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Hunting and Gathering

by Anna Gavalda, Alison Anderson (Translator)

4.1 of 5 stars 4.10 · rating details · 5,780 ratings · 646 reviews

Camille is doing her best to disappear. She barely eats, works at night as a cleaner and lives in a tiny attic room. Downstairs in a beautiful, ornate apartment, lives Philibert Marquet de la Durbelli�re, a shy, erudite, upper-class man with an unlikely flatmate in the shape of the foul-mouthed but talented chef, Franck. One freezing evening Philibert overcomes his excruci...more

Paperback, 480 pages

Published January 1st 2004 by Vintage

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A Very Long Engagement by Sébastien Japrisot

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Feb 06, 2013 Steve rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Despite 1) several years spent in Indiana, 2) an unstinted enjoyment of meat, and 3) the fact that I at one time had a mustache (it was the 80’s), I am not a Ron Swanson replica. To prove this point, I read a book set in Europe. . . France, no less. And it didn’t even have one of those page-turning plots to drive it.

What it did have was a plenitude of French themes. Food, especially the fine dining variety, was foremost among them. Art was another. Cultural divides of the type pitting aristocra...more

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Oct 01, 2008 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Leah by: Jamie

Shelves: general-fiction, heartbreaking

This book was recommended to me by Jamie, and it was a perfect rec, thank you so much, lady.

Translated from French to English, Hunting and Gathering is a character - rather than plot - driven, slice of life portrait. Somewhere within these pages, the main character finds herself at a bookstore, pouring over a collection of the French cartoonist Sempe's drawings (as I best know for his work in The New Yorker.) As I read further, I began to realize: There it is. This book is like a Sempe drawing....more This book was recommended to me by Jamie, and it was a perfect rec, thank you so much, lady.

Translated from French to English, Hunting and Gathering is a character - rather than plot - driven, slice of life portrait. Somewhere within these pages, the main character finds herself at a bookstore, pouring over a collection of the French cartoonist Sempe's drawings (as I best know for his work in The New Yorker.) As I read further, I began to realize: There it is. This book is like a Sempe drawing. It is graceful and gentle and detailed, despite looking right into the heart of something that would otherwise revolt or depress. Rather, Gavalda makes it seem as though the beauty in these characters is actually due TO their dejection. I appreciate this, because it really is our muli-dimensional nature that makes us human.

I admired Gavalda's approach in writing truth for her characters without ever showing judgment as an author- not even in the most subtle and unintentional way. This isn't easy, and takes trust on the author's part to just allow these personalities to unfold, even if they are sometimes ugly sides to show.

As a reward for her discipline, her characters really come to life, flaws and all, and allow the reader to develop a relationship with them as if they really are "friends", as the characters themselves grow to know and love one another. It is how we are in life: we understand each other as complex beings and recognize that this is what draws us together. Shared pain of past experiences, shared joy and frustration and kindnesses.

I fear that through this review, I could be making this story seem way too darling, when it is far from that sort of tone. I guess that is that je ne sais quoi (ha) that comes from balancing sentiment with the reality of burden, as well as the candid sharp wit of dialogue, both between characters and in their internal conversation. The perspective is balanced, and never takes you too far to one side or another without bringing you right back. Such is life!

This book is now well dog-eared with pages I want to revisit, and I never do that. I guess maybe at the bottom of it all I read this book at just the right time. It was a great reminder that we is who we is, and everyone's just trying to do the best they can in this crazy world, while finding a little joy and connection to get through. I needed that.
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Nov 05, 2007 Madeline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-time-favorites

This will sound weird, but it's true: some books don't need plots.
Hunting and Gathering is a perfect example of a character-driven novel. Nothing really monumental or dramatic happens, and instead the story is supported entirely by the four main characters. They are: Camille, a cleaning lady (or "cleaning operative") who lives in a tiny apartment by herself and doesn't eat; Philibert, an aristocrat lacking social skills who lives in Camille's building; his roommate Franck, a temperamental but t...more

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Nov 08, 2007 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was worried that once I finished this book I would be filled with sadness over leaving these characters. I was sad to put it down, but the overall experience was so satisfying that I would highly recommend this book to others.

