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A review by berrybeli
Quảng trường ngôi sao by Patrick Modiano
3.0
The unreliable narrator device is pushed to its limits in this rich book by Modiano, his first one and in which we can already see him articulate, albeit awkwardly, the themes that will recur in his later novels. The story of Raphaël Schlemilovitch is the story of a Jew through the turmoil of the 20th century, with a heavy focus on WW2. The hero and narrator (most of the time) lives multiple lives in one, experiencing neurosis after neurosis while getting close to some of the most infamous figures in history, claiming and hating his Jewish identity.
The themes of the novel are multiple, but most of all it is the question of identity which emerges time and again. The free flowing narrative style, along with the multiple intentional contradictions in the plot, make the book weirdly engaging and confusing at the same time, while giving the overall impression that the point may eventually have been missed. In the end, I am not quite sure whether to give this book 1 or 5 stars, which is why I so bravely compromise with this 3.
The themes of the novel are multiple, but most of all it is the question of identity which emerges time and again. The free flowing narrative style, along with the multiple intentional contradictions in the plot, make the book weirdly engaging and confusing at the same time, while giving the overall impression that the point may eventually have been missed. In the end, I am not quite sure whether to give this book 1 or 5 stars, which is why I so bravely compromise with this 3.