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Vernon Subutex #2
Vernon Subutex 2
Rock star Alexandre Bleach might be dead, but he has a secret.
It's a secret that concerns several people, but the only person who can unlock it is Vernon Subutex, former record shop proprietor turned homeless messiah and guru, last seen hallucinating and feverish on a bench in the parc des Buttes Chaumont.
Aïcha wants to know the truth behind the death of her mother, Vodka Satana. And if she finds the bastards responsible, she wants to make them pay, whatever Céleste thinks of her plan.
Céleste wants Aïcha to get a grip and stop hanging around with Subutex's gang of disciples.
The Hyena wants to find the Bleach tapes. She wants to untangle her complicated feelings about Anaïs, her boss' assistant. And speaking of her boss, she does not want Laurent Dopalet to discover how badly she has double-crossed him.
Laurent Dopalet wants the Hyena to find and destroy the Bleach tapes. He wants to forget he ever knew Vodka Satana. He wants people to stop graffitiing his apartment with ludicrous allegations. Above all, he wants people to understand: NONE OF THIS IS HIS FAULT.
It's a secret that concerns several people, but the only person who can unlock it is Vernon Subutex, former record shop proprietor turned homeless messiah and guru, last seen hallucinating and feverish on a bench in the parc des Buttes Chaumont.
Aïcha wants to know the truth behind the death of her mother, Vodka Satana. And if she finds the bastards responsible, she wants to make them pay, whatever Céleste thinks of her plan.
Céleste wants Aïcha to get a grip and stop hanging around with Subutex's gang of disciples.
The Hyena wants to find the Bleach tapes. She wants to untangle her complicated feelings about Anaïs, her boss' assistant. And speaking of her boss, she does not want Laurent Dopalet to discover how badly she has double-crossed him.
Laurent Dopalet wants the Hyena to find and destroy the Bleach tapes. He wants to forget he ever knew Vodka Satana. He wants people to stop graffitiing his apartment with ludicrous allegations. Above all, he wants people to understand: NONE OF THIS IS HIS FAULT.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 10, 2015
269 people are currently reading
3368 people want to read
About the author
Virginie Despentes
33 books2,610 followersVirginie Despentes is a French writer, novelist and filmmaker, born in Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle. Her most famous novel, and film of the same name is Baise-moi, a contemporary example of the exploitation films genre known as rape and revenge films. Her most recent biographical, non-fiction work, King Kong Theory has also been translated into English, and recounts her experiences working within the French sex industry, and attendant infamy and praise associated with the aforementioned Baise-Moi.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 461 reviews
January 9, 2022
No se puede decir que, como sociedad, nos falten razones para sentir miedo, pero no es menos cierto que el miedo es también un hábil generador de peligros que lo justifiquen, pudiendo ser un factor tan debilitador como incendiario, merma la inteligencia, adormece el pensamiento crítico y demanda soluciones rápidas y fáciles donde los instintos más primarios toman el mando. De todo ello hay en esta segunda parte de la trilogía de Vernon Subutex, algo menos lograda que la primera pero lo suficientemente interesante como para mantenerle pegado a sus personajes hasta la última página y con ganas de seguir en su compañía un tomo más.
El capitalismo, cautivo y desarmado su eterno y rojo enemigo, campa a sus anchas sin apenas barreras. Un numerosísimo ejército de víctimas se ha puesto a su servicio en la estúpida creencia de que pueden aspirar a posiciones de verdugo. Otros individuos se benefician marginalmente de la guerra sin tomar partido, “A muy pocos les apetece ponerse a pensar en lo que han hecho a lo largo del día cuando llega la noche”.
Pocos son los que plantan cara y menos aún los que obtienen su éxito en el empeño. El resto huye como puede o se aparta o los apartan. En este último grupo encontramos a Vernon Subutex convertido en un sin sintecho tras escapar de la muerte y transformado en un involuntario gurú que, como el que se apoya en una puerta que para sorpresa de todos empieza a ceder, abre una vía de escape por la que no tardan en introducirse una variopinta panda de seguidores esperanzados en que el novedoso influjo de espiritualidad y concordia logre acabar con sus profundas desesperanzas.
“Lo que hacíamos era una guerra. Contra la tibieza. Nos inventábamos la vida que queríamos tener y no había ningún aguafiestas que nos advirtiera que al final renunciaríamos… Era «la última aventura del mundo civilizado». Lo demás, te acuerdas, no era tabú, no estábamos cabreados con nadie. Lo demás no existía. Vivimos nuestra juventud en burbujas de acero blindado. Había alquimias de entusiasmo, cosas cuya otra cara aún no habíamos visto, nos buscábamos apodos, todo era interesante, hasta las mayores gilipolleces… Mi aristocracia es mi biografía. Me quitaron todo lo que tenía, pero conocí un mundo que nos creamos a nuestra medida, en el que no me levantaba por la mañana diciéndome voy a seguir obedeciendo.”Puede que la imagen de la sociedad que Despentes nos dibujó en la primera parte con su impresionante galería de retratos fuera tan completo y amplio que las pinceladas que ahora lo van rematando se nos antojen insuficientes. Sin embargo, Despentes mantiene intacta su habilidad para dibujar los males de esta sociedad desde dentro del alma de los personajes que lo encarnan, cosa que hace sin cargar las tintas, sabe muy bien que no es necesario, y con un admirable y meritorio esfuerzo por entenderlos sin que ello implique su justificación y mucho menos su perdón.
Aun así, lo más interesante sigue siendo la denuncia de las fuerzas amigas, de las posturas de izquierda, políticos, sindicalistas, obreros, intelectuales…
“Crearse problemas, desestabilizar a todo el mundo, organizar un puto caos en varias vidas tranquilas, vérselas con una tonelada de líos y al final ganarse la antipatía de todos. Podríamos llamar a esta opción la solución de izquierdas”… del buenismo mal entendido, o de la responsabilidad de la mujer en sus propios problemas laborales o sociales. Se pone en la picota el papel de las redes, la facilidad con la que unos pocos dirigen nuestros miedos sobre aquello o aquellos que les interesa, la habilidad con la que nos manejan, …
“Loïc odia aún más a los gilipollas de izquierdas. Utilizaron a gente como él, se les subieron a la espalda para alzarse hasta el poder, y una vez arriba se les mearon en la cara.”
“Ahora, todo está dispuesto para que los que no tienen nada se dediquen a querer matar a los que tienen todavía menos, animados por las élites, que están encantadas.”… lo adormecidos que permanecemos en nuestra parcela en la creencia de que nos pertenece, lo convencidos que estamos de poder mantener el control al menos en esta parcela, sin pensar en cómo esa parcela está relacionada con las demás, como afecta a las demás, como necesita de las demás. Y así vamos y así nos va.
“A base de «nos lo ocultan todo, no nos dicen nada», puedes hacer que se traguen cualquier cosa.”
Y, por supuesto, la banda sonora sigue siendo insuperable.
December 12, 2019
I'm officially addicted to the Subutex series - this stuff just speaks to me. Short recap: After Vernon had to close his record store and lost his old friend and benefactor, rock star Alex Bleach, to a drug overdose, he ended up homeless in the streets of Paris. But as he is in possession of the last video document of the late Alex – which contains scandalous information – the internet goes wild searching for him, just like his old friends, lovers, and acquaintances who start to feel like they have let him down (for further detail, here’s my review of part 1).
The search for Vernon brings all these people from varying spheres of life closer together, and they start to discover what connects them despite all their differences: It's their individual flaws, their failures, their insecurities which allow them to empathize and to see their own human nature in others. When they find Vernon, he is severely disturbed, as the hard life on the streets has taken its toll on his psyche and ultimately altered his outlook on life – the interesting thing is that it is disputable whether Vernon can be described as psychologically damaged in a clinical sense or not. The way Despentes describes what life in the streets does to a person, how Vernon starts to feel disconnected and overwhelmed by what is perceived as “normal” by the average person, is absolutely masterful. I have never felt like I understood a homeless character and his situation as well as in this book.
Just like in part 1, we also follow many narrative threads concerning the other characters. For instance, we read what happened to Xavier and the right-wing attackers who beat him up at the end of part 1, we get to know the hyena’s mysterious employer, and we witness an astounding development regarding Aicha. When the whole crowd (they start to hang out regularly with Vernon and his homeless friends) including Vernon finally gets to watch Alex’s video tape, they learn about a terrible crime that personally affects all of them to different degrees – and they start to fight back with a revenge scheme.
I have the greatest respect for writers who manage to vividly portray people who struggle, who are plagued by doubt, who are desperate, who fail, make bad decisions, who feel like life has dealt them bad cards but are still soldiering on – in short, people who are no heroes, winners and sometimes not even particularly sympathetic. Despentes gives her characters dignity and a voice, be they homeless, alcoholics, the sons of murderers, unemployed, depressed, porn stars, or low-rank spies. She also shows that many people who from an outside perspective appear to have average lives might in fact feel lonely, depressed, and alienated, especially as life might not have played out as they have hoped (and she does it way better than this silly Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine). With all the bleakness and disillusionment, the story still clearly advocates that solidarity is possible, even between people who are very different, and that art, especially music, has transformative power. The effect is that the text sometimes appears like a fairy tale in a turbo-capitalist setting, which is equally disturbing (I mean that as a compliment) and enchanting.
Despentes really moves me with this series – there is particularly one episode about Charles, the alcoholic, which is unbelievably well written and reminded me of Strunk’s fantastic Der goldene Handschuh, which is set in the milieu of hardcore drinkers on the Reeperbahn in 1970’s. Despentes takes you inside the characters' heads, and while you often want to scream “no, don’t do it!”, it becomes perfectly plausible why they act like they do - like all of us, they are caught up in themselves and their circumstances.
