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1364864841s/17594390.jpg|19079427] and [b:The Red Notebook|23129712|The Red Notebook|Antoine Laurain|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1422320393s/23129712.jpg|42677555], I looked forward with glee to Antoine Laurain's latest book. "French Rhapsody" has a fabulous set-up: after mistakenly being lost at the post office for 33 years, a letter arrives for our protagonist, Alain. Alain and his friends were once members of an experimental New Wave band called "The Holograms" and the letter is from a major record label expressing interest in recording the band. Of course, since the letter never reached them, The Holograms have long since split up, the members have lost touch, and most have gotten "real" jobs.
Laurain uses this same serendipitous plot structure, and mixes in whimsy, humor, a sense of place, and a certain je ne sais quois to great effect in his previous books. Sadly, all the charm is missing here. Several side characters are introduced, and their story lines crowd out the overlying arc of Alain trying to find his former band mates. I kept hoping the book would pick up, but at 50% of the way in decided to call it a wrap.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallic Books for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Having loved [b:The President's Hat|17594390|The President's Hat|Antoine Laurain|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1364864841s/17594390.jpg|19079427] and [b:The Red Notebook|23129712|The Red Notebook|Antoine Laurain|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1422320393s/23129712.jpg|42677555], I looked forward with glee to Antoine Laurain's latest book. "French Rhapsody" has a fabulous set-up: after mistakenly being lost at the post office for 33 years, a letter arrives for our protagonist, Alain. Alain and his friends were once members of an experimental New Wave band called "The Holograms" and the letter is from a major record label expressing interest in recording the band. Of course, since the letter never reached them, The Holograms have long since split up, the members have lost touch, and most have gotten "real" jobs.
Laurain uses this same serendipitous plot structure, and mixes in whimsy, humor, a sense of place, and a certain je ne sais quois to great effect in his previous books. Sadly, all the charm is missing here. Several side characters are introduced, and their story lines crowd out the overlying arc of Alain trying to find his former band mates. I kept hoping the book would pick up, but at 50% of the way in decided to call it a wrap.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallic Books for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.