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8th out of 14 books
—
1 voter
The Confidant
Paris, 1975. While sifting through condolence letters after her mother's death, Camille finds a long, handwritten missive that she assumes came by mistake. But every Tuesday brings another installment from a stranger named Louis, a man separated from his first love, Annie, in the years before World War II. In his tale, Annie falls victim to the merciless plot of a wealthy,...more
Paperback, 245 pages
Published
October 30th 2012
by Penguin Books
(first published August 26th 2010)
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I wasn’t at all sure about The Confidant when I first picked it up. I was happy with the prospect of a story set in wartime France, but I was a little worried that the story was told through a series of anonymous letters in the 1970s. Wasn’t that just a little bit contrived?
Maybe, but the opening won me over.
I got a letter one day, a long letter that wasn’t signed. This was quite an event because I’ve never received much mail in my life. My letter box had never done more than inform me that the...more
Maybe, but the opening won me over.
I got a letter one day, a long letter that wasn’t signed. This was quite an event because I’ve never received much mail in my life. My letter box had never done more than inform me that the...more
A copy was provided by the publisher via Goodreads Firstreads
I'm going to start with:
1) You used a quote by Federico Garcia Lorca at the beginning of your book, do you know how awesome that is?
2) You were translated from French and there were at times bits that I wished I was reading French and not English because they didn't translate all that well.
3) Your cover is o-so-pretty, I like it a lot.
This is a sweet story of someone coming to terms with the loss of a loved one that they were estra...more
I'm going to start with:
1) You used a quote by Federico Garcia Lorca at the beginning of your book, do you know how awesome that is?
2) You were translated from French and there were at times bits that I wished I was reading French and not English because they didn't translate all that well.
3) Your cover is o-so-pretty, I like it a lot.
This is a sweet story of someone coming to terms with the loss of a loved one that they were estra...more
Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....
Ugh. I had such high hopes for Helene Grémillon's The Confidant, but this book didn't work for me at all. From the first pages I struggled with this one, pushing myself to finish it for the sole purpose of being able to say it didn't kick my ass.
To be fair part the problem has to do with my reasons for picking up the book in the first place. I routinely browse the New Release shelves at my local library and got really excite...more
Ugh. I had such high hopes for Helene Grémillon's The Confidant, but this book didn't work for me at all. From the first pages I struggled with this one, pushing myself to finish it for the sole purpose of being able to say it didn't kick my ass.
To be fair part the problem has to do with my reasons for picking up the book in the first place. I routinely browse the New Release shelves at my local library and got really excite...more
Hélène Grémillon’s first novel begins in Paris of 1975, where Camille Werner is sorting through the letters of condolence she has received on the death of her mother. One of the letters stands out: an account from someone named Louis of his childhood attraction to Annie, a girl from his village. Not knowing anyone named Louis or Annie, Camille thinks no more of this – until she starts receiving regular letters from Louis, telling more of his story.
Camille learns that Annie became friends with on...more
Camille learns that Annie became friends with on...more
First Sentence: I got a letter one day, a long letter that wasn’t signed.
Camille Warner is in publishing, pregnant, abandoned by her lover, and sorting through condolences from her mother’s death. One letter, much thicker than the rest, stands out not only for its size, but its lack of either salutation or signature and seems to be part of a story. As more segments arrive, Camille is curious, thinking perhaps it’s an author looking to be published, then intrigued as the characters begin to be id...more
Camille Warner is in publishing, pregnant, abandoned by her lover, and sorting through condolences from her mother’s death. One letter, much thicker than the rest, stands out not only for its size, but its lack of either salutation or signature and seems to be part of a story. As more segments arrive, Camille is curious, thinking perhaps it’s an author looking to be published, then intrigued as the characters begin to be id...more
The Confidant tells the story of an extremely precarious and painful set of personal relationships against an extremely dangerous and uncertain time in history. It also tells the story from two different points of views, two women fighting for the same man and the same child and, possibly, the same happy life. The story is told through a series of letters that Camille begins receiving shortly after the death of her mother. It is initially told from the point of view of Annie, a young village gir...more
El Confidente- Hélene Gremillon
Tenía buenas referencias y buenas expectativas. El género epistolar es bastante novedoso para mí pero no me provoca incomodidad ni me siento fuera de lugar al cruzarmelo. Es más, los que he leído en este formato fueron todos rápidos de llevar.
