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theliterateleprechaun 's review for:
Flowers of Darkness
by Tatiana de Rosnay
Set 15 years in the future, Tatiana de Rosnay’s new release, Flowers of Darkness, will definitely make you stop and consider how much you value your privacy! De Rosnay’s novels include two key features: the importance of place and secrets. This novel is no different. The 70-year-old protagonist and recent divorcee, Clarissa Katsef, searches for a suitable new home where she can continue writing in a tranquil environment. Her search leads her to a new artist residency named CASA. It’s a dreamy, ultra-modern apartment with a spectacular sweeping view of Paris. Soon after she moves in, her paranoia makes her question if someone is watching her or if it’s just a result of an over-active imagination. You’ll be asking yourself the same questions: Who is behind CASA? What are their motives? What kind of information are they collecting? Before long, what started out a dream for Clarissa, turns into a nightmare. The streets of the French capital are deserted and there are drones circulating ordering everyone inside. France has become an artificial intelligence and robot enhanced country. De Rosnay explores how this artificial intelligence tampers with love, sex, and artistic creation in futuristic France. She has artfully managed to keep a delicate balance between a page-flipping suspense novel and a reflective, slow-paced, scientific exploration of the issues that arise from a loss of privacy.
In a recent interview with de Rosnay, she confessed that Clarissa is “badass and very brave and courageous in the choices she makes. She has charisma, humour and she’s one of the best characters I’ve created yet!” In fact, she makes it very clear that if her book is made for film, she wants Helen Mirin to play the part of Clarissa. She also shared that this was the first time she has ever written simultaneously in English and French and that she “kept switching between two pages and almost became a robot [herself].”
Although this book was a unique read and not what I expected, it did cause me to reflect and question how much privacy I was willing to give up. The fact that de Rosnay puts these challenges in black and white for us to consider makes for a frightening scenario.
Make sure to put Feb 23, 2021 on your calendar!
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to review this book in exchange for feedback.
In a recent interview with de Rosnay, she confessed that Clarissa is “badass and very brave and courageous in the choices she makes. She has charisma, humour and she’s one of the best characters I’ve created yet!” In fact, she makes it very clear that if her book is made for film, she wants Helen Mirin to play the part of Clarissa. She also shared that this was the first time she has ever written simultaneously in English and French and that she “kept switching between two pages and almost became a robot [herself].”
Although this book was a unique read and not what I expected, it did cause me to reflect and question how much privacy I was willing to give up. The fact that de Rosnay puts these challenges in black and white for us to consider makes for a frightening scenario.
Make sure to put Feb 23, 2021 on your calendar!
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to review this book in exchange for feedback.