I can’t wait to read part 3 to find out how the revenge scheme will finally play out.
The search for Vernon brings all these people from varying spheres of life closer together, and they start to discover what connects them despite all their differences: It's their individual flaws, their failures, their insecurities which allow them to empathize and to see their own human nature in others. When they find Vernon, he is severely disturbed, as the hard life on the streets has taken its toll on his psyche and ultimately altered his outlook on life – the interesting thing is that it is disputable whether Vernon can be described as psychologically damaged in a clinical sense or not. The way Despentes describes what life in the streets does to a person, how Vernon starts to feel disconnected and overwhelmed by what is perceived as “normal” by the average person, is absolutely masterful. I have never felt like I understood a homeless character and his situation as well as in this book.
Just like in part 1, we also follow many narrative threads concerning the other characters. For instance, we read what happened to Xavier and the right-wing attackers who beat him up at the end of part 1, we get to know the hyena’s mysterious employer, and we witness an astounding development regarding Aicha. When the whole crowd (they start to hang out regularly with Vernon and his homeless friends) including Vernon finally gets to watch Alex’s video tape, they learn about a terrible crime that personally affects all of them to different degrees – and they start to fight back with a revenge scheme.
I have the greatest respect for writers who manage to vividly portray people who struggle, who are plagued by doubt, who are desperate, who fail, make bad decisions, who feel like life has dealt them bad cards but are still soldiering on – in short, people who are no heroes, winners and sometimes not even particularly sympathetic. Despentes gives her characters dignity and a voice, be they homeless, alcoholics, the sons of murderers, unemployed, depressed, porn stars, or low-rank spies. She also shows that many people who from an outside perspective appear to have average lives might in fact feel lonely, depressed, and alienated, especially as life might not have played out as they have hoped (and she does it way better than this silly Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine). With all the bleakness and disillusionment, the story still clearly advocates that solidarity is possible, even between people who are very different, and that art, especially music, has transformative power. The effect is that the text sometimes appears like a fairy tale in a turbo-capitalist setting, which is equally disturbing (I mean that as a compliment) and enchanting.
Despentes really moves me with this series – there is particularly one episode about Charles, the alcoholic, which is unbelievably well written and reminded me of Strunk’s fantastic Der goldene Handschuh, which is set in the milieu of hardcore drinkers on the Reeperbahn in 1970’s. Despentes takes you inside the characters' heads, and while you often want to scream “no, don’t do it!”, it becomes perfectly plausible why they act like they do - like all of us, they are caught up in themselves and their circumstances.
I can’t wait to read part 3 to find out how the revenge scheme will finally play out.
November 9, 2022
Había leído la primera parte hace muchísimo, así que no recordaba casi nada sobre los personajes, pero igual los disfruté mucho. Creo que me gustó mucho más que el primero, o será que estoy más para leerlo que en ese momento. ¿Cómo saberlo? La verdad me gusta como escribe esta mujer, hace un retrato de la vida actual, las diferentes ideologías, consecuencias, vidas, hay música, calle, violencia. No sé si vaya a leer el tercero, pero si me lo cruzo por ahí casi seguro que sí.
April 15, 2019
Die Geschichte, die durch Vernons Couchsurfing in Teil 1 eine sehr rasante Achterbahnfahrt bis zum Totalabsturz mit Obdachlosigkeit auf der Straße vollführte, macht zu Beginn in Band 2 eine nerfenzerfetzend kreischende Vollbremsung und kommt auch irgendwie fast 120 Seiten nicht mehr in die Puschen.
Die bereits eingeführten Protagonisten suchen Vernon, aber sonst passiert nichts, sie entwickeln sich nicht weiter und man erfährt auch lange Zeit keine neuen Facetten von ihnen. Bis auf eine Figur, die Hyäne, dümpelt der von der Autorin so perfekt aufgestellte Freundeskreis Vernons ganz schön lust- und ambitionslos dahin. Auch Vernon lernt auf seinem Weg auf der Straße infolge seiner Krankheit so gut wie keine neuen Leute kennen, die ihm Impulse geben könnten.
Schon wollte ich ein bisschen am sanft aufkeimenden Frust verzweifeln, da bringt die schon erwähnte Hyäne Schwung in die Kiste, indem sie zuerst Alex Bleachs Bänder stiehlt und diese anschließend dem Grüppchen rund um Vernon vorspielt.
Was hier dem Leser angedeutet wird, ist atemberaubend. Möglicherweise gab es einen vom Ungustl Dopalet inszenierten Doppelmord. Chapeau, Frau Despentes, so eine Wendung im Plot hätte ich nicht erwartet. Sehr Cool!
Nach diesem Wendepunkt nimmt die Story unentwegt an Fahrt auf. Die Freunde organisieren sich, helfen Vernon und seinen obdachlosen Schicksalsgenossen und ein paar versuchen sich sogar mit total wahnwitzigen Aktionen an Dopalet zu rächen. Die Clique, die in Teil 1 Vernon nicht länger in ihren Wohnungen dulden wollte, wächst sehr stark zusammen Freundschaften werden erneuert und vertieft. Vernon wird zuerst der Sandlerkönig beziehungsweise Sandlerguru des Pariser Sommers und feiert weiter einen unentwegten Aufstieg.
So liebe ich Geschichten. War der erste Band der Reihe noch von grenzenlosem Zynismus geprägt, so blitzt nun so etwas wie ein bisschen Hoffnung und Menschlichkeit in dem von Despentes konzipierten Universum auf. Die Leutchen sind zwar noch immer zynisch und böse, aber sie entwickeln sich zum Besseren- Herrlich!
Fazit: Eine großartige Reihe, ich bin schon so gespannt auf Teil 3. Strengerweise muss ich aber mit Bedauern ein Sternchen abziehen, da es mehr als 120 Seiten Beschleunigung brauchte, bis sich der Roman wieder in gewohnter Despentes Rasanz und Qualität bewegt. Das war mir um eine Nuance zu schaumgebremst.
Die bereits eingeführten Protagonisten suchen Vernon, aber sonst passiert nichts, sie entwickeln sich nicht weiter und man erfährt auch lange Zeit keine neuen Facetten von ihnen. Bis auf eine Figur, die Hyäne, dümpelt der von der Autorin so perfekt aufgestellte Freundeskreis Vernons ganz schön lust- und ambitionslos dahin. Auch Vernon lernt auf seinem Weg auf der Straße infolge seiner Krankheit so gut wie keine neuen Leute kennen, die ihm Impulse geben könnten.
Schon wollte ich ein bisschen am sanft aufkeimenden Frust verzweifeln, da bringt die schon erwähnte Hyäne Schwung in die Kiste, indem sie zuerst Alex Bleachs Bänder stiehlt und diese anschließend dem Grüppchen rund um Vernon vorspielt.
Was hier dem Leser angedeutet wird, ist atemberaubend. Möglicherweise gab es einen vom Ungustl Dopalet inszenierten Doppelmord. Chapeau, Frau Despentes, so eine Wendung im Plot hätte ich nicht erwartet. Sehr Cool!
Nach diesem Wendepunkt nimmt die Story unentwegt an Fahrt auf. Die Freunde organisieren sich, helfen Vernon und seinen obdachlosen Schicksalsgenossen und ein paar versuchen sich sogar mit total wahnwitzigen Aktionen an Dopalet zu rächen. Die Clique, die in Teil 1 Vernon nicht länger in ihren Wohnungen dulden wollte, wächst sehr stark zusammen Freundschaften werden erneuert und vertieft. Vernon wird zuerst der Sandlerkönig beziehungsweise Sandlerguru des Pariser Sommers und feiert weiter einen unentwegten Aufstieg.
So liebe ich Geschichten. War der erste Band der Reihe noch von grenzenlosem Zynismus geprägt, so blitzt nun so etwas wie ein bisschen Hoffnung und Menschlichkeit in dem von Despentes konzipierten Universum auf. Die Leutchen sind zwar noch immer zynisch und böse, aber sie entwickeln sich zum Besseren- Herrlich!
Fazit: Eine großartige Reihe, ich bin schon so gespannt auf Teil 3. Strengerweise muss ich aber mit Bedauern ein Sternchen abziehen, da es mehr als 120 Seiten Beschleunigung brauchte, bis sich der Roman wieder in gewohnter Despentes Rasanz und Qualität bewegt. Das war mir um eine Nuance zu schaumgebremst.
June 7, 2024
Despentes writes like a woman about women and like a man about men, but she can also switch perspectives and write like a woman about men and like a man about women. That's what makes her special: You believe everything she says.
And the cosmos of characters in "Vernon Subutex" continues to grow, while at the same time it is a pleasure to see the old faces again. Because despite or perhaps because of their fallibilities, you sympathise with all the lost souls, the ageing marginal figures, the almost unteachable extremes. They are former beacons that are about to burn out, but which flare up one last time that summer in the park, Vernon's living room. This premonition of impending doom varnishes all the moral lapses and social inadequacies with a quiet melancholy that spreads like a lengthening shadow.
The plot remains the same - it is once again about the legacy of singer Alex Bleach and his connection to porn star Vodka Satana, who also died. Although it is no longer as incidental as in the first volume, the focus is once again on the characters and the cross-section of French society they represent.
And Vernon Subutex? He becomes the enlightened one, the guru, the substitute Jesus. He is a magnet whose power of attraction nobody can resist, no matter how hard he or she tries.
"Vernon Subutex" is a pleasure to read. Fortunately, there is still volume three.