Hunting and Gathering made me miss having conversations with my old roommate from France. The characters' manner of speaking is so different from Americans and refreshing. I was surprised to see American references like Shrek and Angelina Jolie here and there, but they o...more

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Jan 15, 2008 JoAnne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. It was translated from French, but was so beautifully written the translation was transparent to me. The characters were a motley assortment of wounded souls brought together to heal one another. A real gem. I was astounded by her descriptions of the world through Camille's artistic eyes and the ability to make you feel as though you were in the scene. She was able to make each character whole. You could picture the way they appeared to the world, but also the inner beauty and...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Ala Jadooa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

هذا الكتاب وبالرغم من انه لا يعتبر كتاب رومانسي او قصة حب ، الا أنه يشدك للقراءة ويكون من الصعب ان تتركه ، فأنه يجمع بين اربع شخصيات تائهة محطمة النفس وشبه فاقدة الأمل بالحياة ، ولكن عند التقائهم ببعض يعالج كل منهم جروحات الآخر بدون أن يقصد لأن كلا منهم تصرف بانسانيه وتجرد عن الأنا التي في داخله .. أنه بمثابة السهل الممتنع … كلماته تدخل قلبك بسلاسة فائقة وتشدك أحداثه اليومية وتجعلك تعيش وتتواصل معهم ..
اسلوب وقدرة الكاتبة غافالدا بأعطاء وصف تام لكل شخصية من الشخصيات الاربعة بشكل دقيق ومحبب للقلب...more هذا الكتاب وبالرغم من انه لا يعتبر كتاب رومانسي او قصة حب ، الا أنه يشدك للقراءة ويكون من الصعب ان تتركه ، فأنه يجمع بين اربع شخصيات تائهة محطمة النفس وشبه فاقدة الأمل بالحياة ، ولكن عند التقائهم ببعض يعالج كل منهم جروحات الآخر بدون أن يقصد لأن كلا منهم تصرف بانسانيه وتجرد عن الأنا التي في داخله .. أنه بمثابة السهل الممتنع … كلماته تدخل قلبك بسلاسة فائقة وتشدك أحداثه اليومية وتجعلك تعيش وتتواصل معهم ..
اسلوب وقدرة الكاتبة غافالدا بأعطاء وصف تام لكل شخصية من الشخصيات الاربعة بشكل دقيق ومحبب للقلب تجعلك تحس وكأنك تشاهد فيلم سينمائي وانك تعايش الاحداث بواقعية كبيره .. كل ذلك عبر سلسلة حوارات ممتعة وبسيطة ولكنها واقعيه جدا بحيث أوصلتنا الى دواخل وأحاسيس كل الشخصيات بدون أي جهد منا ..
شخصية البطلة كامي وبرغم تعاستها في أول أحداث الكتاب الا انك لا تستطيع الا ان تتعاطف معها بدرجة كبيرة بسبب شخصيتها الملهمة والباعثة للأمل برغم الرتابة واليأس الذي كانت تعيشيه بشكل يومي مع زميلاتها عاملات النظافة .. كامي التي تؤمن بأن الحب كفيل بحل جميع الأزمات بالرغم من فقدانها لشعور الحب هذا .. الكاتبة الرائعة وصفت لنا العالم الفرنسي من خلال عيون كامي الفنية كرسامة بارعة مع انها بدت لنا كأنها هاوية لا أكثر ..
ومن عبر جارها فيليبير الارستقراطي الذي يمتلك موسوعة معلومات لكنه وحيد ويعاني من العزلة والتأتأه في الكلام ..
وفرانك المتقلب المزاج والغريب الأطوار الذي يحاول ان يوازن بين حبه لجدته بوليت التي ربته وبين عمله المجهد كشيف في أحد المطاعم الفرنسية المشهورة.. لقد أبدعت الكاتبة في السرد والحوارات وايصال رسالتها للقارئ الا وهي ان ما يمنع الناس من العيش معا هو حماقتهم وليس اختلافاتهم! فالتسامح الانساني وتقبل الآخر برغم الاختلاف هو ما يحتاج اليه عالمنا اليوم!
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Mar 29, 2013 Elisabetta 海琳 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Allora...da dove cominciare? Premettiamo che non é il mio genere. Quindi é forse per questo che non l'ho saputo pienamente apprezzare date le favolose recensioni. Io, personalmente, gli avrei dato 2 stelline e mezzo, ma le ultime due pagine mi hanno fatto cambiare idea. Sarà che sono un'inguaribile romantica e certe scene mi riempiono il cuore. I personaggi: Simpatici, particolari, ci si affeziona immediatamente! Sono personaggi che nel corso del libro imparano a convivere e a volersi bene e que...more

