Sa femme

by Emmanuèle Bernheim

114pages. poche. broche.

Genres: France, Fiction, Romance, French Literature, Literary Fiction, 20th Century, Roman

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

(30 November 1955 – 10 May 2017) was a French writer who won the Prix Médicis in 1993 with her book Sa femme. She wrote the screenplay of feature films Swimming Pool (2003) and 5x2 (2004), both directed by François Ozon. She lived in Paris and also worked for television

Reviews

[Uroš Đurković · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Kler zatvori oči. Bila je srećna. Zahladnelo je. Uskoro će se namnožiti gripovi, angine i bronhitisi. Jesen i zima bila su njena omiljena godišnja doba.ˮ (8)

Ova, naizgled distancirana i krajnje jezgrovita proza krije u sebi toliko udaraca i iznenađenja da se može govoriti o majstorstvu. Bernem čuda čini i to tamo gde ih gotovo niko ne bi potražio – u priči o preljubi, strasti i životnoj zaglavljenosti, smestila je toliko detalja koji dopiru upućuju na društvenost u celini. Počevši u tonu trilera i nastavljajući kroz stereotipe ljubavnog romana, Bernem je održala lekciju iz ekonomičnosti pripovedanja, gde je posebno zanimljivo ono što je, samo naizgled usputno spomenuto. Čini se, u ovom kratkom romanu, da je sve jasno, ali da nema razrešenja – konflikti vode u samo veće konflikte. Posebno je zanimljiva i vešta upotreba doživljenog govora – iza udaljenog pripovedanja – famoznog trećeg lica – krije se pogled protagonistkinje, doktorke Kler, kroz koji, na primer, saznajemo, da li poljubac krije ukus kafe. A kad je o poljupcu reč, zanimljivo je koliko svedenosti, tišine i ironije postoji ovde u prikazivanju erotskog iskustva. I posebno u odnosu na osobenost ženskog pogleda. I sve ovo može nalikovati na Erno, ali je nešto sasvim drukčije.

[Zeynep · Rating 2 out of 5]

Olabilecek en kısa cümleler ve seçilebilecek en sade kelimelerle yazılmış O'nun Karısı. Bu açıdan, kitabı okurken edebi kaygıyı bir kenara bırakmak gerek. Ama her ne kadar tekniği diğer kitaplardan çok farklı olsa da olay örgüsü olarak beni tatmin etmedi. Claire, şıpsevdi bir karakter olmakla beraber sevdiği adama ya da adamlara karşı değişik saplantıları olan bir karakter. Thomas'ın kullandığı şeker kaplarını, prezervatifleri saklaması, bunları bir çekmecede biriktirmesi ve onların fotoğrafını çekmesi... Sağlıklı bir insanın yapacağı hareketler değil bunlar. Böyle olması Claire'i ilginçleştiriyordu fakat kitabın kısa olması bu ilginçliği yeterince yansıtamıyordu. Belki başka bir kurguda kullanmalıydı bu teknik ya da Claire yerine daha günlük hayatta görebileceğimiz bir karakter seçilmeliydi.

Thomas'ya karşı hislerinin aşk veya bir çeşit hoşlantı olduğunu düşünmüyorum. Bana göre bariz bir saplantı var ortada. Thomas'yı tanımadan yok karısı böyledir, yok çocuklarıyla tatile gitmiştir şeklinde kendini gereksiz yere yıpratması ne kadar obsesif olduğunun bir başka kanıtı.

Kısacası çok beğendiğimi söyleyemem ama nefret etmedim. Eksiklikleri ve aşırılıkları vardı kimi noktalarda. O yüzden 5 üzerinden 2.

[WillemC · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Hoe moest ze hem uitleggen dat ze alle verpakkingen van zijn condooms had bewaard en er een foto van had gemaakt?"

Bernheim beschrijft in deze novelle in een koele en afstandelijke taal de groeiende obsessie van Claire, een dokteres, voor Thomas, een bouwvakker die ze toevallig tegen het lijf is gelopen. Aangezien de bezoekjes van haar nieuwe vlam aanvankelijk zeer kort zijn en ze hem dus eigenlijk niet echt leert kennen, fantaseert ze hem een heel leven toe: vrouw, kinderen, vakanties, ... Ze transformeert één van de lades van haar bureau ook tot een soort relikwieënschrijn: blaadjes van de rozen die hij heeft meegebracht, suikerklontjes die hij heeft aangeraakt, zelfs gebruikte condooms komen er met hun opengescheurde verpakking in terecht.
"Sa femme" slaagt er vrij goed in Claires bijna morbide gedrag in korte, droge zinnen te vatten en wekt daarmee een geslaagd beeld op van amoureuze wanhoop. Toch mist dit ergens wat diepgang, maar dat heeft misschien met het aantal pagina's te maken. Waarschijnlijk zat hier een betere roman in. En af en toe eens een langere zin had ook geen kwaad gekund.

