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The List of My Desires
by
Jocelyne is 47 and runs her own dressmaking shop. She's a bit overweight, her husband is very ordinary and her best friends are the twins who run the hairdresser next door. Jocelyn has reached the point where she is examining her life and measuring it against what her teenage self had imagined. Jocelyn's mother dropped dead suddenly when she was 17, and her father fell ill
...more
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
July 4th 2013
by Weidenfeld & Nicolson
(first published January 1st 2012)
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The story is set in Arras, France.
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"Does money cut distances short, bring people together?"
This was such a quaint, bittersweet novella that made me dive headfirst into my own desires, dreams, and shortcomings. I haven’t focused this much on my character in some time, and by the last page, I had more questions about myself than I did about the protagonist, Jocelyne. I completely related to her, but it was a little unsettling.
Do you have a list of things you would treat yourself to if you won the lottery? A dream car, a new life in ...more
This was such a quaint, bittersweet novella that made me dive headfirst into my own desires, dreams, and shortcomings. I haven’t focused this much on my character in some time, and by the last page, I had more questions about myself than I did about the protagonist, Jocelyne. I completely related to her, but it was a little unsettling.
Do you have a list of things you would treat yourself to if you won the lottery? A dream car, a new life in ...more
Feb 18, 2017
Emer (A Little Haze)
rated it
did not like it
Recommended to Emer (A Little Haze) by:
Rose
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost...more
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Ye
I read the English translation of this book.
I was extremely intrigued by the description to this book - a woman who wins a large sum of money on the lottery, which of course, we all dream about. Having topped the French best-seller lists for weeks, I was excited to find out why.
I was expecting a light-hearted story of a woman, who's wishes had all come true, but the reality was a touching account of a woman who I really grew to like. Although Jocelyne's life has been touched by tragedy on more ...more
I was extremely intrigued by the description to this book - a woman who wins a large sum of money on the lottery, which of course, we all dream about. Having topped the French best-seller lists for weeks, I was excited to find out why.
I was expecting a light-hearted story of a woman, who's wishes had all come true, but the reality was a touching account of a woman who I really grew to like. Although Jocelyne's life has been touched by tragedy on more ...more
Wonderful book. Jocelyne is 47 years old and lives a quiet, uneventful life with her husband. They've been through a lot together and it is tempting to think of how she could change her life, especially when she gets together with the two women who own the hair salon across from Jocelyne's haberdashery. Then one day, she finds herself in a position to make any changes she wants. Not wanting to make the wrong decisions, she starts making lists of what she wants and needs and then the crazy things
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I chose this book for our final book club meet in 2013 for two reasons: it was slim read and everyone is busy leading up to Christmas; and I wanted a book that would open up a messy debate over dinner and drinks. I wanted to know what my friends would do if they ever won an obscene amount of money in the lottery, just like the book’s protagonist Jocelyne. It was a wonderful night of sharing, laughter, secrets and revelations. There might have been a few wines involved.
One of our beautiful book c ...more
One of our beautiful book c ...more
There is just one thing that I can say about this book: it's a proof that money can corrupt even the best of us.
I don't like the characters (especially the greedy husband), but I think the point wouldn't be proven if it were otherwise. ...more
I don't like the characters (especially the greedy husband), but I think the point wouldn't be proven if it were otherwise. ...more
I'm still completely besotted with the language, and that's clouding my judgment.
But that too shall pass, and in the meantime I'll simply keep enjoying every book I read in French just a little more than I would otherwise.
This is the kind of book I don't read.
I mean, seriously - a middle-aged woman wins the lottery. Uh, okay, but where's the gay sex?
But a friend force-lent it to me, and as much as it weirds me out to admit it, I genuinely enjoyed it. Not in an "oh my, this is such exciting, adve ...more
But that too shall pass, and in the meantime I'll simply keep enjoying every book I read in French just a little more than I would otherwise.
This is the kind of book I don't read.
I mean, seriously - a middle-aged woman wins the lottery. Uh, okay, but where's the gay sex?