And the cosmos of characters in "Vernon Subutex" continues to grow, while at the same time it is a pleasure to see the old faces again. Because despite or perhaps because of their fallibilities, you sympathise with all the lost souls, the ageing marginal figures, the almost unteachable extremes. They are former beacons that are about to burn out, but which flare up one last time that summer in the park, Vernon's living room. This premonition of impending doom varnishes all the moral lapses and social inadequacies with a quiet melancholy that spreads like a lengthening shadow.
The plot remains the same - it is once again about the legacy of singer Alex Bleach and his connection to porn star Vodka Satana, who also died. Although it is no longer as incidental as in the first volume, the focus is once again on the characters and the cross-section of French society they represent.
And Vernon Subutex? He becomes the enlightened one, the guru, the substitute Jesus. He is a magnet whose power of attraction nobody can resist, no matter how hard he or she tries.
"Vernon Subutex" is a pleasure to read. Fortunately, there is still volume three.
May 1, 2024
Diese Reihe ist für mich ein Phänomen. Es gibt so viele Punkte, die ich sonst bei einem Buch als negativ empfinden würde. Im Grunde kaum Handlung. Ständig wechselnde Ich-Erzähler und dabei eine Figur selbstverliebter als die andere. Eigentlich alles Arschlöcher, wenn ich ehrlich bin. Die Leute haben alle einen zentralen Fixpunkt: Vernon Subutex. Sie zelebrieren nach außen Lebensfreude in Form von Musik, Drogen und Sex. Aber jede Figur huldigt dem Individualismus und grenzt sich durch den durchgängig sarkastischen Unterton des Romans von allen Anderen ab. Ein erbärmlicher Haufen, diese Figurenschau der Autorin, die wohl ein Abbild der französischen Gesellschaft darstellen soll. Der Misanthrop in mir ist vollständig zufrieden mit der Lektüre, das eigene Gesellschaftsbild mehr als bestätigt und die Freude, in der langweiligen Provinz zu leben, übergroß. Another brick in the wall. Eine herausragende Reihe, die im Laufe der Jahre immer besser in Erinnerung bleibt. Daher nachträgliche Aufwertung auf 5 Sterne.
April 25, 2020
You have to think of the three Subutex novels as like Lord of the Rings: it’s not a collection of three novels, but a single novel released in three volumes. To recap, in the first part, Vernon Subutex was forced to close his record store and his benefactor and long-time friend Alex Bleach died from an overdose leaving a set of tapes in which he (Bleach) interviewed himself. Vernon ended up on the streets and the internet went wild looking for Bleach’s tapes, desperate to know the supposed shocking information Bleach revealed. Part two picks up as if you had simply turned to the next page (a word of warning - don’t read this unless you have read part one): a group of people is searching for Subutex who is lost (to them and to himself) on the streets of Paris, for the tapes and, it turns out, for the meaning of life (their own and life in general).
The structure continues in the same vein as the first volume, as the lives of a group of people intersect and interact. We meet several individuals and learn about their back stories: what has made them the people they are, what drives them now, what they see (or struggle to see) as the meaning of life. Despentes presents us with a number of different takes on the answers to these questions without judging any of them: she shows us people who are messed up, who are ruthless, who are frightened, but she doesn’t tell us who is right or wrong. As in the first volume, she holds up a mirror and asks us to look at what we see reflected back.
As the story progresses, we learn about the tapes, we learn what happens to Xavier who ended volume one beaten into a coma by a group of neo-Nazis (and we learn more about those neo-Nazis). The contents of the tapes propel the story forward and leave us set up for volume three, which I imagine will simply pick up the story and carry on from where volume two ends.
I say that this volume carries on from the previous one, but, in fact, the writing to me feels more mature and powerful. Despentes writes non-judgmentally about alcoholics, the homeless, the unemployed, ex-porn stars and several others and shows us all of them as real human beings who just want to survive in a world that hasn’t treated them well, sometimes through no fault of their own. Vernon Subutex is perhaps less to the fore in this volume as we track others in the group, but Despentes keeps us engaged with him and his mysterious ability to draw people to him. This is a world very different to the world I live in, but it feels very real to me as I read the books.
Overall, this book feels calmer than the first one. It takes more time to explore back stories and context. I think (and hope) it is simply preparing us for the drama that will be volume three. I wish (I often wish this, not just about this book) I could read in a language other than English, as it looks like a long wait for a copy I can plunge into. I’m looking forward to it hugely, though.
PS Although there are many passages that could be quoted, I will limit myself to the one that made me laugh most. Many people know that I am a bit of a grammar nerd, so I particularly loved this when Antoine Dopalet is reviewing some graffiti of which he is the target:
"He is pleasantly surprised by her spelling and syntax. It is much better than he would have imagined from the way she spoke. The comma between 'Die' and 'fucker' is full-on grammar-Nazi"
The structure continues in the same vein as the first volume, as the lives of a group of people intersect and interact. We meet several individuals and learn about their back stories: what has made them the people they are, what drives them now, what they see (or struggle to see) as the meaning of life. Despentes presents us with a number of different takes on the answers to these questions without judging any of them: she shows us people who are messed up, who are ruthless, who are frightened, but she doesn’t tell us who is right or wrong. As in the first volume, she holds up a mirror and asks us to look at what we see reflected back.
As the story progresses, we learn about the tapes, we learn what happens to Xavier who ended volume one beaten into a coma by a group of neo-Nazis (and we learn more about those neo-Nazis). The contents of the tapes propel the story forward and leave us set up for volume three, which I imagine will simply pick up the story and carry on from where volume two ends.
I say that this volume carries on from the previous one, but, in fact, the writing to me feels more mature and powerful. Despentes writes non-judgmentally about alcoholics, the homeless, the unemployed, ex-porn stars and several others and shows us all of them as real human beings who just want to survive in a world that hasn’t treated them well, sometimes through no fault of their own. Vernon Subutex is perhaps less to the fore in this volume as we track others in the group, but Despentes keeps us engaged with him and his mysterious ability to draw people to him. This is a world very different to the world I live in, but it feels very real to me as I read the books.
Overall, this book feels calmer than the first one. It takes more time to explore back stories and context. I think (and hope) it is simply preparing us for the drama that will be volume three. I wish (I often wish this, not just about this book) I could read in a language other than English, as it looks like a long wait for a copy I can plunge into. I’m looking forward to it hugely, though.
PS Although there are many passages that could be quoted, I will limit myself to the one that made me laugh most. Many people know that I am a bit of a grammar nerd, so I particularly loved this when Antoine Dopalet is reviewing some graffiti of which he is the target:
"He is pleasantly surprised by her spelling and syntax. It is much better than he would have imagined from the way she spoke. The comma between 'Die' and 'fucker' is full-on grammar-Nazi"
March 9, 2019
Last year I read Vernon Subutex , the first volume in Despentes riotous trilogy. I burned through the book totally enraptured by the authors unique style and the curiously compelling nature of Vernon himself. I kept the second part of the trilogy back for a day I needed another jolt of Subutex but in hindsight I might have been better served to start this one sooner.
Essentially the same characters from the first novel feature again in book 2 but somehow I found it more difficult to differentiate between them. I am not sure if this was my poor attention span, the translation (more hap-hazard than I recall from the first book ) or the way the stories were stitched together. Veronon Subutex has always been my anchor and guide in these novels but gradually during the course of this book he morphs into a nebulous sort of messiah around whom all the characters circle. I am unsure where this trilogy is heading, but for the moment, it seems to be headed in an allegorical direction that I have not entirely embraced.
Putting these misgivings aside ( historically I have a poor track record with the middle book of any trilogy) I still haven't read any other contemporary author that writes as convincingly and with such nuance about people we would sometimes prefer to label as "deplorable", Despentes gives them a voice and a warmth that is unexpected. I am hopeful that Vernon Subutex, 3 will right the course and I can finish this amazing ride on the high that I started it with.
Essentially the same characters from the first novel feature again in book 2 but somehow I found it more difficult to differentiate between them. I am not sure if this was my poor attention span, the translation (more hap-hazard than I recall from the first book ) or the way the stories were stitched together. Veronon Subutex has always been my anchor and guide in these novels but gradually during the course of this book he morphs into a nebulous sort of messiah around whom all the characters circle. I am unsure where this trilogy is heading, but for the moment, it seems to be headed in an allegorical direction that I have not entirely embraced.
Putting these misgivings aside ( historically I have a poor track record with the middle book of any trilogy) I still haven't read any other contemporary author that writes as convincingly and with such nuance about people we would sometimes prefer to label as "deplorable", Despentes gives them a voice and a warmth that is unexpected. I am hopeful that Vernon Subutex, 3 will right the course and I can finish this amazing ride on the high that I started it with.
December 9, 2019
The second part of this trilogy is very different to the first, and if anything I liked it more. In the first part we followed the fall of the eponymous former record shop owner and drifter from bankruptcy and losing his flat via a spell of picaresque sofa surfing through to sleeping rough on the streets of Paris. The focus remained with Vernon throughout.
This time Despentes continues the story by telling a sequence of personal chapters, focussing more on the friends and acquaintances, most of whom were introduced in the first book. Vernon becomes something of a cult leader without doing anything active, and his story is almost incidental.
Despentes' world is always lively if sometimes a little tasteless, and the book is a pleasure to read.
This time Despentes continues the story by telling a sequence of personal chapters, focussing more on the friends and acquaintances, most of whom were introduced in the first book. Vernon becomes something of a cult leader without doing anything active, and his story is almost incidental.
Despentes' world is always lively if sometimes a little tasteless, and the book is a pleasure to read.