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Apr 15, 2012 annik rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-russian, french-lit

Гавальда в самом начале знакомства расстроила своими 35 кило надежды. У меня к тому времени рядом с этой брошюркой лежал кирпич «Просто вместе», и не дай я ей второго шанса, у нас с ней не было бы ни «Я ее любил. Я его любила», ни «Мне бы хотелось...»

Крайне нехотя я взялась за «Просто вместе», ожидая такого же провала, как с «35 кило надежды». Но я не рассчитала, что у Гавальды в этот раз было обширное страничное пространство, куда она влила своих героев, которым я сопереживала с самого начала,...more Гавальда в самом начале знакомства расстроила своими 35 кило надежды. У меня к тому времени рядом с этой брошюркой лежал кирпич «Просто вместе», и не дай я ей второго шанса, у нас с ней не было бы ни «Я ее любил. Я его любила», ни «Мне бы хотелось...»

Крайне нехотя я взялась за «Просто вместе», ожидая такого же провала, как с «35 кило надежды». Но я не рассчитала, что у Гавальды в этот раз было обширное страничное пространство, куда она влила своих героев, которым я сопереживала с самого начала, сама того не заметив. Страшно было закрывать книгу, словно если бы я отложила ее на несколько часов, с героями что-нибудь приключилось в мое отсутствие. «Просто вместе» запомнилась мне сочетанием ледяных ступней и запойного чтения.
Конечно, я не смогла избавиться полностью от своего скептичного настроя, и сразу по прочтении оповестила твиттер, что «подавилась соплями». Но через несколько недель все-таки посмотрела, повертела ее в голове, и пришла к выводу, что злилась по инерции, и вовсе не соплива Гавальда в этой книге. Переживательна — это да. А в остальном чудная книжка, положившая начало моему увлечению французами.(less)

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Dec 22, 2008 Colleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My sis lent me this book, dog-eared and loved, and said I had to read it. Thank you, Sis, I loved it. Its four main characters are so unique and lovable, well, one of them starts out annoying and frustrating, but then grows on you, and on everyone in the book. The story is really about four people from the outskirts of society, who have all been knocked down in one way or the other, but while they are wallowing in their personal darkness, they find each other. I will leave it at that. It is a wo...more

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Aug 30, 2008 Jen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An interesting translation of a french title, and am happy to have read this. However I would not describe this as a 'lovely story' as it was more of a snapshot of the intersection of four character's lives, and less focused on moving plot.

There were times I felt connected to and enlightened by each character, yet come the next chapter, I felt as though I did not know, or really care for them at all. Powerful insights were encountered, then moments later the same characters were written in a sh...more

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Jun 11, 2008 Kathleen Dixon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kathleen by: Reading Seals

Shelves: reading-seals, novel

It's just possible that I couldn't put this book down because I'm into avoidance tactics at the moment (avoiding the study I need to do for my 4 exams coming up in 2 weeks time), but, nevertheless, I couldn't put it down. I just loved these poor, sad people and their wonderful specialities and their struggling to find some normal type of existence. The way Gavalda brings them together is very clever, and the way she takes the flaws in their characters and weaves in a realisation about friendship...more

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Nov 05, 2007 Catie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Every lovely thing that I have read about Anna Gavalda is true. This book is lovely, heartbreaking, and so very hopeful without resorting to sentiment and a flowery vocabulary; I can't say enough good things about it.