El confidente es,ante todo, drama puro. Uno va tratando de atar cabos, hay cosas que quedan a medias, no sabés cómo sentarte para seguir leyendo de la ansiedad. Y la verdad esperaba cualquier cosa menos lo que realmente termi...more
Tenía buenas referencias y buenas expectativas. El género epistolar es bastante novedoso para mí pero no me provoca incomodidad ni me siento fuera de lugar al cruzarmelo. Es más, los que he leído en este formato fueron todos rápidos de llevar.
El confidente es,ante todo, drama puro. Uno va tratando de atar cabos, hay cosas que quedan a medias, no sabés cómo sentarte para seguir leyendo de la ansiedad. Y la verdad esperaba cualquier cosa menos lo que realmente termi...more
The plot of this book seemed quite interesting at first, but I just could not bring myself to like this book.
Yes, the way the author had handled the different points of view were interesting.
Yes, the historical events were quite accurate, and interesting
Yes, the plot seemed interesting.
Here is where it all fell apart!
The language was messy, and whenever there was a change of POV it was often unclear to me which of the characters were actually narrating. It might be that the translated Norwegian...more
Yes, the way the author had handled the different points of view were interesting.
Yes, the historical events were quite accurate, and interesting
Yes, the plot seemed interesting.
Here is where it all fell apart!
The language was messy, and whenever there was a change of POV it was often unclear to me which of the characters were actually narrating. It might be that the translated Norwegian...more
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This little book intrigued me and kept me riveted from start to finish. It's actually kind of haunting me, as several days have gone by since I finished and I keep finding myself wondering, did I really understand that book? And the ending? One of those WOAH moments. I thought for sure I could see where it was going and then BAM! Love those!
This is one of those books that jumps back and forth between time periods, but I found the device quite appropriate. The story is basically about a woman in
Dec 13, 2012
Janice
marked it as to-read
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The Confidant
By Gremillon, Helene
Translator Anderson, Alison
BookPage Notable Title
An award-winning international sensation as haunting and unforgettable as "Suite Francaise." Paris, 1975. Camille sifts through letters of condolence after her mother's death when a strange, handwritten missive stops her short.
Reviews
Review by Meg Bowden
A love revealed through letters
Helene Gremillon’s debut novel, The Confidant, begins with an air of tragedy. In 1975 Paris, Camille is mo...more
The Confidant
By Gremillon, Helene
Translator Anderson, Alison
BookPage Notable Title
An award-winning international sensation as haunting and unforgettable as "Suite Francaise." Paris, 1975. Camille sifts through letters of condolence after her mother's death when a strange, handwritten missive stops her short.
Reviews
Review by Meg Bowden
A love revealed through letters
Helene Gremillon’s debut novel, The Confidant, begins with an air of tragedy. In 1975 Paris, Camille is mo...more
I won a free ARC copy through a giveaway.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were so well done. Each complex with their own voice that shines through. While you won't agree with their decisions you can see their reasoning and how well it fits with who they are. All of them extract a response, several responses usually, and nothing is simple. I didn't have a problem at all with the speed or pacing. I was so wrapped up in story. It really is riveting. The plot twists and turns leaving your...more
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were so well done. Each complex with their own voice that shines through. While you won't agree with their decisions you can see their reasoning and how well it fits with who they are. All of them extract a response, several responses usually, and nothing is simple. I didn't have a problem at all with the speed or pacing. I was so wrapped up in story. It really is riveting. The plot twists and turns leaving your...more
Set in 1970′s Paris and also…
This book has been transleted from French into English. Set in 1970′s, however, it jumps around a lot from then and to the 1930′s and 1940′s. Added to that, the font of the text changed dependant upon the time period you were in. I thought this would be of help, however, the constant time change and font changed really made this a struggle for me to read. I think that maybe I just didn’t quite connect with the story and was often confused (very easily done!). I have...more
This book has been transleted from French into English. Set in 1970′s, however, it jumps around a lot from then and to the 1930′s and 1940′s. Added to that, the font of the text changed dependant upon the time period you were in. I thought this would be of help, however, the constant time change and font changed really made this a struggle for me to read. I think that maybe I just didn’t quite connect with the story and was often confused (very easily done!). I have...more
Hélène Grémillon signe un premier roman admirablement maîtrisé. Elle y aborde de manière touchante et audacieuse le thème difficile de la maternité et des femmes en mal d'enfant. Le Confident est un drame psychologique méticuleusement construit, sur fond de seconde guerre mondiale.