September 16, 2023
Well, it's pretty much the same book as the first one and I enjoyed it. It's like punk Balzac on wheels. And it's a good thing. I'm giving it 5 stars believing that I will still be able to give it again when I finish the third volume of Vernon. So you better not disappoint me, DJ.
November 14, 2022
Vernon Subutex de inicio me resultó algo parecido al momento en que ví “Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios” de Almodóvar, algo valiente y novedoso, vanguardia pura, con un argumento por momentos delirante y que en esta novela mezcla yonquis, gente sin techo, todas las tendencias sexuales, investigadores, productores estrellas del rock, del porno y una fauna de lo más variado, casi siempre perdedores, que van componiendo una foto fija de la Francia de este primer cuarto de siglo.
V. Despentes disecciona la Francia actual, enfrentándola al país que fue en las décadas de los 80 o 90, añorando el poder creativo de ese tiempo pasado, mucho menos encorsetado y sin tantos prejuicios como en la actualidad. Lo desnaturalizado del capitalismo salvaje y la soledad de la persona en este tipo de sociedades, en que nadie se preocupa de nadie, situación más agravada en las grandes ciudades. Esas reflexiones de forma individualizada sobre la cultura, la música, la religión o la política y pensamientos de algunos de los protagonistas en forma casi de ensayo son brillantes, como digo tomados de forma aislada.
En algunos momentos sin embargo falla algo importante para mí. La composición como novela. Por momentos todos esos personajes no me pareció que combinaran entre sí y el argumento va un poco forzado. La mezcla de personajes a veces no maridaba bien, una relación amistosa de todos ellos un tanto forzada, una búsqueda e investigación poco creíble y unas relaciones afectivas creo que muy artificiales. Más, los diálogos por momentos tampoco son naturales:
“-¿Te gusta mucho Celeste?
- Mucho
-¿Crees que es recíproco?
–Creo que sí….Pero antes tengo que hablar con ella. Todavía no he tenido ocasión.
–Hablar con ella ¿de qué?
–De que si follamos, no voy a sacar mi gran polla. Prefiero avisarla.
–Yo me acosté con una chica que no estaba operada. Solo puedo decirte que no me alteró…bueno no en el mal sentido. Estaba loco por ella
-¿Tú?, Te tenía por un cagueta.”
Eso es lo que me ocurre a veces y no me deja disfrutar ya de un libro, en determinado momento no me parece verosímil, mi cabeza hace una especie de click y ahí ya comienza mí vía crucis: ¿soy yo, o esto no hay quien lo compre?¿a ver si va a ser bueno y yo soy un tiquis miquis?... y así.
De mitad para adelante gana enteros, la novela se hace más homogénea y te hace comprender la intención de la autora, esa utopía generosa, pero parte del daño ya está hecho.
V. Despentes disecciona la Francia actual, enfrentándola al país que fue en las décadas de los 80 o 90, añorando el poder creativo de ese tiempo pasado, mucho menos encorsetado y sin tantos prejuicios como en la actualidad. Lo desnaturalizado del capitalismo salvaje y la soledad de la persona en este tipo de sociedades, en que nadie se preocupa de nadie, situación más agravada en las grandes ciudades. Esas reflexiones de forma individualizada sobre la cultura, la música, la religión o la política y pensamientos de algunos de los protagonistas en forma casi de ensayo son brillantes, como digo tomados de forma aislada.
En algunos momentos sin embargo falla algo importante para mí. La composición como novela. Por momentos todos esos personajes no me pareció que combinaran entre sí y el argumento va un poco forzado. La mezcla de personajes a veces no maridaba bien, una relación amistosa de todos ellos un tanto forzada, una búsqueda e investigación poco creíble y unas relaciones afectivas creo que muy artificiales. Más, los diálogos por momentos tampoco son naturales:
“-¿Te gusta mucho Celeste?
- Mucho
-¿Crees que es recíproco?
–Creo que sí….Pero antes tengo que hablar con ella. Todavía no he tenido ocasión.
–Hablar con ella ¿de qué?
–De que si follamos, no voy a sacar mi gran polla. Prefiero avisarla.
–Yo me acosté con una chica que no estaba operada. Solo puedo decirte que no me alteró…bueno no en el mal sentido. Estaba loco por ella
-¿Tú?, Te tenía por un cagueta.”
Eso es lo que me ocurre a veces y no me deja disfrutar ya de un libro, en determinado momento no me parece verosímil, mi cabeza hace una especie de click y ahí ya comienza mí vía crucis: ¿soy yo, o esto no hay quien lo compre?¿a ver si va a ser bueno y yo soy un tiquis miquis?... y así.
De mitad para adelante gana enteros, la novela se hace más homogénea y te hace comprender la intención de la autora, esa utopía generosa, pero parte del daño ya está hecho.
March 8, 2016
Rhaaa. Rhaaaaa. J'ai l'impression d'arriver à la fin d'une course à pied - marathon, le genre d'épreuve dégueulasse qu'on nous faisait faire en sport au lycée, ce moment où t'as l'impression que tu vas cracher tes poumons tout à la fin : tu es soulagé, mais ça fait mal. Mais tu es soulagé et content, et c'est bon pour ta santé et ta ligne.
Tout ça pour dire que : lire les deux premiers tomes de Vernon Subutex en quatre jours, sans faire de pause et sans lire autre chose à côté, c'était bien mais quand même fatigant. Je suis un peu écœurée, là, de la patte Despentes - que j'apprécie, comme vous le savez, mais avec qui j'ai quand même des réserves.
Quoi qu'il en soit, je ne regrette pas de m'être lancée dans Vernon Subutex, et je lirai le troisième tome avec plaisir à sa sortir.
Finalement, en cherchant une comparaison adéquate, et qui pourrait parler au plus de monde possible, j'ai pensé qu'on pouvait voir les trois volumes de Vernon Subutex comme une boîte d’œufs Kinder, parce que :
1) Comme un oeuf, chaque livre est comme un monde indépendant. Si les trois se suivent et se ressemblent, on peut aussi bien en manger un seul, n'importe lequel, comprendre l'histoire, et l'achever sur des dernières pages satisfaisantes.
2) Il y a toujours des surprises à l'intérieur. J'ai déjà dit, au sujet de Bukowski, que j'étais heureuse qu'une littérature de l'autre, du marginal, puisse exister, et que je serai toujours attirée par ce genre de livres qui ouvrent une place à ceux qu'on ne dit pas assez. Voilà, même commentaire ici.
3) Dedans, on trouve des personnages colorés. Celui de Vernon Subutex est une formidable invention.
4) Les œufs Kinder sont en chocolat, et un personnage fait des gâteaux au chocolat.
A la lecture de ce deuxième tome, je me vois forcée de revenir sur des critiques que j'avais émis pour le premier tome : elle décrit ici de façon moins manichéenne des personnages qu'on range moins facilement dans des petites boîtes étiquetées "bien" / "pas bien". Elle sait reprendre et poursuivre son fil narratif, tout en poursuivant la série de portraits entamée dans le premier tome, et sans perdre son lecteur sur l'identité des personnages. Elle varie son style et est moins monotone.
Go, Virginie. Je ne comprends pas pourquoi autant de gens lisent ça, mais je suis contente qu'ils le fassent. Et je suivrai, même si j'ai failli tomber dans les pommes dans le bus à cause de cette description de césarienne. Je ne suis pas rancunière.
Tout ça pour dire que : lire les deux premiers tomes de Vernon Subutex en quatre jours, sans faire de pause et sans lire autre chose à côté, c'était bien mais quand même fatigant. Je suis un peu écœurée, là, de la patte Despentes - que j'apprécie, comme vous le savez, mais avec qui j'ai quand même des réserves.
Quoi qu'il en soit, je ne regrette pas de m'être lancée dans Vernon Subutex, et je lirai le troisième tome avec plaisir à sa sortir.
Finalement, en cherchant une comparaison adéquate, et qui pourrait parler au plus de monde possible, j'ai pensé qu'on pouvait voir les trois volumes de Vernon Subutex comme une boîte d’œufs Kinder, parce que :
1) Comme un oeuf, chaque livre est comme un monde indépendant. Si les trois se suivent et se ressemblent, on peut aussi bien en manger un seul, n'importe lequel, comprendre l'histoire, et l'achever sur des dernières pages satisfaisantes.
2) Il y a toujours des surprises à l'intérieur. J'ai déjà dit, au sujet de Bukowski, que j'étais heureuse qu'une littérature de l'autre, du marginal, puisse exister, et que je serai toujours attirée par ce genre de livres qui ouvrent une place à ceux qu'on ne dit pas assez. Voilà, même commentaire ici.
3) Dedans, on trouve des personnages colorés. Celui de Vernon Subutex est une formidable invention.
4) Les œufs Kinder sont en chocolat, et un personnage fait des gâteaux au chocolat.
A la lecture de ce deuxième tome, je me vois forcée de revenir sur des critiques que j'avais émis pour le premier tome : elle décrit ici de façon moins manichéenne des personnages qu'on range moins facilement dans des petites boîtes étiquetées "bien" / "pas bien". Elle sait reprendre et poursuivre son fil narratif, tout en poursuivant la série de portraits entamée dans le premier tome, et sans perdre son lecteur sur l'identité des personnages. Elle varie son style et est moins monotone.
Go, Virginie. Je ne comprends pas pourquoi autant de gens lisent ça, mais je suis contente qu'ils le fassent. Et je suivrai, même si j'ai failli tomber dans les pommes dans le bus à cause de cette description de césarienne. Je ne suis pas rancunière.