Gavalda's style is at once minimalistic and incredibly colorful and provocative. She plunges her reader into the middle of conversations, then sets the scene as she goes rather than vice versa. Some may find that dissorienting, but I found that it greatly improved my ability to rel...more

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Apr 08, 2009 Marianne Ruggiero rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was full of heart. An off-beat group of individuals from different walks of life come together to live in a spacious old apartment in Paris. Will they get along? Will there by romance? That's all I'll divulge of the plot. What's most interesting to me about the book is the style of the conversations among the characters, they are long and leisurely and don't need to advance the plot in any way, just reveal more and more about each character's personality. Almost like sitting next to an...more

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Jul 31, 2008 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Leah McKenzie

Recommended to Jamie by: Molly

This book.

This book, this book, this book.

*Sigh*

It is lyrical in that way that only books translated from French can be. I rarely underline or highlight while reading fiction, but this book gave my pen a work out. It was just lovely.

The characters were complex and well developed and sweet. They were just so sweet.

It wasn't perfect, but it was just the thing. It was flawed, but still one of the best I'll read this year.

The biggest flaw for me was probably Philou's character. I don't like that...more

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May 20, 2008 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a lovely story. The author is adept at easing you into a genuine interest in these four misfits, each encumbered by some misfortune or ineptness. There is a satisfaction in watching each as their lives are changed by their relationships with one another. It's as if each character begins in black and white and we slowly watch the blood and color seep into each, fueled by the love that develops between them. By the end you are so happy to have watched their journey and you are genuinely happy...more

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Feb 26, 2008 Hope rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. It's not often I find a book that wraps me up in a warm blanket and gives me a nice cuppa but this one did. The characters are quirky and whimsical. However they aren't far off from being real, at least I've known people like them. I swear the chef could've been a head chef I worked with years ago! I also liked that it was set in France. It added to the 'romance' of the book. While I was reading it I could see the places they lived. I found the whole book touching and endearin...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Inga rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Was erwartet man von einem Buch, das in Paris spielt, und von den darin agierenden Charakteren? Lebensfreude, die schönen Künste, z.B. Malerei, Musik,..., gutes Essen, vielleicht noch eine gewisse Geschichtsverbundenheit, das Land atmet das Königliche und die Revolution gleichermaßen. Voilà – damit wären ja schon einige Komponenten von Anna Gavaldas Bestseller „Zusammen ist man weniger allein“ genannt. (Der französische Originaltitel „Ensemble, c’est tou“ ist allerdings treffender.)

Vier Charakte...more Was erwartet man von einem Buch, das in Paris spielt, und von den darin agierenden Charakteren? Lebensfreude, die schönen Künste, z.B. Malerei, Musik,..., gutes Essen, vielleicht noch eine gewisse Geschichtsverbundenheit, das Land atmet das Königliche und die Revolution gleichermaßen. Voilà – damit wären ja schon einige Komponenten von Anna Gavaldas Bestseller „Zusammen ist man weniger allein“ genannt. (Der französische Originaltitel „Ensemble, c’est tou“ ist allerdings treffender.)

Vier Charaktere, die unterschiedlicher nicht sein können, schälen sich im Laufe des Buches aus ihren Einsamkeiten, um sich in Wohngemeinschaft und Freundschaft endlich wieder an ihrem Leben zu freuen. Da wären:

Camille – arbeitet als Putzfrau, isst kaum d.h. zu wenig, trinkt und raucht, viel zu viel, und zeichnet und malt wie ein Engel, aber zu wenig. Sie wacht jeden Tag mit dem Gefühl auf „Kies zu kauen“ und die Erinnerungen an ihr bisheriges Leben und ihre Familie quälen sie.

Franck – ein begabter Koch, schuftet und schuftet und verwechselt in seiner Freizeit Motorradfahren und kurze Frauengeschichten mit dem Leben. Einziger Lebensliebeslichtblick: Seine Großmutter Paulette.

Paulette – Francks Großmutter, hat ihn groß gezogen und ist alt und langsam zu alt, um noch allein zu wohnen. Ihr altes Haus – das kleine Paradies. Das Altersheim – ein Albtraum.

