A review by astridhealy
La vie devant soi by Emile Ajar, Romain Gary

5.0

Recently I've discovered a type of novel that I particularly enjoy. I'm not sure I could find the proper word to describe it but it basically belongs to fiction, and is usually set nowadays or during the 20th century. I like the way some writers manage to write their books almost like poetry, for example with long sentences or very short and descriptive ones. But you can't know what I'm talking about, unless you've read this, or 'En attendant Bojangles' by Olivier Bourdeaut or even 'Bonjour Tristesse' by Françoise Sagan; that I all consider to belong to this type of novel. This book is extremely funny and I found myself laughing out loud whilst reading it, which is quite rare (tell me I'm not the only one surprised when it happens) because the setting and story in general is original, unexpected and somewhat quirky. The story in itself can be seen as sad, however the way that it's presented shows the smart, loving and honest side of it.
I could go on like this for a very long time because I've just finished it and all its truth and beauty is still fresh in my mind, but I'm scared I might spoilt it. Basically, this is a book to read if you feel down, if you like reading about unspoken subjects, if you like to cry without knowing if it's because you're sad or happy; and you should especially read it if you want a bit of hope and poetry in your life.