March 7, 2021
The Vernon Subutex trilogy will appeal most to those looking for a contemporary, fairly edgy, character-driven story. This second volume is an extended, methodical series of personality studies that is very occasionally interrupted by brief, dramatic flashes of plot-lightning before returning to a narrative parade of the novel's Who's Who. Each of these characters is very much in their own heads. (I couldn't shake the impression that they provide a platform for Despentes' own sociopolitical musings. If this is the case, she is certainly a compassionate, insightful woman with a fondness for misfits.) There's nothing wrong with the choice, but a string of third-person interior monologues is not the most compelling structure for a story that runs to 1,000 pages.
Interestingly, Vernon is the least developed character thus far. (I will get to volume three eventually but a quick skim indicates more of the same.) He instead serves as a touchstone for explorations of what makes dozens of others around him tick. I didn't really buy his Messianic powers or the magical control he exerts over all these acolytes. It's his eyes. It's his smile. It's his inexplicable bisexual appeal. No, it's his shamanistic talent as a DJ who can tap into your soul's unique wavelengths. And just wait until he holds you by the neck, draws you into a clinch, and places his forehead against yours! All the booze and drugs in the world won't be sufficient to protect you from The Transformation.
You might think I didn't like this very much but that's not true. It's refreshing because it strikes one as authentically voiced. It's interesting because it is quite different from what is generally available on the New Fiction shelf in most bookstores. And it made for a fun change from my usual fare. It may even become a cult classic, but... I have seen it billed as great literature and that is as mystifying to me as the idea that everyone in Paris will wait in line to shag a super smelly homeless man in a gully.
3.5 stars
Interestingly, Vernon is the least developed character thus far. (I will get to volume three eventually but a quick skim indicates more of the same.) He instead serves as a touchstone for explorations of what makes dozens of others around him tick. I didn't really buy his Messianic powers or the magical control he exerts over all these acolytes. It's his eyes. It's his smile. It's his inexplicable bisexual appeal. No, it's his shamanistic talent as a DJ who can tap into your soul's unique wavelengths. And just wait until he holds you by the neck, draws you into a clinch, and places his forehead against yours! All the booze and drugs in the world won't be sufficient to protect you from The Transformation.
You might think I didn't like this very much but that's not true. It's refreshing because it strikes one as authentically voiced. It's interesting because it is quite different from what is generally available on the New Fiction shelf in most bookstores. And it made for a fun change from my usual fare. It may even become a cult classic, but... I have seen it billed as great literature and that is as mystifying to me as the idea that everyone in Paris will wait in line to shag a super smelly homeless man in a gully.
3.5 stars
April 6, 2024
DNF @25%
Tiesiog ne. Reikėjo Despentes dar 50 puslapių prirašyt ir priklijuot į pirmos knygos pabaigą, kurie logiškai ir gražiai kaip nors uždarytų pasakojimą, ir būtų buvę good. O dabar tik kažkoks šleivas negyvos karvės melžimas gavosi. Nepatiko.
Tiesiog ne. Reikėjo Despentes dar 50 puslapių prirašyt ir priklijuot į pirmos knygos pabaigą, kurie logiškai ir gražiai kaip nors uždarytų pasakojimą, ir būtų buvę good. O dabar tik kažkoks šleivas negyvos karvės melžimas gavosi. Nepatiko.
April 10, 2024
The second book starts where the first one ended. Vernon is stranded on a bench in a park and hallucinating. Meanwhile, his friends are looking out for him on all channels. Their joint search binds them together. Vernon gets used to his clochard life while his friends continue their search out of a mix of bad conscience and a search for meaning in their own lifes.
When they find Vernon, a peculiar dynamic sets in. They begin meeting everyday in the park where Vernon lives or more correctly resides and almost holds court for his followers. When they are with him, they deviate from their daily routines and aspire to new goals. One story strand from the previous book gets focused on. The tapes of Alex Bleach are found and known now. Alex claims that the film producer who assigned the Hyena to finding those tapes, was instrumental in killing the porn star Satana. A few of the followers plot their revenge by public shaming, inspired by a group of Bolivian women.
Only a couple new characters are introduced in this second book. The perspective changes though. While in the first book, the characters were used to represent negative aspects of contemporary society, this time it is more personal. Except for the two young girls, Celeste and Aicha, all the mid-aged and old characters had to bid farewell to their dreams. They have settled in with their disappointments. Some are more content like the old guy Charles who regularly hangs out with the homeless, others have to vent their frustrations in more aggressive or desperate ways. Despentes throws a sobering and disillusioned glance on the characters of her own age at the time of writing. Certainly, this is a personal concern. Life is not a walk in the park.
But literally true to this proverb, this is what Despentes makes out of it. Her cast finds meaning in Vernon’s group which takes on sectarian traits. He becomes their guru without any agenda of himself. In the end, they decide to hit the road, move from one place to the next like a secret cult, following the ideal of a more fulfilled peaceful life.
I enjoyed that Despentes gave this second volume a new twist by shifting to a more personal level. I’m not really convinced by the ‘cult’ idea and the sudden harmony among such different characters, abandoning their former lifes for a whole new lifestyle. My hope is that in the third volume, this will be disassembled again and proven to be one further meander, as fleeting as the dreams of the youth. In so far, this volume is a bit weaker than the first one, suffering the typical fate of any middle volume in a trilogy.
When they find Vernon, a peculiar dynamic sets in. They begin meeting everyday in the park where Vernon lives or more correctly resides and almost holds court for his followers. When they are with him, they deviate from their daily routines and aspire to new goals. One story strand from the previous book gets focused on. The tapes of Alex Bleach are found and known now. Alex claims that the film producer who assigned the Hyena to finding those tapes, was instrumental in killing the porn star Satana. A few of the followers plot their revenge by public shaming, inspired by a group of Bolivian women.
Only a couple new characters are introduced in this second book. The perspective changes though. While in the first book, the characters were used to represent negative aspects of contemporary society, this time it is more personal. Except for the two young girls, Celeste and Aicha, all the mid-aged and old characters had to bid farewell to their dreams. They have settled in with their disappointments. Some are more content like the old guy Charles who regularly hangs out with the homeless, others have to vent their frustrations in more aggressive or desperate ways. Despentes throws a sobering and disillusioned glance on the characters of her own age at the time of writing. Certainly, this is a personal concern. Life is not a walk in the park.
But literally true to this proverb, this is what Despentes makes out of it. Her cast finds meaning in Vernon’s group which takes on sectarian traits. He becomes their guru without any agenda of himself. In the end, they decide to hit the road, move from one place to the next like a secret cult, following the ideal of a more fulfilled peaceful life.
I enjoyed that Despentes gave this second volume a new twist by shifting to a more personal level. I’m not really convinced by the ‘cult’ idea and the sudden harmony among such different characters, abandoning their former lifes for a whole new lifestyle. My hope is that in the third volume, this will be disassembled again and proven to be one further meander, as fleeting as the dreams of the youth. In so far, this volume is a bit weaker than the first one, suffering the typical fate of any middle volume in a trilogy.
July 25, 2020
”#wherethehellissubutex”
Vernon, Vernon, where are you? Is it true that you’re living rough and that you’ve worn out your welcome couch surfing in the homes of your many friends, some now former friends? Is it true that you smell and that you desperately need a shower, and that you’re wearing hand-me-down, too large boots? That you do occasional sets at Rosa Bonheur, and that you’ve rediscovered your dj magic? And that you’ve camping out, to put it charitably, in the Butte Bergeyre, one of the toniest and most atmospheric Paris neighborhoods?
Virginie Despentes keeps you guessing a bit in Vernon Subutex, 2. In fact, Vernon himself sometimes recedes into the shrubbery of the Butte Bergeyre. Vernon Subutex, 2, to this reader, reads mostly like a pastiche of portraits of Vernon’s mob, and their friends and associates. If you’ve read Vernon 1 — and it’s hard for me to imagine understanding Vernon 2 without having already read Vernon 1 — you know that Vernon’s circle contains multitudes. But in Vernon 1 these multitudes feel more closely tied to Vernon himself. In Vernon 2 I sometimes asked, “What’s the connection to Vernon with this one?” Some portraits in the pastiche are affecting and convincing, as with Vodka Satana (AKA Faïza), her husband Sélim, and their daughter Aïcha. Others don’t hit the mark nearly as well.
Despentes’ tour of Paris is an especially interesting aspect of Vernon 2, perhaps as evocative as Patrick Modiano’s tours but lacking Modiano’s nostalgia. Although Vernon lands on the streets, he’s miraculously reborn as a sex god, spinning behind the decks at Rosa Bonheur, and a smelly guru. Vernon 2 concludes with what to me feels like an off-putting disconnect. Despite Vernon’s odd rejuvenation at the end of Vernon 2, I fear that he’s worn out his welcome with me as well as some of his friends. I still look forward to Vernon 3: Vernon Subutex is a unique trilogy and I hope that Vernon 3 regains the oomph, inherent excitement, and drama of Vernon 1.
3.5 stars
I would like to thank NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with an ecopy ARC in exchange for this review
Vernon, Vernon, where are you? Is it true that you’re living rough and that you’ve worn out your welcome couch surfing in the homes of your many friends, some now former friends? Is it true that you smell and that you desperately need a shower, and that you’re wearing hand-me-down, too large boots? That you do occasional sets at Rosa Bonheur, and that you’ve rediscovered your dj magic? And that you’ve camping out, to put it charitably, in the Butte Bergeyre, one of the toniest and most atmospheric Paris neighborhoods?
