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Voyeur
WRITER SEEKS ASSISTANT TO HELP WITH ARCHIVING/RESEARCH FOR A NEW NOVEL. Don't bother to apply if your name is Shakespearean or classical.
PARIS AND SOUTH. PART-TIME.
Leah, a young woman who has found herself 'ambitioned' out of London, is now aimlessly adrift in Paris. Tired of odd jobs in cafés and teaching English to unresponsive social media influencers, her heart skips a beat when she spots an advert for a writer seeking an assistant.
Michael was once the bright young star of the London literary scene, now a washed-up author with writer's block. He doesn't place much hope in the advert, but after meeting Leah is filled with an inspiration he hasn't felt in years.
When Michael offers Leah the opportunity to join him and his family in their rambling but glorious property in the south of France for the summer, she finally feels her luck is turning. But as she begins to transcribe the diaries from his debauched life in 1960s Soho, something begins to nag at Leah's sense of fulfilment; that there might be more to Michael than meets the eye.
PARIS AND SOUTH. PART-TIME.
Leah, a young woman who has found herself 'ambitioned' out of London, is now aimlessly adrift in Paris. Tired of odd jobs in cafés and teaching English to unresponsive social media influencers, her heart skips a beat when she spots an advert for a writer seeking an assistant.
Michael was once the bright young star of the London literary scene, now a washed-up author with writer's block. He doesn't place much hope in the advert, but after meeting Leah is filled with an inspiration he hasn't felt in years.
When Michael offers Leah the opportunity to join him and his family in their rambling but glorious property in the south of France for the summer, she finally feels her luck is turning. But as she begins to transcribe the diaries from his debauched life in 1960s Soho, something begins to nag at Leah's sense of fulfilment; that there might be more to Michael than meets the eye.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
December 31, 2022
The one word I would use to describe this book is “overwritten” — there’s so many moments of beautiful writing but they’re drowned out by the sheer volume of unnecessary details. We really move at a snails pace for most of this book, and I audibly sighed every time I turned the page to see the next chapter was Michael’s POV for the first half of it.
I’ve never known a novel to drag so much in the middle, but I’m glad I persevered because the final quarter is pretty captivating (albeit still slightly too drawn out). The payoff is definitely there, but you have to work for it by wading through sprawling ramblings about totally irrelevant interactions.
Also, take a shot for every time the author uses the words “smarting” or “misanthropic” (or replaces random nouns with an italicised french equivalent) and you’ll be HAMMERED.
I’ve never known a novel to drag so much in the middle, but I’m glad I persevered because the final quarter is pretty captivating (albeit still slightly too drawn out). The payoff is definitely there, but you have to work for it by wading through sprawling ramblings about totally irrelevant interactions.
Also, take a shot for every time the author uses the words “smarting” or “misanthropic” (or replaces random nouns with an italicised french equivalent) and you’ll be HAMMERED.
June 3, 2021
This only really became interesting to me around 70% in. The frequent use of Italics interrupted the reading experience for me. I also found that the splices of sex and food descriptions felt out of place and disjointed. So overall it didn’t flow very well.
Additionally the characters felt a little flat and/or predictable and all unlikeable apart from one.
Additionally the characters felt a little flat and/or predictable and all unlikeable apart from one.
June 10, 2021
Leah is in her mid-twenties, a Brit living in Paris, teaching English and working in a café, and she’s feeling some very typical mid-twenties feelings. ‘I was three years out of university and I was floundering. I felt already like I’d peaked; like my promising adolescence had been an anomaly.’ Seeking a change, she answers an oddly worded advert for an ‘archiving/research’ job and finds herself working for author Michael Young – formerly an enfant terrible of the literary scene, now in danger of being seen as somewhat washed up.
What ensues is partly Leah’s coming-of-age story, one that pans out as she grows closer to the bohemian Young family. It also has a more plot-driven strand, propelled by chapters told from Michael’s point of view, in which we learn his real reason for hiring Leah: her physical resemblance to Astrid, an old girlfriend he seems to consider the love of his life. As Leah is tasked with editing his diaries, the question of what happened to Astrid becomes increasingly sinister and urgent.