Philibert – adelig, aber durch seine Familie zu einem unsicheren, gestörten jungen Mann geworden, der Postkarten verkauft und mit einem schier unendlichen historischen Wissen stotternd umherirrt. Er bewohnt bis zur Lösung einer Erbschaftsstreiterei ein museumshaftes Appartement, das für ihn allein viel zu groß ist.

Zusammen mit diesen vier betritt man Philiberts Appartement und damit eine andere Welt, in der normal nichts mehr bedeutet und Leben neu definiert wird und eine andere Qualität bekommt. Das Alte hinter sich lassen, Neues schaffen, aber das nur im Miteinander.
Keine neue Botschaft, natürlich, aber die Charaktere sind ganz wunderbar in ihrer Skurrilität und in ihrer Glaubhaftigkeit.
Man will plötzlich auch nach Paris, am liebsten mit diesen in ihre WG einziehen, ein wunderbares Bild malen, Vivaldi hören oder ein mehrgängiges Menü kochen.
Auch sprachlich macht das Buch Spaß: Die Dialoge lassen nach und nach immer mehr durchscheinen, was für Menschen da miteinander sprechen, die Gedanken und Selbstgespräche von Camille lassen einen manchmal schmunzeln, manchmal traurig sein.
Aber genug des Kommentars: Selber lesen. Am besten schnell, denn Mitte August hat der Film Premiere, wer weiß... Wobei man mit Audrey Tautou in der Rolle der Camille hoffen darf...(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book actually came out in 2007, but I just read it this week, so it is that it finds its way into the best of 2009. Someone made a movie out of it, too, which is no surprise, as it’s a novel rich in dialogue and feeling.

I don’t remember ever been more nervous that a story might have an unhappy ending. The characters are so well developed: their earnestness, loneliness and neediness combine to make the reader (me) ache with wanting good things for them - good things like one another. The dial...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Mary Ronan Drew rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book

How do you say chick lit in French? This charming novel by Anna Gavalda has all the characteristics we want in a love story, with a good bit of French sophistication superimposed. It’s translated from the French by Alison Anderson, and I mention that because it is so smoothly done it doesn’t feel translated.

When I finished reading the book I looked on Amazon to see if there might possibly be a sequel, though the book ends so well and pleasingly that a sequel isn’t really possible with the same c...more How do you say chick lit in French? This charming novel by Anna Gavalda has all the characteristics we want in a love story, with a good bit of French sophistication superimposed. It’s translated from the French by Alison Anderson, and I mention that because it is so smoothly done it doesn’t feel translated.

When I finished reading the book I looked on Amazon to see if there might possibly be a sequel, though the book ends so well and pleasingly that a sequel isn’t really possible with the same characters. I wanted to spend more time with them. I wanted to know what happened to them next. In other words, they were much more three-dimensional than most characters in a book that can be classified as a romance.

The structure of the book is clever. The grandmother of an eccentric young aristocrat named Philibert has died and until the estate is settled he is assigned by his family to live in her 4,000 sq ft apartment on the Champs de Mars so that none of the squabbling cousins can take it over. He expects a letter from the lawyers any day saying things have been settled and he must move out.

Meanwhile he has a roommate, Franck, a chef with tremendous skill with food but not with people. His language is profane and his girlfriends are many and short-term. But he and Philibert get along well enough as they have worked out a system where they seldom see one another. But both are nervous about change, so when Philibert rescues a young woman, Camille, who has been living in a tiny garret in their building, things become unsettled.

A talented artist who dropped out of the Ecole de Beaux Arts to live with a man with half her own talent, Camille has drifted, living on the street for a time. She is now working for a professional cleaning company who vacuum and tidy office in the middle of the night. Her co-workers, though not important to the story, are interesting, especially a woman from Senegal with a personality as big as her person.

Camille and Franck don’t get along and Franck’s depression at having put his grandmother, who lives in Tours, in a nursing home and the stress of his spending every day off driving to and back and spending the day with her wear on all of them. When the grandmother moves into the apartment with them Camille and Philibert fall in love with her and for a time things go well. But their comfortable situation is not to last and some tough decisions have to be made.