Virginie Despentes keeps you guessing a bit in Vernon Subutex, 2. In fact, Vernon himself sometimes recedes into the shrubbery of the Butte Bergeyre. Vernon Subutex, 2, to this reader, reads mostly like a pastiche of portraits of Vernon’s mob, and their friends and associates. If you’ve read Vernon 1 — and it’s hard for me to imagine understanding Vernon 2 without having already read Vernon 1 — you know that Vernon’s circle contains multitudes. But in Vernon 1 these multitudes feel more closely tied to Vernon himself. In Vernon 2 I sometimes asked, “What’s the connection to Vernon with this one?” Some portraits in the pastiche are affecting and convincing, as with Vodka Satana (AKA Faïza), her husband Sélim, and their daughter Aïcha. Others don’t hit the mark nearly as well.
Despentes’ tour of Paris is an especially interesting aspect of Vernon 2, perhaps as evocative as Patrick Modiano’s tours but lacking Modiano’s nostalgia. Although Vernon lands on the streets, he’s miraculously reborn as a sex god, spinning behind the decks at Rosa Bonheur, and a smelly guru. Vernon 2 concludes with what to me feels like an off-putting disconnect. Despite Vernon’s odd rejuvenation at the end of Vernon 2, I fear that he’s worn out his welcome with me as well as some of his friends. I still look forward to Vernon 3: Vernon Subutex is a unique trilogy and I hope that Vernon 3 regains the oomph, inherent excitement, and drama of Vernon 1.
3.5 stars
I would like to thank NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with an ecopy ARC in exchange for this review
May 27, 2022
Dėmesio! Vernonas ritasi žemyn, pramuša dugną ir... Tampa palaimintuoju 🤣 labai laukiau antros dalies dabar dar labiau lauksiu trečiosios. Iš pradžių nuogąstavau, pasigirdo gandų, kad pasikeitęs vertėjas visgi gali nuvilti, visgi pirmosios dalies šnekamoji kalba buvo tikrai įspūdinga. Ir joo.. pradžia kaip ir žadėjo lygiai tokį patį stilių, bet čia pati meninė kalba nebe taip agresyviai perteikta, o į pabaigą žargono vis mažiau ir galiausiai (lyginant su pirmąja dalimi) lieka beveik švarus tekstas. Šis momentas nuvylė. Bet, kur įtampa buvo neišlaikyta tekstu, siužete intrigos per akis: pagaliau chebra randa Vernoną, visi peržiūri kasetes (aišku ne be nuotykių) ir daugiau niekada nebeišsiskiria. Visa tai galima buvo nuspėti, bet tai kai įdomu buvo pačiai sužinot, ko ten tas Blichas prišnekėjo! O pabaiga knygos išvis labai netikėta, bet nespoilinu. Vernono kompanija tampa dar margesnė, jų grūzas ir pyktis virsta labiau liūdesiu ir susitaikymu (bet čia dar gali būt ir kaltas tekstas, mat žargono ir keiksmų gerokai mažiau) o man baisiai knieti sužinot kaip jie gyvens trečiojoje dalyje, mat šita dalis man net patiko labiau nei pirmoji.
April 5, 2022
Šis kūrinys - tik šešėlis pirmosios dalies, kuri šokiravo besiliejančiu ciniškumu.
Šį kartą man pritrūko šokiravimo. Trūko laisvės ir kitoniškumo.
Negaliu pasakyti, kad darbas man nepatiko, bet jis pilkas. Pilkas siužetu, veikėjais ir žodžiais.
Tai stiprus kurinys, bet be jėgos.
Šį kartą man pritrūko šokiravimo. Trūko laisvės ir kitoniškumo.
Negaliu pasakyti, kad darbas man nepatiko, bet jis pilkas. Pilkas siužetu, veikėjais ir žodžiais.
Tai stiprus kurinys, bet be jėgos.
September 2, 2022
Nors nebeturi naujumo efekto, bet vis tiek gera. Laukiu trečios dalies.
https://knyguziurkes.com/2022/09/02/v...
https://knyguziurkes.com/2022/09/02/v...
September 26, 2020
Daję 5 gwiazdek, choć po przeczytaniu uczucia mam mieszane. Sądzę jednak, że zostawienie czytelnika z mieszanymi uczuciami było jednym z zamierzeń autora. I to zamierzenie zostało bardzo dobrze osiągnięte.
Bez wątpienia czytałem tę książkę z wielką przyjemnością. Chyba większą niż czytając pierwszą część. Bardzo lubię w niej imponującą panoramę różnorodnych interesujących postaci i narrację ze zmiennymi punktami widzenia. Ten drugi aspekt dotyczy nie tylko opisywania zdarzeń ale także bohaterów i to jest bardzo fajne. O rzeczach i ludziach dowiadujemy się z różnych punktów widzenia, wszystkie są ciekawe i świetnie napisane. Do tego w tym tomie dochodzi coraz ciekawsza, ostra intryga. Raczej nie jest to intryga zamknięta (bo ma być trzeci tom) - wszystkie wątki zostają otwarte i wszystko jest w takim lekkim zawieszeniu, choć bez poczucia niedosytu. Raczej niecierpliwości, kiedy będzie można przeczytać, co będzie dalej.
No i ciągle bardzo lubię język. Dosadny, czasem bardzo brutalny.
A do tego lubię muzykę w tej książce. Nie tylko dlatego, że często trafiam na utwory, które znam i cenię, ale także dlatego, że one nie pojawiają się przypadkiem i że rozumiem to zestawienie narracji i nastroju bohaterów z muzykę.
Więc w uniesieniu po lekturze poguglowałem i znalazłem playlisty do obu tomów.
Na pewno sobie posłucham i zachęcam innych :-)
Playlista Tom 1
Playlista Tom 2
-------------
Po drugim czytaniu:
Drugi tom jest bardziej o wydarzeniach niż o ludziach. To nie jest nic złego. Kalejdoskop postaci jest i tak coraz bogatszy a do tego sporo się dzieje (w tym tomie dowiadujemy się co jest na taśmach Aleksa). Jednocześnie w tym tomie trylogia zaczyna dryfować od ostrej społecznej satyry w kierunku hipisowskiej przygodówki. Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll... ciągle bardzo to lubię i zabieram się za trzeci tom.
Więc przy okazji: https://spoti.fi/2S2Kg0M (te powyżej też pewnie działają, ale ta jest w Spotify)
P.S. A propos tłumaczenia. Ciągle bardzo je lubię za literackość, ale niestety zdarzają się błędy i takie, które można popełnić tylko robiąc coś w pośpiechu. Na przykład, gdy Hiena zapędza Vernona pod prysznic i mówi mu, że śmierdzi. W tłumaczeniu pada określenie "to infekcja" - przypuszczam, że w oryginale musiało być "C'est infecte" - to znaczy, że smród jest okropny, ale nie że chodzi o jakąś chorobę.
Bez wątpienia czytałem tę książkę z wielką przyjemnością. Chyba większą niż czytając pierwszą część. Bardzo lubię w niej imponującą panoramę różnorodnych interesujących postaci i narrację ze zmiennymi punktami widzenia. Ten drugi aspekt dotyczy nie tylko opisywania zdarzeń ale także bohaterów i to jest bardzo fajne. O rzeczach i ludziach dowiadujemy się z różnych punktów widzenia, wszystkie są ciekawe i świetnie napisane. Do tego w tym tomie dochodzi coraz ciekawsza, ostra intryga. Raczej nie jest to intryga zamknięta (bo ma być trzeci tom) - wszystkie wątki zostają otwarte i wszystko jest w takim lekkim zawieszeniu, choć bez poczucia niedosytu. Raczej niecierpliwości, kiedy będzie można przeczytać, co będzie dalej.
No i ciągle bardzo lubię język. Dosadny, czasem bardzo brutalny.
A do tego lubię muzykę w tej książce. Nie tylko dlatego, że często trafiam na utwory, które znam i cenię, ale także dlatego, że one nie pojawiają się przypadkiem i że rozumiem to zestawienie narracji i nastroju bohaterów z muzykę.
Więc w uniesieniu po lekturze poguglowałem i znalazłem playlisty do obu tomów.
Na pewno sobie posłucham i zachęcam innych :-)
Playlista Tom 1
Playlista Tom 2
-------------
Po drugim czytaniu:
Drugi tom jest bardziej o wydarzeniach niż o ludziach. To nie jest nic złego. Kalejdoskop postaci jest i tak coraz bogatszy a do tego sporo się dzieje (w tym tomie dowiadujemy się co jest na taśmach Aleksa). Jednocześnie w tym tomie trylogia zaczyna dryfować od ostrej społecznej satyry w kierunku hipisowskiej przygodówki. Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll... ciągle bardzo to lubię i zabieram się za trzeci tom.
Więc przy okazji: https://spoti.fi/2S2Kg0M (te powyżej też pewnie działają, ale ta jest w Spotify)
P.S. A propos tłumaczenia. Ciągle bardzo je lubię za literackość, ale niestety zdarzają się błędy i takie, które można popełnić tylko robiąc coś w pośpiechu. Na przykład, gdy Hiena zapędza Vernona pod prysznic i mówi mu, że śmierdzi. W tłumaczeniu pada określenie "to infekcja" - przypuszczam, że w oryginale musiało być "C'est infecte" - to znaczy, że smród jest okropny, ale nie że chodzi o jakąś chorobę.
Read
November 20, 2018Review of Vernon Subutex 1, 2 and 3.
Earlier in the year, I read a review of the first book in this series, and, as sometimes happens, the reviewer's negative experience made me perversely curious to read the book for myself. I'm grateful to him now for inadvertently pushing me towards a long reading adventure I might otherwise never have embarked on.
