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A review by saumya_412
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
3.0
Reading about war and life under occupation always makes me grateful for my privileges. The minor subtleties of life including hot and fresh food, clean houses, a loving community are taken for granted when in fact, not so long ago in the past, neighbours would spy on you and report you for the smallest infractions. It continues to be the reality for large parts of the world, where conflicts are a way of life and human populace has learnt to live with violence thereby accepting their fates, their cries of help remaining largely ignored.
The Paris Library is not the greatest book ever written on the war. But it’s important nonetheless. The matter of factly tone, the meditations on friendship, jealousy, love and relationships bring out the core theme: how humans are their biggest enemies.
I enjoyed the book for various reasons, but the silver lining was Odile’s growth as a character who does not let her experiences in the past define her present. The human aspect of the story: living a life with regrets but still trying your best to improve your surrounding community touched me. This will always be etched in my heart ❤️
The Paris Library is not the greatest book ever written on the war. But it’s important nonetheless. The matter of factly tone, the meditations on friendship, jealousy, love and relationships bring out the core theme: how humans are their biggest enemies.
I enjoyed the book for various reasons, but the silver lining was Odile’s growth as a character who does not let her experiences in the past define her present. The human aspect of the story: living a life with regrets but still trying your best to improve your surrounding community touched me. This will always be etched in my heart ❤️