Voyeur is both a very current idea for a novel, with ideas about privilege and the male gaze as its touchstones, and very old-fashioned in its dense prose. Leah’s voice is far from the clipped, pared-back tone one usually finds in narratives about young millennials – if the story hadn’t been set circa the mid-2010s I would’ve thought she was in her sixties and reflecting on the follies of youth, but as the book progresses it gradually becomes easier to perceive her as a somewhat precocious/pretentious twentysomething given to romanticising and dramatising every inch of her own life. Still, the writing really comes into its own when we’re with the younger Michael and Astrid. These sections are so arresting that I occasionally resented cutting back to yet another scene of Leah & co going to a party or getting drunk on the beach.
Voyeur is one of a trio of books I have recently read with similar themes – ambition, ego, entitlement, unequal relationships – and, as with the others (A Ladder to the Sky and The Favour), it’s almost completely devoid of likeable people and compelling because of, not in spite of, that. It touches on questions of class, living in another language (observations here that reminded me of Fifty Sounds), and the thorny idea of ‘potential’ and the crippling, impossible pressure of living up to it. Wrapped within all that is a truly gripping mystery that kept me turning the pages.
(I do feel like I need to mention somewhere that this is one of the rawest review copies I’ve ever received – so clearly unedited that I’m inclined to forgive the many odd style quirks that would have irritated me in a finished book, and also quite curious to see how the final product might differ.)
I received an advance review copy of Voyeur from the publisher through NetGalley.
TinyLetter | Linktree
What ensues is partly Leah’s coming-of-age story, one that pans out as she grows closer to the bohemian Young family. It also has a more plot-driven strand, propelled by chapters told from Michael’s point of view, in which we learn his real reason for hiring Leah: her physical resemblance to Astrid, an old girlfriend he seems to consider the love of his life. As Leah is tasked with editing his diaries, the question of what happened to Astrid becomes increasingly sinister and urgent.
Voyeur is both a very current idea for a novel, with ideas about privilege and the male gaze as its touchstones, and very old-fashioned in its dense prose. Leah’s voice is far from the clipped, pared-back tone one usually finds in narratives about young millennials – if the story hadn’t been set circa the mid-2010s I would’ve thought she was in her sixties and reflecting on the follies of youth, but as the book progresses it gradually becomes easier to perceive her as a somewhat precocious/pretentious twentysomething given to romanticising and dramatising every inch of her own life. Still, the writing really comes into its own when we’re with the younger Michael and Astrid. These sections are so arresting that I occasionally resented cutting back to yet another scene of Leah & co going to a party or getting drunk on the beach.
Voyeur is one of a trio of books I have recently read with similar themes – ambition, ego, entitlement, unequal relationships – and, as with the others (A Ladder to the Sky and The Favour), it’s almost completely devoid of likeable people and compelling because of, not in spite of, that. It touches on questions of class, living in another language (observations here that reminded me of Fifty Sounds), and the thorny idea of ‘potential’ and the crippling, impossible pressure of living up to it. Wrapped within all that is a truly gripping mystery that kept me turning the pages.
(I do feel like I need to mention somewhere that this is one of the rawest review copies I’ve ever received – so clearly unedited that I’m inclined to forgive the many odd style quirks that would have irritated me in a finished book, and also quite curious to see how the final product might differ.)
I received an advance review copy of Voyeur from the publisher through NetGalley.
TinyLetter | Linktree
September 3, 2021
Taip mane ji intrigavo ir taip nuvylė. Tokia ale pretenduojantis į biški snobišką istoriją. O rezultatas tiesiog joks.