For a short time in my youth I lived on the rue Bonaparte very near the Ecole de Beaux Arts and walked the streets mentioned in the book. Camille loves the view in all directions from the middle of the Pont des Arts, a footbridge across the Seine, the bridge I took whenever I went to the other bank of the river. It was a delight to share this and other bits of Paris with Camille.

While I was at Amazon.com searching in vain for a sequel I sent a copy of this book to my sister, who is a pastry chef, and who I know will love the many descriptions of a Parisian restaurant kitchen, the people who work there, and the cooking they do – always under tremendous pressure. Franck it turns out is a superb cook and is the kitchen’s saucier (no 3 man in an old-fashioned brigade-style kitchen, immediately under the chef and sous-chef.)
A couple of other comments: I can’t remember who told me about this author and this book, but I’m grateful. Thank you. I thought about buying a copy for my Kindle until I realized the Kindle version is $13.99 and the paperback version, with its beautiful cover (a tray of chalks) is $11.56. Do save $2.50 and get the trade paperback.

2011 No 69 Coming soon: Moneyball
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Dec 17, 2009 Jess added it · review of another edition

As the staff member responsible for choosing titles for our fiction collection, I often find myself overwhelmed by the hundreds of plots, characters, themes, etc. that I am constantly introduced to via book reviews. But every now and again a book description will intrigue and jump out as to say I'm worth your time!,as did this novel by a bestselling French author. The scene is modern day Paris, the characters are three unique 20-somethings who have a common thread: loneliness. Camille is an extr...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Josefine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: translated

I started reading this with a certain amount of apprehension due to it's overwhelming popularity (anything widely and universally acclaimed usually makes me suspicious) and because of the obvious feel-good connotations. Despite this the first few chapters had me hooked, and I started to think that the book might actually be as wonderful as everyone claims. The characters are nuanced and flawed enough to feel believable (the language issues that inevitably mar all translated work are evident here...more

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Aug 07, 2012 El rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to El by: Jennifer D.

Shelves: 21st-centurylit, artsy-fartsy

I'm not great at reading contemporary novels for some reason. I think in a lot of ways I expect too much out of them, especially when I compare them to so many of their predecessors (totally unfair of me, I know, but that's how I roll). I usually see so much room for improvement, or "had this been tweaked just a bit..."'s, that I wind up wondering what everyone makes such a fuss about.

I don't wonder as much with this book. It's charming. It's heartbreaking in parts. It actually punched me in the...more I'm not great at reading contemporary novels for some reason. I think in a lot of ways I expect too much out of them, especially when I compare them to so many of their predecessors (totally unfair of me, I know, but that's how I roll). I usually see so much room for improvement, or "had this been tweaked just a bit..."'s, that I wind up wondering what everyone makes such a fuss about.

I don't wonder as much with this book. It's charming. It's heartbreaking in parts. It actually punched me in the heart a few times. You know how certain paragraphs in books can hit you somewhere inside you didn't even know existed? Yeah, that's what happened with this book.

There are four main characters - the starving artist, Camille; Philibert the aristocrat who lives in Camille's building; Philibert's roommate, Franck; and Paulette, Franck's grandmother. While the story shouldn't be told without any one of them, the only one I particularly cared about was Camille. Maybe it's because we're both of the womenfolk genre, and I could connect with her on that sort of level; but honestly I think it has more to do with how Gavalda wrote her. Camille is wonderful. I love the way she sees the world, and the way her art is an extension of her character. Everyone else in the story paled in comparison. I just wanted Camille.

Now this is where I get obnoxious: I see that 10 Goodreads members have shelved this book as "chick lit". I'm not attacking them for that, but it just doesn't fit the bill in my opinion. This might be because my own definition of "chick lit" is less forgiving than I think it is according to most of the readers of the world. "Chick lit" to me is fluffy - that's what I imagine when I think of a baby chick. Fuzz. This was deeper than that. This wasn't a fuzzy story. There are the occasional fuzzy elements, but Camille is not a chick. She's not fluffy. She's bones and grit and paint. She's not out to find herself a man, or even the right pair of high heels. I'm not sure she would know how to walk in high heels. (Something else she and I have in common.) Most characters in what I define as "chick lit" do not appreciate the beauty in an ugly knitted scarf. Camille could.