But a friend force-lent it to me, and as much as it weirds me out to admit it, I genuinely enjoyed it. Not in an "oh my, this is such exciting, adve ...more
An absolute gem of a novel. This is quite beautiful and is sure to be a best seller in the UK as it has been in Europe. At times very funny, with a wry humour; and at times quite heartbreaking. This will make you think about what is really important in your life.
ِِAgile one. I thought it was a self-help reading, but it was somehow more than that. However, I didn't really like the sort of exaggerated feminism stuff!.
Yet, if you are a fan of the motto that says "Money doesn't bring happiness", this is for you!. ...more
Yet, if you are a fan of the motto that says "Money doesn't bring happiness", this is for you!. ...more
I have been wanting to read this book for several years and when I finally saw it sitting on the library shelf - I was excited. I ploughed through the first 60 pages before going to sleep, waking up and not really remembering much of the story. After re-reading a few pages and jogging my memory, I continued on and eventually finished it a few days later.
Admittedly, the writing style threw me off many times. It felt disjointed, rather than a fluid work. Throwing the reader about and making them j ...more
Admittedly, the writing style threw me off many times. It felt disjointed, rather than a fluid work. Throwing the reader about and making them j ...more
Nov 14, 2020
MarthaK
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
optimistic-feelgood,
positive-change
This is a sweet, optimistic story about a quiet woman stepping into her own. It is short and has an unassuming, elegant style I found extremely appealing.
I understand the mixed reviews on this one.
I'm paraphrasing Ron Howard poorly here, but he said in a recent interview that he wouldn't have been able to make Rush or Apollo 13 if they had been fiction because no one would have believed them. In fact, a young woman in a focus group said she hated Apollo 13 because it never could have happened in real life. I've come to accept that, indeed, life can be crazier than fiction. (I'm sure I have the Internet to thank for that too.) So, when my incredu ...more
I'm paraphrasing Ron Howard poorly here, but he said in a recent interview that he wouldn't have been able to make Rush or Apollo 13 if they had been fiction because no one would have believed them. In fact, a young woman in a focus group said she hated Apollo 13 because it never could have happened in real life. I've come to accept that, indeed, life can be crazier than fiction. (I'm sure I have the Internet to thank for that too.) So, when my incredu ...more
The List of My Desires, the ‘international bestselling sensation’ by French author Grégoire Delacourt, appealed to me a when I stumbled on it at the library. It had the added attraction of being translated by Anthea Bell, who is pre-eminent in her field.
It’s a curious blend of the sentimental and the cynical, written from a female point-of-view by a male author. I have reservations about this narration which necessitate spoilers… so beware if you follow this link to the review on my blog: http:/ ...more
It’s a curious blend of the sentimental and the cynical, written from a female point-of-view by a male author. I have reservations about this narration which necessitate spoilers… so beware if you follow this link to the review on my blog: http:/ ...more
Living with Sudden Riches: The List of My Desires and What Happens When We Get What We Want
One of the best selling books in recent years in France has been translated into English as The List of My Desires. In it a 47 year old very ordinary woman living in a small town wins about $30 million the first time she buys a ticket. She keeps it a secret from everyone, even her husband, with some interesting but sad consequences.
One of the most amusing but scary scenes in the book is when Jocelyne pick ...more
One of the best selling books in recent years in France has been translated into English as The List of My Desires. In it a 47 year old very ordinary woman living in a small town wins about $30 million the first time she buys a ticket. She keeps it a secret from everyone, even her husband, with some interesting but sad consequences.
One of the most amusing but scary scenes in the book is when Jocelyne pick ...more
"The List of My Desires" is one of the most strange and beautiful books that I have read in a long, long time. The story is centred around Jocelyne, a middle aged dressmaker and blogger, who wins the lottery the first time that she plays. Jocelyne's life is filled with curious coincidences, such as marrying a man with the same name. What makes her narrative truly special is that, in spite of having discarded the dreams of her youth and suffering terrible disappointments, Jocelyne never ceases to
...more
Originally I chose this book as part of my "Clear the Shelves" challenge, and I couldn't have been more amazed! Packed in this 160 odd page book are rare jewels that Delacourt has sprinkled for the reader to discover.
"So you see, we always tell ourselves lies.
Because love would never stand up to the truth."
