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smitchy 's review for:
Waiting for Monsieur Bellivier
by Britta Röstlund
I was hoping this would be cute and quirky French-inspired story. It's quirky alright but more of a commentary on social isolation / mental health / family secrets and anything lighthearted and cute.
The story centers around two people: Helena - burnt out journalist and recently divorced mum who is struggling with anxiety and depression - and Mancebo - proprietor of a little grocery store and a man who is certain of everything in his life.
Restless but uncertain, Helena impulsively says yes when a strange man asks her "Are you waiting for Monsieur Belivier?" This starts her on a strange short term job forwarding emails. At the end of each day she gets given a bunch of flowers from her new employer, whom she has never met. The flowers are an increasing source of anxiety and paranoia for Helena and by giving them away she starts to make unexpected new connections.
Mancebo is a man of routine. For the 20 + years he has run his little shop he has been certain of how his day will go and what everyone around him does: That all starts to change when his neighbour Madame Cat asks him to keep an eye on her writer husband while she is away. Madame Cat is certain he is having an affair and wants to prove it. Mancebo takes to his new job with gusto but in the process everything he thinks he knows will be turned on its head!
I have to admit I enjoyed reading Mancebo's story more than Helena's, particularly in the beginning as I found Helena a little hard to empathise with, but that was just my personal opinion. This story is really study in social isolation and mental health and how a change in perspective can influence you for better or worse.
I've just made it sound really serious - its not; but I did find the psychological side of the characters interesting - sometimes more so than the plot. There were a few points where I did wonder where the book was heading, especially Helena's story, and why these two unrelated people are in the same book (it does eventually become clear).
The story centers around two people: Helena - burnt out journalist and recently divorced mum who is struggling with anxiety and depression - and Mancebo - proprietor of a little grocery store and a man who is certain of everything in his life.
Restless but uncertain, Helena impulsively says yes when a strange man asks her "Are you waiting for Monsieur Belivier?" This starts her on a strange short term job forwarding emails. At the end of each day she gets given a bunch of flowers from her new employer, whom she has never met. The flowers are an increasing source of anxiety and paranoia for Helena and by giving them away she starts to make unexpected new connections.
Mancebo is a man of routine. For the 20 + years he has run his little shop he has been certain of how his day will go and what everyone around him does: That all starts to change when his neighbour Madame Cat asks him to keep an eye on her writer husband while she is away. Madame Cat is certain he is having an affair and wants to prove it. Mancebo takes to his new job with gusto but in the process everything he thinks he knows will be turned on its head!
I have to admit I enjoyed reading Mancebo's story more than Helena's, particularly in the beginning as I found Helena a little hard to empathise with, but that was just my personal opinion. This story is really study in social isolation and mental health and how a change in perspective can influence you for better or worse.
I've just made it sound really serious - its not; but I did find the psychological side of the characters interesting - sometimes more so than the plot. There were a few points where I did wonder where the book was heading, especially Helena's story, and why these two unrelated people are in the same book (it does eventually become clear).