Britė gyvenanti Paryžiuje pamato skelbimą, kad žinomas pagyvenęs rašytojas ieško asistentės. Aišku ji tą darbą gauna ir kartu su visa didele rašytojo šeima išvažiuoja atostogauti dideliam šeimos name pietų Prancūzijoje. Ten jai reikia suspausdinti senus rašytojo dienoraščius. Kur veiksmas nukeliai į 60ųjų Lonodno Soho rajoną. Biški meilės, biški tragedijos, biški literatūros. Ir finale toks lengvas bezdalas gavosi
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Britė gyvenanti Paryžiuje pamato skelbimą, kad žinomas pagyvenęs rašytojas ieško asistentės. Aišku ji tą darbą gauna ir kartu su visa didele rašytojo šeima išvažiuoja atostogauti dideliam šeimos name pietų Prancūzijoje. Ten jai reikia suspausdinti senus rašytojo dienoraščius. Kur veiksmas nukeliai į 60ųjų Lonodno Soho rajoną. Biški meilės, biški tragedijos, biški literatūros. Ir finale toks lengvas bezdalas gavosi
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Want to read
September 1, 2021a twenty-something book with a protagonist that has the same name as me? sold
January 18, 2022
I found this book so difficult to get through. Not only is the language ridiculous and pretentious but the way it jumps through time constantly made it very difficult to follow and it really didn’t have a flow. The book switches perspective’s throughout but I couldn’t have cared less about Michael’s perspective and they were painfully male (which is what I think the author was aiming for) - I would have much preferred to just have Leah’s perspective as there is already so much from Michael in his diaries. I did like the ending where there is a hue contrast between Leah who changed and Michael who is exactly the same which was difficult to accept as a reader but had a strong impact nonetheless.
June 10, 2021
I feel a bit grimy after finishing this, like I need a good wash. It’s like I was privy to lives and thoughts I absolutely did not need to know and I suppose I enjoyed it, which makes me feel very gross indeed.
Voyeur is told in a hazy, summery way but explores class, sex and drugs with a cast of self important British expats around the time of Brexit (2016). Most of the characters are unlikeable but at the same time they are compelling and maybe it’s just me but my disdain for them made me want to read on. It was interesting uncovering the threads of Michael’s former life along with Leah, piecing together his fragmented chapters to create a narrative that was actually quite evocative.
I read this in the space of two days so I know I enjoyed it, but I feel like the loose ends at the end of the novel were wrapped up quite quickly - we spend so much time in the depths of these characters thoughts and yet I felt like there was something missing. 4 stars because I can’t give it an exact 3.5, but it hovers around there for me.
The moral I got from this book overall is that rich people should do less drugs!
Voyeur is told in a hazy, summery way but explores class, sex and drugs with a cast of self important British expats around the time of Brexit (2016). Most of the characters are unlikeable but at the same time they are compelling and maybe it’s just me but my disdain for them made me want to read on. It was interesting uncovering the threads of Michael’s former life along with Leah, piecing together his fragmented chapters to create a narrative that was actually quite evocative.
I read this in the space of two days so I know I enjoyed it, but I feel like the loose ends at the end of the novel were wrapped up quite quickly - we spend so much time in the depths of these characters thoughts and yet I felt like there was something missing. 4 stars because I can’t give it an exact 3.5, but it hovers around there for me.
The moral I got from this book overall is that rich people should do less drugs!
June 22, 2021
Gorgeously written and utterly seductive, this is the best book I've read all year. So many contemporary millennial novels are over-hyped - THIS is the elegant, insightful, savagely funny summer read that everyone should be talking about.
December 28, 2021
Rounded down because there's several identical 5 star reviews from shallow accounts that all like one another's five star reviews...Thought it was an average book but this pathetic marketing from either the publisher or author's friends has sullied even the mediocre 3 stars I initially doled out.
Many thanks to the publisher, Tinder Press, for allowing me to read an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Leah, a young British expat in Paris, takes a job as an editorial-cum-personal assistant to Michael, a prolific British novelist based in Paris, and is invited to work through the summer from his holiday home in St. Luc alongside his family. Voyuer started off fast-paced and witty, and for awhile there was an interesting interplay as to who was the titular voyeur: is it Michael in the most literal sense, as an entitled, perverted narcissist, or is it Leah, reading Michael's diaries as a youth in 1960s London, learning all his mistakes and pretenses, and observing the tense dynamic of his family?
Unfortunately this rhythm reached a sticky, slow middle before unravelling completely toward the end for me.
