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A review by dustyloup
Mercure by Amélie Nothomb
5.0
I'm feeling too lazy to write in french- this little book was an interesting reflection (haha) on all the meanings and symbols of mercury, as well as narcissism/society's obsession with beauty, greed, different kinds of prisons, the difference between maturity and one's actual age and other nuances.
It's interesting how the books that Hazel and Françoise talked about should have been a means for the two of them to communicate secretly (especially given the reference to the charterhouse of Parma), but in the end, they served another purpose. Do I really want to believe that the captain loved her enough to bring in a messenger that would do the job in a way that would push Hazel to insanity or suicide? can someone evil enough to keep someone in a gilded cage also be kind enough to delicately release her? As if to satisfy these questions, in my version of the book, the author proposes a second ending- but that's after a rather satisfying ending already so I found that frustrating and to me, the second ending is not in line with what know about Françoise.
I would definitely read this again.
It's interesting how the books that Hazel and Françoise talked about should have been a means for the two of them to communicate secretly (especially given the reference to the charterhouse of Parma), but in the end, they served another purpose. Do I really want to believe that the captain loved her enough to bring in a messenger that would do the job in a way that would push Hazel to insanity or suicide? can someone evil enough to keep someone in a gilded cage also be kind enough to delicately release her? As if to satisfy these questions, in my version of the book, the author proposes a second ending- but that's after a rather satisfying ending already so I found that frustrating and to me, the second ending is not in line with what know about Françoise.
I would definitely read this again.