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A review by geofrog
The Dreamers by Gilbert Adair
3.0
I am not a big fan of the romance drama genre, but ever since I learned of The Dreamers (2003) directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, I was immediately drawn and enamoured by the story simply through the trailer and the clips that I had seen, despite never having seen the movie. Once I learned that the movie was an adaptation of a novel, I took it upon myself to read the book first. It should be noted that I am reviewing the rewritten version of the book, the edition that the author rewrote after the success of the original film adaptation. Set against the background of the 1968 Paris student riots, a young American studying in Paris strikes up a friendship with a French brother and sister. The novel is a meditation on the obsession of flesh and living within a dream, disregarding reality for moments of pleasure. The characters are cinephiles always on a mission for a new fixation. The source of their new obsession is each other. When people speak of romance, they usually refer to modern mainstream storytelling tropes that fit into stories that resemble American romantic comedies, which romanticizes relationships and commodifies love itself. When I say that this book is romantic, I am referring to the way that it romanticizes life itself, including who we are in our youth and the complicated and deeply complex feelings we have towards the intimacy of others and the vulnerability and magic of loving them. The writing of this book is romantic in the way that it uses words to paint a beautiful portrait of a story revolving around three youths finding love within art, within each other, and within themselves. I found myself identifying with these characters and their lives, knowing exactly what it was like to hide in one’s own world of ideas, fantasies and film. The elements of this book explore many things that draw me to fiction: illicit relationships, sexual taboos, hedonistic lifestyles, a love for art, and romanticism. I love that this book drips with passion and romance. I loved the European flair that this had and the setting of this book itself, both the setting of 1968 and Paris during the student riots. I only wish that this book had explored the threesome of the characters and their unique relationship more deeply. This book made me want to watch the film, which I anticipate that I will love, if it is anything like this book. I think that this book does a great job at portraying the romantic aspects of youth as a dream state and the jarring awakening of adulthood and adult life. The ending surprised me. I recommend this book for readers who love French cinema.