I had no sympathy for either of the narrating characters, Leah is used by Michael in a perverse fantasy and to redeem himself for a past mistake, he is the celebrated author who is a horrible person at heart, but Leah was was equally apathetic, self-destructive and dismissive of people who mean her well before decrying that nobody likes her. She is a member of the working-class milieu who in the same breath denounce middle-class families like the Youngs as elitist and delusional, but takes advantage of their generous offerings of holidays and company, and is utterly delusional in her own relationships (I would also add on that if she's "slumming it" in Paris on low wage and unreliable jobs, then she isn't doing too bad).
The writing in Voyuer is strong and stylish, with some acerbic commentary here and there on class and politics, but eventually the pages, dripping with clever adjectives and metaphors to describe something irrelevant, become cloying and frustrating. Similarly, the secrets and surprises are withheld and drawn out until the end, but when you get there it's very low impact and due to the messy intertwining of POV's and timelines, I had to re-read a chapter or two to double check it was the dénouement for the whole story, not just one timeline. Another stylistic choice I hated was the stuffing in of French words to describe one thing, we know the narrator is fluent, and judging from the excerpts of French literature and philosophy preceding some chapters, I'm going to guess the author is too - we don't need to have the word for milk, telephone, or something equally trivial interspersed throughout the text.
Francesca Reece writes very well and I would check out her future work but ultimately, the plot was too anti-climatic and the narrative too messy for me to go above 3 stars.
Many thanks to the publisher, Tinder Press, for allowing me to read an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Leah, a young British expat in Paris, takes a job as an editorial-cum-personal assistant to Michael, a prolific British novelist based in Paris, and is invited to work through the summer from his holiday home in St. Luc alongside his family. Voyuer started off fast-paced and witty, and for awhile there was an interesting interplay as to who was the titular voyeur: is it Michael in the most literal sense, as an entitled, perverted narcissist, or is it Leah, reading Michael's diaries as a youth in 1960s London, learning all his mistakes and pretenses, and observing the tense dynamic of his family?
Unfortunately this rhythm reached a sticky, slow middle before unravelling completely toward the end for me.
I had no sympathy for either of the narrating characters, Leah is used by Michael in a perverse fantasy and to redeem himself for a past mistake, he is the celebrated author who is a horrible person at heart, but Leah was was equally apathetic, self-destructive and dismissive of people who mean her well before decrying that nobody likes her. She is a member of the working-class milieu who in the same breath denounce middle-class families like the Youngs as elitist and delusional, but takes advantage of their generous offerings of holidays and company, and is utterly delusional in her own relationships (I would also add on that if she's "slumming it" in Paris on low wage and unreliable jobs, then she isn't doing too bad).
The writing in Voyuer is strong and stylish, with some acerbic commentary here and there on class and politics, but eventually the pages, dripping with clever adjectives and metaphors to describe something irrelevant, become cloying and frustrating. Similarly, the secrets and surprises are withheld and drawn out until the end, but when you get there it's very low impact and due to the messy intertwining of POV's and timelines, I had to re-read a chapter or two to double check it was the dénouement for the whole story, not just one timeline. Another stylistic choice I hated was the stuffing in of French words to describe one thing, we know the narrator is fluent, and judging from the excerpts of French literature and philosophy preceding some chapters, I'm going to guess the author is too - we don't need to have the word for milk, telephone, or something equally trivial interspersed throughout the text.
Francesca Reece writes very well and I would check out her future work but ultimately, the plot was too anti-climatic and the narrative too messy for me to go above 3 stars.
August 12, 2021
I am left feeling disappointed because the promise and potential of this book was not realised for a variety of reasons: flat, stereo-typed characters; lack of momentum; poor structure; jumbled timeline and ultimately no real investment by the reader in anyone except perhaps Astrid. I was waiting for something to happen and plot development for too long and most of the little action that came occurred in the last 60 pages. Frustrating and a shame. It could have been better.