C'est un roman à tiroirs, qui se lit comme une intrigue policière et va de révélation en révélation. Jouant la carte du mystère avec talent, l'auteure exploite brillamment le contexte historique et jongle avec le styl...more
C'est un roman à tiroirs, qui se lit comme une intrigue policière et va de révélation en révélation. Jouant la carte du mystère avec talent, l'auteure exploite brillamment le contexte historique et jongle avec le styl...more
Intriguing with some predictable twists and turns and some not so predictable. Perhaps it was the translation that worked against it in some ways, but I did enjoy it.
The Confidant by Helene Gremillon was a very interesting read. I have to admit that I was a little confused at first as I began reading but quickly the plot came together and I found myself enjoying this story immensely.
It is the story of a young woman whose mother has passed away. She is in the process of selling her parents’ home and getting closure on her life. During this process, she finds herself the recipient of several strange letters. Each week she received a letter telling a story that...more
It is the story of a young woman whose mother has passed away. She is in the process of selling her parents’ home and getting closure on her life. During this process, she finds herself the recipient of several strange letters. Each week she received a letter telling a story that...more
1 like · like · see review
I could not put this book down! I wanted so badly to see how the characters all sorted themselves out in the end. The book is set in France during World War II and in 1975. In 1975, Camille Werner goes through condolence mail after the death of her mother. A letter from "Louis" catches her eye. Louis writes of the love of his life, Annie, about how he loved her since they were children, about things that happened to both of them before and during the war. But who is Louis, and who was Annie? Cam...more
I really liked this book and I was feeling as if it would be a solid four-star novel, and then... wow! The very last paragraph came along and it earned that last star for an awesome conclusion. I was thinking that it was going to finish in the conventionally predictable manner but I was so wrong. I actually didn't see that coming. Sure, elements of the conclusion were not completely unexpected, but the very end was just brilliant.
I really liked the change in perspective among the characters. Th...more
I really liked the change in perspective among the characters. Th...more
When Camille receives a letter describing events from pre-war France, she is sure that the writer has got the wrong address. When the letters continue to arrive, she starts to suspect one of her authors, pitching a new novel in a different yet sneaky manner. But as the letters keep coming, they tell the story of Louis and Annie, struggling with their own personal drama against the back drop of war. Camille becomes wraps up in the story as she slowly comes to realise that she is not a random reci...more
What will an hopelessly deranged and infertile Frenchwoman do to have her own child? Everything.
I received my ARC of The Confidant from First Reads. What initially piqued my interest was how reviewers compared the novel to Sarah's Key; and having read and enjoyed that novel, I hoped to catch myself reading about drama and mystery set against the backdrop of WWII in France. The Confidant is similar to Sarah's Key in the way that they are both set on the same stage, and both writers organized thei...more
I received my ARC of The Confidant from First Reads. What initially piqued my interest was how reviewers compared the novel to Sarah's Key; and having read and enjoyed that novel, I hoped to catch myself reading about drama and mystery set against the backdrop of WWII in France. The Confidant is similar to Sarah's Key in the way that they are both set on the same stage, and both writers organized thei...more
**Received through Goodreads First Reads**
The Confidant is an interesting novel. Grémillon weaves together letters to tell a story or betrayal, deceit, and revenge. The story is gripping and forces the reader to continue until they are finished.
I found the book to be a bit slow at first, but once the action started, I found it flowed quite nicely and it was hard for me to put down. That being said, I did find the transitions between the letters and then Camille herself to be a bit jarring. It fe...more
The Confidant is an interesting novel. Grémillon weaves together letters to tell a story or betrayal, deceit, and revenge. The story is gripping and forces the reader to continue until they are finished.
I found the book to be a bit slow at first, but once the action started, I found it flowed quite nicely and it was hard for me to put down. That being said, I did find the transitions between the letters and then Camille herself to be a bit jarring. It fe...more
Throughout The Confidant, each main character narrates in the first person. Camille is the only narrator in present time (Paris 1975) and the story weaves and builds as we become a part of each narrator’s perspective.
In Paris 1975, Camille has been opening letters of condolence after the death of her mother. It is in amongst those letters that the first ‘letter’ from Louis arrives. Interspersed through the letters we spend time with Camille, finding out details about her life. Camille is a publi...more
In Paris 1975, Camille has been opening letters of condolence after the death of her mother. It is in amongst those letters that the first ‘letter’ from Louis arrives. Interspersed through the letters we spend time with Camille, finding out details about her life. Camille is a publi...more
I received this ARC from the Goodreads First Reads program.