Part of my motivation to read Despentes' books was the sneaking suspicion that the reviewer's many valid-sounding points about language, style and restricted context might be due to him having read the book in English. I felt a strong urge to check how it played out in French.
At first glance, the narrative does seems to be concerned with a very narrow sample of Paris society: people who were involved in rock music in the eighties/nineties or in the making of X rated movies around the same period - though the story is set in the present. These are people who have addictions and unhealthy life styles, and who use a lot of slang containing an absolute multitude of swear words. Since there are a large number of such characters and all of their points of view are given one after another, the reader can feel overwhelmed and confused. I understood how the reviewer I mentioned earlier gave up half way through the first book of the series. I almost did too.
But the language drew me back in. It's difficult to explain how much fun it is to hear the characters speak. Not that there is much direct speech. No, the third person narration slides in and out of the characters' thoughts seamlessly so that each section is colored by the way the character concerned expresses herself/himself. All of them use the slang that is related to their particular milieu - and which depends also on the time they grew up in. The main character, fifty-year old Vernon Subutex, uses the expressions and slang of his time. Similarly with the other characters. Their ways of speaking match the time they grew up in whether they are eighteen or eighty. French slang is very colorful even if it uses far less variety of expression than more 'recherché' speech does. I believe there is room for both - in all cultures, and in the literature of all cultures.
And it wasn't only the language that drew me back to Despentes' series, it was also the portrait of Paris she paints. Not the typical picture, needless to say. This is the Paris of the outskirts, dingy apartments blocks, shuttered shops, underground corridors and forgotten railway sidings.
And the trees on the crest of the Buttes Chaument, and the Rosa Bonheur Café high above the city.
If the language and the setting had failed to captivate me, the content of the story would have seduced me in any case for the way it places certain aspects of contemporary life under the spotlight.
The main character, a former small record store owner, is typical of people you might find today in any city in the world, but certainly in France - an unemployed fifty year-old living in isolation in the big city: because his industry no longer exists, because he didn't put down roots when he should have, because he's at that age where several of his friends have died, because he no longer goes out since his welfare benefit was cut. It's all very believable to me - and I say that as someone who has lived in France for more than two decades. I've seen many record stores, video and dvd shops, tv and telephone providers, computer repair shops, etc, go out of business, and I've wondered where all those workers end up. Even the big record/video/technology stores like FNAC that still operate do a lot of web sales now and have reduced their personnel. Our online lives have changed the world in the space of a decade, and the casualties of that huge change need to be documented.
As I read on and met even more characters, I realised that the sample of society Despentes is examining isn't as narrow as I had at first thought. There's the woman who used to develop photos. No surprise that she is out of work in this age of digital photography. There's the former literature teacher who has become an alcoholic. No surprise there either - how do you teach Racine to teenagers who grew up on Game of Thrones and vampire movies. There's the pensioner who can barely afford to live on his pension. There's the man who beats his wife. There's the man who joins a Neo Nazi group and beats up homeless people. There's the daughter who reacts to her father's abandonment of his religion by converting to Islam. There's the daughter of a policeman who takes the law into her own hands.
And there's the film producer whose abuse of women triggers all the action in the narrative from before its beginning to beyond its ending.
Karmique.
Earlier in the year, I read a review of the first book in this series, and, as sometimes happens, the reviewer's negative experience made me perversely curious to read the book for myself. I'm grateful to him now for inadvertently pushing me towards a long reading adventure I might otherwise never have embarked on.
Part of my motivation to read Despentes' books was the sneaking suspicion that the reviewer's many valid-sounding points about language, style and restricted context might be due to him having read the book in English. I felt a strong urge to check how it played out in French.
At first glance, the narrative does seems to be concerned with a very narrow sample of Paris society: people who were involved in rock music in the eighties/nineties or in the making of X rated movies around the same period - though the story is set in the present. These are people who have addictions and unhealthy life styles, and who use a lot of slang containing an absolute multitude of swear words. Since there are a large number of such characters and all of their points of view are given one after another, the reader can feel overwhelmed and confused. I understood how the reviewer I mentioned earlier gave up half way through the first book of the series. I almost did too.
But the language drew me back in. It's difficult to explain how much fun it is to hear the characters speak. Not that there is much direct speech. No, the third person narration slides in and out of the characters' thoughts seamlessly so that each section is colored by the way the character concerned expresses herself/himself. All of them use the slang that is related to their particular milieu - and which depends also on the time they grew up in. The main character, fifty-year old Vernon Subutex, uses the expressions and slang of his time. Similarly with the other characters. Their ways of speaking match the time they grew up in whether they are eighteen or eighty. French slang is very colorful even if it uses far less variety of expression than more 'recherché' speech does. I believe there is room for both - in all cultures, and in the literature of all cultures.
And it wasn't only the language that drew me back to Despentes' series, it was also the portrait of Paris she paints. Not the typical picture, needless to say. This is the Paris of the outskirts, dingy apartments blocks, shuttered shops, underground corridors and forgotten railway sidings.
And the trees on the crest of the Buttes Chaument, and the Rosa Bonheur Café high above the city.
If the language and the setting had failed to captivate me, the content of the story would have seduced me in any case for the way it places certain aspects of contemporary life under the spotlight.
The main character, a former small record store owner, is typical of people you might find today in any city in the world, but certainly in France - an unemployed fifty year-old living in isolation in the big city: because his industry no longer exists, because he didn't put down roots when he should have, because he's at that age where several of his friends have died, because he no longer goes out since his welfare benefit was cut. It's all very believable to me - and I say that as someone who has lived in France for more than two decades. I've seen many record stores, video and dvd shops, tv and telephone providers, computer repair shops, etc, go out of business, and I've wondered where all those workers end up. Even the big record/video/technology stores like FNAC that still operate do a lot of web sales now and have reduced their personnel. Our online lives have changed the world in the space of a decade, and the casualties of that huge change need to be documented.
As I read on and met even more characters, I realised that the sample of society Despentes is examining isn't as narrow as I had at first thought. There's the woman who used to develop photos. No surprise that she is out of work in this age of digital photography. There's the former literature teacher who has become an alcoholic. No surprise there either - how do you teach Racine to teenagers who grew up on Game of Thrones and vampire movies. There's the pensioner who can barely afford to live on his pension. There's the man who beats his wife. There's the man who joins a Neo Nazi group and beats up homeless people. There's the daughter who reacts to her father's abandonment of his religion by converting to Islam. There's the daughter of a policeman who takes the law into her own hands.
And there's the film producer whose abuse of women triggers all the action in the narrative from before its beginning to beyond its ending.
Karmique.
May 14, 2022
Pirmoji Vernono Sabutexo dalis apsvaigino kaip reikiant. Tikrai tai buvo tarsi gaivus oro gurkšnis lietuvių leidžiamos literatūros masėje. Drąsus, akiplėšiškas, nuogas, atviras, pribloškiantis, šokiruojantis - tai sinonimai apie šią labai man patikusią knygą. Jokių abejonių nekilo, kad oriu perskaityti ir antrąją dalį.
Jeigu pirmoji dalis skirta Vernono asmenybei, jo gyvenimui bet patyrimams, tai antroji daugiau apie jo aplinkos žmonėms. Išsiaiškiname jo artimiausius draugus ir panyrame į jų gyvenimo peripetijas. O ten rasime visko - pilkų asmenybių čia neegzistuoja. Kiekvienas iš šono daugiau mažiau sėkmingas, o širdyje tokios dramos, tokie ieškojimai.
Kūrinio intriga sukasi apie roko žvaigždės Alekso Bličo mirtį. Prieš pat mirtį jis nufilmuoja ilgą monologą apie savo gyvenimą. Kadangi Aleksas super žvaigždė, tų kasečių nori visi. Suprantama, kad šita medžiaga vertinga pinigine išraiška. Prasideda medžioklė. O kasetės, pas mūsų herojų Vernoną...
Sunkiai man skaitėsi ši knyga. Vienu metu net skaičiau balsu, nes taip sunku susikaupti buvo. Tekstas geras, bet kartu tiek daug jame chaoso, veikėjų. Pasirodė visko per daug.Vietomis nuostabus tekstas ir gylio pakanka, bet man per daug segmentuota pasirodė. Nesugulė viskas į vientisą visumą.
Išvargino ši knyga. Norėjau, kad greičiau baigtųsi. Galvoju, gal ne laiku buvo.
Jeigu pirmoji dalis skirta Vernono asmenybei, jo gyvenimui bet patyrimams, tai antroji daugiau apie jo aplinkos žmonėms. Išsiaiškiname jo artimiausius draugus ir panyrame į jų gyvenimo peripetijas. O ten rasime visko - pilkų asmenybių čia neegzistuoja. Kiekvienas iš šono daugiau mažiau sėkmingas, o širdyje tokios dramos, tokie ieškojimai.
Kūrinio intriga sukasi apie roko žvaigždės Alekso Bličo mirtį. Prieš pat mirtį jis nufilmuoja ilgą monologą apie savo gyvenimą. Kadangi Aleksas super žvaigždė, tų kasečių nori visi. Suprantama, kad šita medžiaga vertinga pinigine išraiška. Prasideda medžioklė. O kasetės, pas mūsų herojų Vernoną...
Sunkiai man skaitėsi ši knyga. Vienu metu net skaičiau balsu, nes taip sunku susikaupti buvo. Tekstas geras, bet kartu tiek daug jame chaoso, veikėjų. Pasirodė visko per daug.Vietomis nuostabus tekstas ir gylio pakanka, bet man per daug segmentuota pasirodė. Nesugulė viskas į vientisą visumą.