Easily a 5 star book and quite a delightful find. Truth lies bare and raw as a woman near 50 wrestles with decisions she's made to become the woman and mother and wife that she is. ...more
"So you see, we always tell ourselves lies.
Because love would never stand up to the truth."
Easily a 5 star book and quite a delightful find. Truth lies bare and raw as a woman near 50 wrestles with decisions she's made to become the woman and mother and wife that she is. ...more
Published as 'My Wish List' in US
I found this short book profoundly depressing. I guess its moral was that winning money isn't the great news we all assume it to be - except the book failed to actually crystalise into that proof. It waffled around Jocelyne and her personal appearance issues, her lack of self confidence and fear that her husband didn't actually love her. She claimed that she was happy with her life as it was, but I wasn't convinced.
I enjoyed the first part, Jocelyne, the owner of ...more
I found this short book profoundly depressing. I guess its moral was that winning money isn't the great news we all assume it to be - except the book failed to actually crystalise into that proof. It waffled around Jocelyne and her personal appearance issues, her lack of self confidence and fear that her husband didn't actually love her. She claimed that she was happy with her life as it was, but I wasn't convinced.
I enjoyed the first part, Jocelyne, the owner of ...more
A short, bleak novel about a middle aged lady in Arras, who wins the lottery and spends rather a long time trying to decide what to do with the money. Aside from a pair of bubbly twins, the book is peppered with unlikable characters who it is hard to garner sympathy for. There is some beautiful imagery in the book and the translation is excellent, however there is very little light in this dark tale.
The List of my Desires by Gregoire Delacourt is an international bestseller. Widely touted as one of the 'must read books of 2013' I couldn't wait to be whisked away by it.
It is certainly a thought-provoking read. Jocelyne is a wife and mother living in a small French town. She runs a haberdashery and writes a successful crafting blog. Her best friends work at the hairdressers next door and dream of winning big on the Euromillions. Determined that Jocelyne will get a taste for their lottery habi ...more
It is certainly a thought-provoking read. Jocelyne is a wife and mother living in a small French town. She runs a haberdashery and writes a successful crafting blog. Her best friends work at the hairdressers next door and dream of winning big on the Euromillions. Determined that Jocelyne will get a taste for their lottery habi ...more
This started out as a rather quiet novel of a woman in France who wins the lottery. She doesn't tell anyone. She doesn't do anything at all with the money - at least she doesn't plan to initially. She doesn't know what to do, frankly. She thought she was happy with her quiet life as it was.
As the story unfolds, we find that her marriage is not the safe, stable ground with an unshakable, unconditional foundation of love that we envisioned. Her relations with her children are strained. There are a ...more
As the story unfolds, we find that her marriage is not the safe, stable ground with an unshakable, unconditional foundation of love that we envisioned. Her relations with her children are strained. There are a ...more
Read for book club. I was intensely annoyed by Gregoire Delacourt's female "je", whose personal transformation was measured in moments in front of a mirror, where she went from plump to slender, "jolie - comme à 20 ans". The vacuity of the "je"'s mental processes were not compensated by depth of emotional experience. One of the book´s major themes, needing to leave some desires (for material objects) unsatisfied, has been treated with more complexity by other authors. The statement on the back c
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I know now that love can stand up to death better than to betrayal
One of those books that in Italy have been published with a very different title ( in this case I'd say it's more suitable ) and a much more attractive cover. And one may have the initial impression it's a very light sort of summer-beach-reading. Instead it's much more profound and made me think a lot making me wonder how much a person can real forgive for love.
...more
One of those books that in Italy have been published with a very different title ( in this case I'd say it's more suitable ) and a much more attractive cover. And one may have the initial impression it's a very light sort of summer-beach-reading. Instead it's much more profound and made me think a lot making me wonder how much a person can real forgive for love.
...more
This book starts just great ! Light and easy to read, but deeper and meaningful.
Makes you think about happiness and your own life. And of course, rise the question "what would I do if I was rich ?"
The end probably isn't what I expected though. ...more
Makes you think about happiness and your own life. And of course, rise the question "what would I do if I was rich ?"
The end probably isn't what I expected though. ...more
A haunting story, which raises the question of what is of most worth in life. I read it in one day and could put it down. The main character is likeable and easily empathised with.