This book was an interesting read. The book is told through multiple points of view, which really makes the reader question which is the most reliable narrator. In the present, we have Camille, a woman who has just lost her mother and begins to receive letters from Louis every Tuesday. His letters detail the relationship between a woman named Annie and the M.'s, a couple who are desperate to have a baby. The letter's detail Annie's side...more
This book was an interesting read. The book is told through multiple points of view, which really makes the reader question which is the most reliable narrator. In the present, we have Camille, a woman who has just lost her mother and begins to receive letters from Louis every Tuesday. His letters detail the relationship between a woman named Annie and the M.'s, a couple who are desperate to have a baby. The letter's detail Annie's side...more
I found this story to be raw and eloquently powerful. It is written in the form of letters being sent to our main character, Camille. But after finishing the story, I am not so confident who the main character really is in this book. Whose story was this? I am feeling so many things and really am holding back tears and ten other emotions at the same time. I became so wrapped up in this story and was literally on the edge of my seat, waiting to find out if my speculations from the beginning were...more
1 like · like · see review
"A beautiful and intricate literary story of family history, secrets and wartime Paris, Hélène Grémillon’s prize-winning début The Confidant examines issues of motherhood and infertility in an era both very different from, and eternally similar to, our own.
The novel, translated into English by Alison Anderson, opens in Paris, in 1975. We meet Camille Werner, a publisher dealing with the untimely death of her mother, reading the sometimes puzzling letters of condolence arriving by post, and pieci...more
The novel, translated into English by Alison Anderson, opens in Paris, in 1975. We meet Camille Werner, a publisher dealing with the untimely death of her mother, reading the sometimes puzzling letters of condolence arriving by post, and pieci...more
I bought this book while in Paris and this one was advertised as a best-selling first novel so I thought why not. It's one of these books that get you really involved and you just can't put it away until you read the last page. It's really a sad book and it gives you this sensation of infinite sadness - the way you feel when one choice leads to only bad consequences and once the events are set in motion there is nothing you can do to stop them. The book is a bit confusing at times and I had an i...more
Dec 01, 2012
Samantha
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of historical fiction
Shelves:
historical-fiction
Quick plot summary: After Camille's mother dies, she starts to receive mysterious letters. Every Tuesday the letters arrive like clockwork, and they are never postmarked or signed. As a publicist, Camille believes the letters to be an authors clever way of getting her attention. However, as each new letter arrives Camille comes to realize that the truth is much stranger than fiction.
Let me just start by saying that I really liked this book. I found myself wondering how the story would play out....more
Let me just start by saying that I really liked this book. I found myself wondering how the story would play out....more
This was an interesting novel. It is told in the form of letters and diary entries that are sent to a publisher/writer. As these letters are read, she continues to try and figure out if the story is real or if it is someone trying to get her to read a manuscript.
The novel tells the story from different perspectives. It entertaining to read the different twists and beliefs of the different characters and how they interpreted and reacted to certain events. It provided for some interesting twists t...more
The novel tells the story from different perspectives. It entertaining to read the different twists and beliefs of the different characters and how they interpreted and reacted to certain events. It provided for some interesting twists t...more
This novel really surprised me. At first I wasn't expecting to enjoy it and wondered where it was going. But as the manuscripts in the story started to arrive at the main characters house, it was slowly uncovering a very unique story. It then got to the point where I couldn't put the book down. I thought I knew how it was going to end halfway through but I couldn't have been more wrong. An absolutely amazing debut that I will be forcing upon everyone I know. For some reason it reminded me of 'My...more
Amazing novel--so unique and unpredictable. I found this book very captivating b/c the events that unfolded kept adding another layer to the story in way that was not at all formulaic. Gremillon was able to convey the story from different perspectives and so all of the characters became either sympathetic or unlikeable--not one came out as a clear protagonist. I also appreciated how the font and typeset helped to differentiate between narratives: letter, journal, internal thoughts. An excellent...more
After the death of her mother, Camille Werner is going through the condolence letters when she comes across a letter that is rather strange. First of all, it's not addressed to her - the envelope is, but the contents aren't. There's no return address. And it doesn't read like a letter, but embarks on a story. The writer, Louis, tells of meeting and befriending Annie as a child in the village of N. in 1933. He was twelve, Annie was ten, and the world was changing.
Camille thinks at first that the...more
Camille thinks at first that the...more
5 likes · like · see review
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