May 1, 2022
Warum er genau sie engagiert, weiß Leah nicht, aber neben den Aushilfsjobs als Englischlehrerin und Bedienung in einem Café ist die junge Engländerin froh, einen echten Job zu finden. Paris war eigentlich nur für ihr letztes Studienjahr gedacht, aber aus Angst vor der Arbeitswelt in London ist sie Frankreich geblieben und treibt seither ziellos durch die Stadt. Der Autor Michael Young stellt sie als Assistentin ein, die seine Tagebücher digitalisieren und seine Korrespondenz bearbeiten soll, damit er wieder die Zeit findet, sich dem Schreiben zu widmen. Gemeinsam mit seiner Familie lädt er Leah ein, den Sommer in der südfranzösischen Villa verbringen. Es klingt fast zu schön, um wahr zu sein, doch es dauert nicht allzu lange, bis am Sommerhimmel dunkle Wolken aufziehen.
Francesca Reeces Debütroman „Ein französischer Sommer“ spielt zwar im Jahr 2016, erinnert aber stark an das Bohème Leben einer längst vergangenen Zeit. Das kultivierte Nichtstun an der Mittelmeerküste, wo sich die Intellektuellen im Sommer in den Villen niederlassen, entstammt einem anderen Lebensgefühl, dazu passt auch der Schreibstil, der wundervoll fließt und sich stark von dem aktueller Romane abhebt. Auch die Figurenkonstellation ist geradezu typisch mit dem alternden, erfolgsverwöhnten Autor, seinen erwachsenen Kindern, die mit dem goldenen Löffelchen im Mund aufgewachsen sind, und der Außenseiterin, die sich zwar durch das Studium in den erlauchten Kreis der Intellektuellen vorgearbeitet hat, aber ihre Herkunft aus dem Arbeitermilieu und die fehlende Nonchalance im Umgang den Erfolgreichen und Schönen nicht verstecken kann.
Leah ist eine durchaus sympathische Protagonistin, die mit ihrem Verlorensein in der Welt und der Verweigerung eines Karriereplans einen gewissen Typ ihrer Generation repräsentiert. Sie ist in den Gedanken des Bohème-Daseins in Paris verliebt, wie sie es aus der Literatur kennengelernt hat. Die Rolle des Mauerblümchens, vom dem man ahnt, dass es unter die Räder der falschen Gesellschaft gerät, füllt sie hervorragend aus.
Als Kontrast der souveräne alternde Autor, dessen Motive zunächst unklar bleiben. Die Villa füllt sich nach und nach, Leah verliert die Distanz und fühlt sich fast schon in der Gesellschaft angekommen, zu der sie jedoch nicht gehört. Es folgen leider sehr vorhersehbare Versatzstücke – der Streit, der unerwartete Gast, der das Geheimnis lüftet, plötzlich auftauchende alte Fotos, die Fragen aufreißen – die dem Inhalt die Spannung und Originalität nehmen.
Wegen der überzeugenden Atmosphäre und der gelungenen sprachlichen Umsetzung doch noch wohlwollende Leseempfehlung, auch wenn die Geschichte leider nur eine Variante eines unzählige Male bereits erzählten Themas ist.
Francesca Reeces Debütroman „Ein französischer Sommer“ spielt zwar im Jahr 2016, erinnert aber stark an das Bohème Leben einer längst vergangenen Zeit. Das kultivierte Nichtstun an der Mittelmeerküste, wo sich die Intellektuellen im Sommer in den Villen niederlassen, entstammt einem anderen Lebensgefühl, dazu passt auch der Schreibstil, der wundervoll fließt und sich stark von dem aktueller Romane abhebt. Auch die Figurenkonstellation ist geradezu typisch mit dem alternden, erfolgsverwöhnten Autor, seinen erwachsenen Kindern, die mit dem goldenen Löffelchen im Mund aufgewachsen sind, und der Außenseiterin, die sich zwar durch das Studium in den erlauchten Kreis der Intellektuellen vorgearbeitet hat, aber ihre Herkunft aus dem Arbeitermilieu und die fehlende Nonchalance im Umgang den Erfolgreichen und Schönen nicht verstecken kann.
Leah ist eine durchaus sympathische Protagonistin, die mit ihrem Verlorensein in der Welt und der Verweigerung eines Karriereplans einen gewissen Typ ihrer Generation repräsentiert. Sie ist in den Gedanken des Bohème-Daseins in Paris verliebt, wie sie es aus der Literatur kennengelernt hat. Die Rolle des Mauerblümchens, vom dem man ahnt, dass es unter die Räder der falschen Gesellschaft gerät, füllt sie hervorragend aus.