"Overal waren kleine jongetjes. En allemaal leken ze op Thomas."

"Nooit voelde Claire zich zo prettig als in een ziekenkamer."

[Aysel Ibrahimova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qəribə bir abu-havası var idi kitabın. Eşqi, soyuqluğu, həsrəti, həddən artıq düşüncənin beyində yaratdığı yorğunluğu sadə cümlələrlə hiss etdirməyi bacarıb yazıçı.
Və baş qəhrəmanı kimi sevirsə sevsin, ona dair detalları toplamağı adət halını alıb, o bəlkə də insanlarda deyil, sadəcə detallarda qalmağı sevir.

[thuys]

Ngoài sách văn học dịch luôn luôn phát hành mới thì mời mọi người tìm về Tạp chí văn học nước ngoài, cũng là cách để mở mang con mắt văn chương. Ấy là nói chung chung vậy, chứ cuốn này thì hiện đại bằng phẳng chán ngắt.

[Jessie (Zombie_likes_cake) · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an interesting short novella-at least the first half.
I got sucked in by the almost cold prose, the descriptions of the thoughts of the "other" woman. Her imaginary look at the "other" life of his, the way she clings to this affair with no future.
And then, all of a sudden we get a happy ending. Maybe we only get to see what she hoped for, the twist is certainly way beyond realism and without explanation. Too much left unsaid in the end.
Weighing up the good and the bad I am willing to give 3 stars but I finished this with a feeling of disappointment.

[Irini Gergianaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ένα ψυχογράφημα της ερωμένης με φόντο τη γυναίκα του. Εξαιρετική γραφή και μετάφραση η ψυχική ένταση της γυναίκας που "έρχεται δεύτερη" κλιμακώνεται σταδιακά σε ένα μονόλογο που αναδεικνύει όλα τα ζοφερά χρώματα του πάθους, του έρωτα, της ζήλιας και τελικά της ανατροπής.
Παρόλο που η Κλαίρη είναι μια επιτυχημένη γιατρός η σχέση με τον Τόμας δεν αργεί να γίνει για εκείνην σχεδόν καταστροφική.

[Amu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arvoituksellinen ja voimakkaan tunnelmallinen ranskalainen romaani parisuhteesta. Tämän lukee nopeasti, mutta luulen että tämä ei pitkään aikaan poistu ajatuksistani.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected gem found on my vintage and secondhand bookstore crawl. A tiny novella written in that slightly detached and incisive French style that reminded me of Anna Gavalda's books, about Claire, a lonely doctor who starts an affair with a married man called Thomas and becomes obsessed with what his marriage and wife must be like. At first it's what you'd expect a French book about adultery and being "the other woman" to be, but then there's a plot twist... But perhaps the most surprising part (or is it?) is not the twist itself but Claire's reaction to it.

For such a short book it packs a lot, and I'm not surprised to learn that the author worked in television and on screenplays for film because her writing lends itself so well to visualising the characters and their actions.

[Adrian Alvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book through one of my all time favorite filmmakers, Claire Denis, who I guess worked with this author on her impressionist film Friday Night. Anyhow, I loved that film so I thought I'd check out this Bernheim. I'm really glad I did.

The prose is sparse. The sentences are short and lend themselves an air of obsession, which is appropriate for the themes of the story but not overly done. In fact, I could say that nothing was overly done in this novel. Some of the writing is so incredibly subtle that it would be easier to read past and miss than pick up on.

This is a short book and could definitely stand up to several readings. I highly recommend it.

[Tuna Turan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Üçyüz sayfada anlatılmak istenen romanı kısacık sayfalara sığdırmayı başarabilmiş yazar. 1993 yılında ülkesinin en saygın ödüllerinden birini almış bu yapıtı ile. Evli bir adama aşık olan kadının saplantılarını, hayallerini, sapkınlıklarını güzel bir şekilde okuyucuya aktarıyor. Minimal bir roman okumak isteyenlere tavsiyedir.

[Murat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alabildiğine yalın bir anlatım.

Devasa detaylar.

Ve finalde, kitabın kapağını kapattıktan sonra uzaklara,
kendi düşüncelerine dalıp gitmiş okuyucuya
gizlice bakıp gülümseyen bir yazar.

Sevdim.

[belisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

bu kadın ne yazsa okurum...

[Lewerentz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un texte de 120 pp. parfaitement maîtrisé, j'ai beaucoup aimé.