So I'm interested with that shelving, but I'm trying to ignore it. I just hate that someone might be led astray by that. I almost couldn't bring myself to read this because of that. But one of my close GR friends rated it so highly and I trust her judgment that I couldn't turn it down; and I'm so happy I pushed myself.

For the record, I do believe many readers are confused by "chick lit" and "women's literature" or "fiction by women writers". It doesn't help that so many are marketed so freaking insanely in order to garner readers.

What I'm saying is that this is a book that I think even male readers could appreciate. And I worry that the label "chick lit" could be a real turn-off for most.

I can't give this a full 5 stars because it really consists of more dialogue than I prefer. I often find that an easy way out; Gavalda, however, manages to throw in an occasional paragraph or few pages that are not as superficial as straight conversation, and for that alone I hung on.

Now, really. Can Gavalda write a book just about Camille? For me? Please and thank you.

All the valves opened and she blew her nose against his shirt, cried some more, letting go of twenty-seven years of solitude, of sorrow, of nasty blows to the head, crying for the cuddles she never had, her mother's madness, the paramedics on their knees on the wall-to-wall carpet, her father's absent gazes, the shit she went through, all those years without any respite, ever, the cold, the pleasure of hunger, the wrong paths taken, the self-imposed betrayals, and always that vertigo, the vertigo at the edge of the abyss and of the bottle. And the doubt, her body always in hiding, and the taste of ether and the fear of never being good enough.

That, right there. That's one of those sections that hit me somewhere I didn't know existed. You don't have to understand. That one is just for me.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Oct 11, 2011 Stela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: favorites, reviews, postmodernism

J'essaie de trouver le mot juste mais je n'y arrive pas - le charme de ce livre est ineffable. Le retour à la simplicité narrative, peut-être? Les quatre personnages si vivantes bien que faits des croquis (c'est pas au hasard que Camille dessine)? Le je-ne-sais-quoi du tout? Elle parle de la vieillesse et de l'amour, de l'amitié et de la solitude et impressionne sans tomber en mélodrame, bien qu'elle ne se serve d'ironie non plus. La vie, c'est tout.

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 06, 2009 LindyLouMac rated it 5 of 5 stars

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6...

I think that this novel about a group of four unlikely misfits that become friends is both profound and touching. Camille is an anorexic and lonely artist. Philibert her intellectual and aristocratic neighbour is the one who initially rescues Camille from herself. Franck a talented chef is Philibert’s lodger. The final member of the quartet is Franck’s aged Grandmother Paulette. The group learn to slowly cope with life together through the redemptive power...more

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May 06, 2012 Madara Sniedze Meļņika rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, to-read-again, wishlist, for-others

Firstly I was a bit aware because the Latvian cover of the book and also the title sounded and looked a bit too..sweet (about the cover - it was also a bit inappropriate, as I understood later) . But when I started the book, I had to understand - all my thoughts have been wrong. It was something amazing and I can truly say, that this book is one of my all time favourites! Each characted - Camilla, who loves art, is amazing painter and refuses to eat, Philibert, who is antisocial aristocrat, Fran...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Alice Fatet rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"un livre qui fait du bien", c'est ce qu'on m'avait dit �� la sortie du bouquin en librairie...

je m'��tais bien demand�� ce que ��a pouvait vouloir dire sur le coup !?

et puis ma pile de livres en retard ne diminuait pas alors l'achat a attendu.

Presque 3 ans !! et finalement, je ne regrette pas de le lire seulement aujourd'hui parce que c'est juste ce dont j'avais besoin, l��, maintenant...

Une bonne dose d'optimisme face �� la vie, la vraie... et les sentiments, leur lot de joyeuset��s et de tris...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Elida Karaivanova rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 24, 2007 ellen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the best fiction books I've read in a long time -- the emotions captured in this novel are superb. I got so caught up in this book that I felt a huge let down when it was over. The weaving of the characters lives together speaks to some of the universal struggles of human existence, family, history, loneliness, connection, love in a very real and effortless way. Simply beautiful.