Beautiful. Heart breaking. Poignant. Inspiring. Just loved this gem of a book.
Visit my blog for your chance to win a copy! Open until 25-03-14
Jocelyne Guerbette is a plump, middle-aged woman of forty-seven living in Arras, France. She runs a haberdashery shop and a blog, tengoldfingers, that gets over a thousand hits a day. Jo doesn't consider herself to be successful, or interesting, or beautiful. She fears her ordinariness, and her middle class life - she fears her own happiness, contentment, with her life. Or rather, she fears her husband of twenty-one years, Jocelyn, ...more
Jocelyne Guerbette is a plump, middle-aged woman of forty-seven living in Arras, France. She runs a haberdashery shop and a blog, tengoldfingers, that gets over a thousand hits a day. Jo doesn't consider herself to be successful, or interesting, or beautiful. She fears her ordinariness, and her middle class life - she fears her own happiness, contentment, with her life. Or rather, she fears her husband of twenty-one years, Jocelyn, ...more
Jul 25, 2020
Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
relationships,
france
Blame my disappointment with this book on my aspirations for the book: I thought this would be a mood-boosting book. Nope. Not even close. If anything, a mood-busting book.
The cover and the title set me up. Spools of thread. "My Wish List." We know from the blurb on the back of the book that our main character, Jocelyne, wins the lottery. We know Jocelyne is not happy in her life. What will happen?
The story takes some unexpected swerves off the road, none of them pleasant, and some outrageously ...more
The cover and the title set me up. Spools of thread. "My Wish List." We know from the blurb on the back of the book that our main character, Jocelyne, wins the lottery. We know Jocelyne is not happy in her life. What will happen?
The story takes some unexpected swerves off the road, none of them pleasant, and some outrageously ...more
I'm not going to rate this book because reading it in French I think I may have lost something in translation. It was an interesting book about a woman with low self-esteem who tolerates the intolerable until it becomes impossible. This is supposed to be told from a woman's point of view but I don't know any woman who would put up with the treatment that she put up with her husband.
...more
finally finished ... it was boring at the beginning ; i only felt attracted in the last 30 page but it wasn't that bad 😊
...more
I chose this book as I thought the premise was interesting - What would you do if you won the lottery? I started my wish list with a simple wish - “I wish this book was more optimistic” as the beginning felt rather sad and depressing to me. I don’t like to stop reading books; once I start one, I feel compelled to finish it. That, along with the fact that it is an international best seller, made me keep reading.
I was glad I did. The action in the book picked up and it became apparent that the be ...more
I was glad I did. The action in the book picked up and it became apparent that the be ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| الكشف المعرفي عن الذات في «لائحة رغباتي» للفرنسي غويغوار دولاكور. بقلم : أماني العاقل | 1 | 20 | Nov 19, 2015 06:39AM | |
| Cranbury Public L...: August 19 - My Wish List by Gregoire Delacourt | 1 | 18 | Jul 23, 2015 09:11AM | |
| la list de mes envie | 3 | 35 | Dec 21, 2013 12:26AM | |
| la list de mes envie | 1 | 12 | Oct 19, 2012 09:02AM |
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Grégoire Delacourt est un publicitaire et écrivain français né le 26 juillet 1960 à Valenciennes.
Il publie son premier roman à l'âge de cinquante ans en 2011: "L’Écrivain de la famille" puis, en 2012, son deuxième roman est un bestseller "La Liste de mes envies" traduit dans 35 pays.
Son troisième roman, "La Première chose qu'on regarde", sort en avril 2013 et, outre un procès avec Scarlett Johans ...more
Il publie son premier roman à l'âge de cinquante ans en 2011: "L’Écrivain de la famille" puis, en 2012, son deuxième roman est un bestseller "La Liste de mes envies" traduit dans 35 pays.
Son troisième roman, "La Première chose qu'on regarde", sort en avril 2013 et, outre un procès avec Scarlett Johans ...more
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“I’d like to have the chance to decide what my life will be like, I think that’s the best present anyone can get. The chance to decide what your life will be like.”
—
29 likes
“السعادة هي استمرار المرء بالرغبة بما لديه.”
—
26 likes
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