[Rachel P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sparse and psychological. It tracks and ultimately exposes a state of mind, the nature of an obsession, while ultimately creating as much mystery as it solves. It reveals, but only in part, and never attempts to explain. I liked that. The short chapters and the economical prose only make the story even more compelling. A quick, engrossing read, both tense and understated.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely a quick and interesting read. Claire has a fascinating way of weaving her own life with her fantasies. In the end, it’s stylistically intriguing, but the meat of the story is a little lacking? Not bad for an impulse buy

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pas justement ma tasse de thé.
(but good practice nonetheless)

***
For French Book Club
(the Folio edition is not an option to choose on Goodreads)

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μια μίνιμαλ νουβέλα, αν μπορεί ένα βιβλίο να χαρακτηριστεί έτσι. Κοφτές, σύντομες προτάσεις, πολύ μικρά κεφάλαια, ελάχιστοι διάλογοι. Σαν σχεδιάγραμμα μυθιστορήματος. Έξυπνο πάντως!

[Ceren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dahice bir kurgu, sade gösterişsiz bir dil. Şahane, kendine hayran bırakan bir okuma.

[Aubrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

C'est une histoire très étrange. C'était facile à lire et à comprendre, mais c'est pas trop intéressant, et Thomas et Claire sont bizarres.

[Aynur Aslanova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elde edilmeyen şey kıymetlidir hep, heyecan bazen aşkla karıştılir, yeni bir heyecan bulanadek..

[Tian Liang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emmanuèle Bernheim est l'une des auteurs plus talenteuses dans les ouvrages français que j'ai lu. Dans ce petit livre, elle décrit une relation amoureuse entre une jeune médecine et son époux. Je ne peux pas te raconte trop car ça risque d'exposer l'histoire. Mais en tout cas, dans tous ses histoires courtes, le titre du livre sert à coller les parties comme une histoire cohérent. C'est pour ça que ses petites histoires sont facile à comprendre.

Le style de Bernheim est douce, rafraichissant et simple. Il n'y a que les essentiels qu'on doit comprendre. C'est pourquoi quand elle décrit une dialogue, on peut sentir l'émotion de personnage principle très fortment: elle nous invite dans la meme conversation comme les écouteurs, sans pouvoir de changer rien. C'est le desespérance qui m'a évahi et accablé dans certaines événements dans l'histoire.

[Vern Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I fear the odd thing may have been lost in translation, Sa Femme (or, The Other Woman) by Emmanuèle Bernheim remains one of the more cerebral works of fiction I’ve read on the subject of adultery. Obsessions of the same are secretly logged by the main protagonist, Claire, though physical collectables such as used swizzle sticks and various wrappers to discreetly collect souvenirs of the affair without compiling an obvious record of guilt. But it is her obsession with the unknown – Claire’s curiosity with her lover’s wife – that ultimately drives this novella to an unexpected place.

Curt, and even detached at times, Sa Femme is a quickie (119 pages) that’s best read secretly in the one sitting, avec a decent Cabernet, late at night.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai beaucoup aimé cette courte lecture. J'ai adoré en particulier le style d'écriture bien rythmé, et le personnage de Claire : son côté obsessionnel, ses pensées et inventions sur la vie des autres. Je l'ai trouvée touchante, intriguante et peut-être un peu folle aussi.
Enfin, j'ai aimé les doutes qui plannent sur cette histoire : est-ce que la relation avec Thomas existe vraiment ou est ce une invention de Claire ? Pourquoi avait-il dit qu'il était marié ? Est-ce que Claire enchaîne les histoires avec des hommes mariés ? Était ce le cas de Michel ?

[Charlotte Peyrot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rapide, limpide ce court roman nous fait pénétrer dans la vie et même chaque pensée de Claire, on connaît un peu de son passé et surtout on apprends comment elle fonctionne et réagit aux situations.
Histoire d'amour, de hasard, de relations compliquées. Claire se donne et s'éprends entièrement. Très beau regard sur les relations et surtout très agréable lecture.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

j'ai trouvé ce livre très bien écrit et je vais chercher d'autres romans de cette auteure. pourtant, je reste un peu sur ma faim à la fin de celui-ci: c'est trop sobre, trop épuré pour raconter vraiment une histoire

[nel · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is what if ingrid bergman's character in indiscreet (1958) with cary grant was a little bit of an obsessive cunt. i was honestly amused throughout most of it, but she lost me a bit with how disappointingly abrupt the ending was.

[Veronique Girod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Court, succinct, très abordable mais aussi plat et vain.

[E. Keskin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kimi zaman özne-yüklem sadeliğinde cümlelerle öne çıkan kitabın bu kısa anlatım tarzı beni rahatsız etti.

Medicis ödüllü kitap, bir çırpıda okunuyor. Ancak saplantılı doktor kahramanımız Claire ile sevgilisi Thomas'ın yaşadıkları aşk pek hafızamızda kalmıyor.

İki yıldız kitabın şaşırtıcı finali için.