4 likes · like · see review

Oct 30, 2007 Mark Heising rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Am Anfang habe ich mich schwer getan mit der Sprache. Später habe ich mich reingefunden und von der Wärme und Nähe die dieses Buch zu seinen Protagonisten aufbaut in den Bann ziehen lassen. Ja, es ist zutiefst französisch. Es ist voller Klischees und es ist vorhersehbar. Aber was solls. Es ist auch elegant auf eine verschrobene Art und Weise. Es berührt und es rührt.

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 18, 2011 Melee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't mind books that are essentially character studies. The things is, to enjoy them I have to like the characters.
Ok, I did like 3 out of 4 of the main characters... I loved, loved, loved Philibert. What can I say? I have a weakness for stuttering history buffs, apparently. I liked Paulette and Camille (most of the time) but I just couldn't care about Franck. He was really a jerk. His foul mouth got on my nerves too. The first word in every sentence doesn't have to be an expletive, Franck d...more

1 like · like · see review

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About Anna Gavalda

Anna Gavalda is a French teacher and award-winning novelist.

Referred to by Voici magazine as "a distant descendant of Dorothy Parker", Anna Gavalda was born in an upper-class suburb of Paris. While working as French teacher in high school, a collection of her short stories was first published in 1999 under the title "Je voudrais que quelqu'un m'attende quelque part" that met with both critical acc...more Anna Gavalda is a French teacher and award-winning novelist.

Referred to by Voici magazine as "a distant descendant of Dorothy Parker", Anna Gavalda was born in an upper-class suburb of Paris. While working as French teacher in high school, a collection of her short stories was first published in 1999 under the title "Je voudrais que quelqu'un m'attende quelque part" that met with both critical acclaim and commercial success, selling more than three-quarters of a million copies in her native France and winning the 2000 "Grand Prix RTL-Lire." The book was translated into numerous languages including in English and sold in twenty-seven countries. It was published to acclaim in North America in 2003 as "I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere." The book received much praise and is a library and school selection worldwide in several languages.

Gavalda's first novel, Je l'aimais (Someone I Loved) was published in France in February 2002 and later that year in English. Inspired by the failure of her own marriage, it too was a major literary success and a bestseller and was followed by the short (96 pages) juvenile novel 35 kilos d'espoir (95 Pounds of Hope) that she said she wrote "to pay tribute to those of my students who were dunces in school but otherwise fantastic people".

In 2004, her third novel, "Ensemble c'est tout," focused on the lives of four people living in an apartment house: a struggling young artist who works as an office cleaner at night, a young aristocrat misfit, a cook, and an elderly grandmother. The 600-page book is a bestseller in France and has been translated into English as Hunting and Gathering.

As of 2007, her three books have sold more than 3 million copies in France. Ensemble c'est tout was made into a successful movie in 2007 by Claude Berri, with Audrey Tautou and Guillaume Canet. The adaptation of her first novel, Je l'aimais, with Daniel Auteuil and Marie-Josée Croze, was filmed in 2009 by Zabou Breitman.

Divorced, and the mother of two, Gavalda lives in the city of Melun, Seine-et-Marne, about 50 km southeast of Paris. In addition to writing novels, she also contributes to Elle magazine.(less)

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Quotes from Hunting and Gathering

“-Tu crois que c'est comme tes mines de crayon ? Tu crois que ça s'use quand on s'en sert ?
- De quoi ?
-Les sentiments.” — 15 people liked it

“She was sound asleep when he came to curl up next to her. She grunted.
"Don't worry. I'm too drunk, I won't do anything," he murmered.

As she had her back to him, he placed his nose on her neck and slid his arm underneath her to be as close to her as possible. Short strands of her hair tickled his nostrils.
"Camille?"
Was she asleep? Was she pretending? No answer either way.
"I like being with you."
A little smile.
Was she dreaming? Was she asleep? Who knows...” — 9 people liked it

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avg rating	preview: Hunting and Gathering Goodreads rating: 4.10 (5780 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/907820.Hunting_and_Gathering?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355152669l/907820.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/907820.Hunting_and_Gathering?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda[/url]

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