Išvargino ši knyga. Norėjau, kad greičiau baigtųsi. Galvoju, gal ne laiku buvo.
August 5, 2020
3.5 stars
I found this a bit less impressive and engrossing than the first book, but some of that may have been due to familiarity (and also the nagging feeling that Vernon Subutex is turning into a bit of a Gary Stu).
But this second volume in the series was still quite enjoyable and I continue to be impressed by Despentes' remarkable ability to evoke so many different voices and points of view without imposing any kind of authorial judgment. This is especially effective here in the segment following the racist bike-courier Loic, whose story is surprisingly poignant, despite the fact that he is objectively a really awful human being. In fact, rather awful human beings of all political persuasions abound in this book and it's greatly to Despentes' credit that she views them so clearly, both as conflicted human beings and as appalling political actors.
I'm very curious where Despentes is going to take this story and our titular hero. The ending really didn't leave me with any clues, so I look forward eagerly to Vernon Subutex 3.
I found this a bit less impressive and engrossing than the first book, but some of that may have been due to familiarity (and also the nagging feeling that Vernon Subutex is turning into a bit of a Gary Stu).
But this second volume in the series was still quite enjoyable and I continue to be impressed by Despentes' remarkable ability to evoke so many different voices and points of view without imposing any kind of authorial judgment. This is especially effective here in the segment following the racist bike-courier Loic, whose story is surprisingly poignant, despite the fact that he is objectively a really awful human being. In fact, rather awful human beings of all political persuasions abound in this book and it's greatly to Despentes' credit that she views them so clearly, both as conflicted human beings and as appalling political actors.
I'm very curious where Despentes is going to take this story and our titular hero. The ending really didn't leave me with any clues, so I look forward eagerly to Vernon Subutex 3.
March 21, 2024
Pirmas sakinys: Vernonas laukia, kol sutems ir visuose aplinkiniuose languose užges šviesa, tada galės ropštis per metalinę tvorą ir surizikuos lįst į kolektyvinį sodą.
Supratau, kad nebeprisimenu detalių iš pirmos dalies, todėl pradžiugino veikėjų, pasirodančių pirmojoje romano dalyje, sąrašas.
Antroji dalis pasirodė silpnesnė (dar ir dėl to, kad pirmoji nunešė stogą): joje mažiau Vernono, mažiau sex, drugs&rock'n'roll, tačiau daugiau parodijos (Vernonas tampa... guru, dvasinsiu mokytoju, palaimintuoju; keršijimai Loranui Dopalei už Sataną Vodką) ir tiek pat kokybiško teksto (stiliaus prasme) bei visuomenės kritikos.
Rankos niežti griebti trečiąją – paskutiniąją – dalį.
Supratau, kad nebeprisimenu detalių iš pirmos dalies, todėl pradžiugino veikėjų, pasirodančių pirmojoje romano dalyje, sąrašas.
Antroji dalis pasirodė silpnesnė (dar ir dėl to, kad pirmoji nunešė stogą): joje mažiau Vernono, mažiau sex, drugs&rock'n'roll, tačiau daugiau parodijos (Vernonas tampa... guru, dvasinsiu mokytoju, palaimintuoju; keršijimai Loranui Dopalei už Sataną Vodką) ir tiek pat kokybiško teksto (stiliaus prasme) bei visuomenės kritikos.
Rankos niežti griebti trečiąją – paskutiniąją – dalį.
June 12, 2019
The second in Despentes’ multi-layered trilogy, exploring a circle of friends and enemies that blow up around the titular homeless muso, is less explosive and entertaining as the first volume, though still provides fast-paced, insightful entertainment, and a cast of well-plumbed characters, with whom we linger and fraternise for longer than in most novels of this stripe. Despentes could cut back on the hipper-than-hipness when writing her younger characters (the novels focus on a middle-aged band of misfits, who work to her strengths), and those run-on clauses are a little vexing (p’haps yr translator is to blame), but the energy and wit in this novel are exactly the sort of thing lacking in our land of Brittania at the mo. Third volume slated for Spring 2020 release.
May 6, 2023
Druga knjiga se čita brže i lakše zato što smo upoznali maltene sve likove i saznajemo neke važne stvari, ali prva knjiga mi je bila relevantnija i tek sad ne znam šta toliko ima da piše da nas zainteresuje u trećem, finalnom delu.
Sve vreme razmišljam kako mi je Vernon poput nekog pariskog Skoče. 🤭
Sve vreme razmišljam kako mi je Vernon poput nekog pariskog Skoče. 🤭
April 4, 2021
Fortsatt noen av de beste personskildringene jeg har lest; av mennesker i alle aldre, alle situasjoner, med alle erfaringer. Bok nummer to gjør det enda mer uklart hvem som egentlig er hovedpersonen i trilogien: Vernon, Alex Bleach, en av de andre personene eller kanskje samtidsParis? Gleder meg til å se hvor bøtteballetten tar veien i tredje bok.
February 24, 2022
La segona entrega de la trilogia de Despentes reprèn la història allà on la vam deixar. Tot segueix girant al voltant de les desventures d'en Vernon, convertit en un sense sostre, i les cintes pòstumes del seu amic Àlex Bleach, una estrella del rock que va morir de sobredosi. El secret que s'amaga rere els enregistraments de l'Àlex farà que les vides dels diferents amics i coneguts d'en Vernon conflueixin, una colla ben eclèctica que tindrà el Parc de les Buttes-Chaumenont de París com a centre d'operacions.
Aquest segon volum m'ha deixat una mica desconcertada, sobretot pel caire que acaben agafant els esdeveniments. L'ambient feixuc, decadent i underground que coneixíem pren un gir més místic que no sé si he acabat d'entendre. No obstant, les cintes de l'Àlex són l'excusa que Despentes utilitza per donar veu als amics i coneguts d'en Vernon a cadascun dels capítols. L'autora utilitza els seus pensaments i reflexions per fer una crítica descarnada de la mort dels ideals francesos, la victòria de les elits i la sensació de fracàs de la societat. Acceptem l'opressió, el racisme, que ens collin, que ens retallin drets. Ens n'anem pel pedregar. Per sort, encara podem fer la revolució escrivint un parell de tuits des del sofà.
En aquestes reflexions hi he trobat el to més mordaç i el caràcter de Despentes que més gaudeixo. La que et fa encendre la flama, la que et convida a tancar el llibre i cremar-ho tot. Però no, no fem mai res d'això. Seguim amb la bena als ulls, i sentim llàstima per en Vernon, que viu d'almoines passant fred pels carrers de París, sense ser conscients que potser és ell qui ens mira amb pena. Diuen que no és més ric qui més té, sinó qui menys necessita.
Si us llanceu al món d'en Vernon, comenceu pel primer llibre per introduir-vos en la història i conèixer els personatges!
(LAIA)
Aquest segon volum m'ha deixat una mica desconcertada, sobretot pel caire que acaben agafant els esdeveniments. L'ambient feixuc, decadent i underground que coneixíem pren un gir més místic que no sé si he acabat d'entendre. No obstant, les cintes de l'Àlex són l'excusa que Despentes utilitza per donar veu als amics i coneguts d'en Vernon a cadascun dels capítols. L'autora utilitza els seus pensaments i reflexions per fer una crítica descarnada de la mort dels ideals francesos, la victòria de les elits i la sensació de fracàs de la societat. Acceptem l'opressió, el racisme, que ens collin, que ens retallin drets. Ens n'anem pel pedregar. Per sort, encara podem fer la revolució escrivint un parell de tuits des del sofà.
En aquestes reflexions hi he trobat el to més mordaç i el caràcter de Despentes que més gaudeixo. La que et fa encendre la flama, la que et convida a tancar el llibre i cremar-ho tot. Però no, no fem mai res d'això. Seguim amb la bena als ulls, i sentim llàstima per en Vernon, que viu d'almoines passant fred pels carrers de París, sense ser conscients que potser és ell qui ens mira amb pena. Diuen que no és més ric qui més té, sinó qui menys necessita.
Si us llanceu al món d'en Vernon, comenceu pel primer llibre per introduir-vos en la història i conèixer els personatges!
(LAIA)
February 26, 2023
Pirma trilogijos dalis paliko visai simpatišką įspūdį dėl to, kad gyvai, intriguojančiai skleidžiama man visai neįdomi, o gal net kiek atgrasi tema. Maždaug tokio pat įspūdžio tikėjausi ir iš anytros dalies. deja, kžkas nesuveikė. Perskaičiau, bet taip ir likau nesupratusi, nei kodėl raštyta, nei kodėl skaičiau. Tokia tarsi apie nieką knyga. Aiškiai bandytos kabinti šiandien ant bangos esančios temos: vidurinės klasės bejėgystė, meno viršūnių arogancija ir ciniškumas, lyg ir banamystės reabilitacija ir pan. Bet kiek kartų visa gtai jau girdėta, matyta, aptarta? O dar kai viskas sudėta į vieną istoriją, pasidaro paviršutiniška, nuobodu ir nieko naujo. Įtariu, kad trečios dalies nė nevargsiu.
July 20, 2017
Rien ne se passe vraiment dans ce livre, l'action est minimale, on est juste là avec la troupe à Vernon, qui rappelle étrangement le Christ et ses disciples, on profite du soleil, d'une playlist qui déchire, ça aurait dû être un livre ennuyeux, mais je n'arrive pas à décrocher, je le dévore, j'y pense quand je ne lis pas, c'est l'effet de l'écriture de Virginie, ça a toujours cet impact sur moi, je savoure, je suis choquée, j'acquièse, je rigole... je me répète, mais c'est une lecture jubilatoire.
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