Als Kontrast der souveräne alternde Autor, dessen Motive zunächst unklar bleiben. Die Villa füllt sich nach und nach, Leah verliert die Distanz und fühlt sich fast schon in der Gesellschaft angekommen, zu der sie jedoch nicht gehört. Es folgen leider sehr vorhersehbare Versatzstücke – der Streit, der unerwartete Gast, der das Geheimnis lüftet, plötzlich auftauchende alte Fotos, die Fragen aufreißen – die dem Inhalt die Spannung und Originalität nehmen.
Wegen der überzeugenden Atmosphäre und der gelungenen sprachlichen Umsetzung doch noch wohlwollende Leseempfehlung, auch wenn die Geschichte leider nur eine Variante eines unzählige Male bereits erzählten Themas ist.
June 25, 2021
Thank you Headline for my gifted copy.
I massively enjoyed this! Having been in a slump the last few weeks, this novel felt like a breath of fresh air.
The plot follows Leah, a 24 year old who feels a bit lost after graduating from university in the UK, who lives in Paris and does odd jobs working in a cafe, doing some part-time English teaching work and generally feeling a bit aimless. She stumbles upon an ad for an admin job transcribing for a British author, and thus our story begins. It is set primarily in the south of France, where Michael invites Leah to spend time with his whole family and this is where she starts transcribing Michael's diaries from the end of the 60s.
I found the whole plot fascinating, I loved the jump back to the 1960s, Astrid's story, all the while whilst following Leah's (mis?)adventures. Whilst the sort of millennial trope and creepy old man narrative can feel a bit tired, I thought this was a new take on it and I absolutely /despised/ Michael with all my heart. I felt deeply uncomfortable at times and I could relate to Leah so much.
Overall, this was an easy, perfect and thoroughly compelling read - highly recommend and great for summer.
I massively enjoyed this! Having been in a slump the last few weeks, this novel felt like a breath of fresh air.
The plot follows Leah, a 24 year old who feels a bit lost after graduating from university in the UK, who lives in Paris and does odd jobs working in a cafe, doing some part-time English teaching work and generally feeling a bit aimless. She stumbles upon an ad for an admin job transcribing for a British author, and thus our story begins. It is set primarily in the south of France, where Michael invites Leah to spend time with his whole family and this is where she starts transcribing Michael's diaries from the end of the 60s.
I found the whole plot fascinating, I loved the jump back to the 1960s, Astrid's story, all the while whilst following Leah's (mis?)adventures. Whilst the sort of millennial trope and creepy old man narrative can feel a bit tired, I thought this was a new take on it and I absolutely /despised/ Michael with all my heart. I felt deeply uncomfortable at times and I could relate to Leah so much.
Overall, this was an easy, perfect and thoroughly compelling read - highly recommend and great for summer.
June 22, 2021
Sexy, intoxicating and merciless in its satirical observations of both millennials and baby boomers. I couldn't put this book down - I just wanted to escape into its gorgeously written pages.
November 20, 2022
3.5
I really enjoyed this book. It was sexy, funny, clever, and intriguing, but it was let down by an anti-climatic ending, and the fact that Micheal was clearly a creep from the get go. Also, I didn’t enjoy how much French was peppered throughout it. I imagine it’s supposed to contribute to the atmosphere, but it just took me out of the story.
I really enjoyed this book. It was sexy, funny, clever, and intriguing, but it was let down by an anti-climatic ending, and the fact that Micheal was clearly a creep from the get go. Also, I didn’t enjoy how much French was peppered throughout it. I imagine it’s supposed to contribute to the atmosphere, but it just took me out of the story.
August 27, 2021
‘A beach read with a strong female protagonist’ said my fabulous local bookstore- she wasn’t wrong! Page turning building towards a twist. I loved the French Riviera setting. Some predictable characters with surprises along the journey.
July 13, 2021
Mediterranean hot girl summer in book. Read this in lieu of your European summer holiday (@Melbs) in 2021.
July 4, 2021
3.5 stars.
Thanks to Hachette and NetGalley, for a reading copy of this title.
I was sold on this from the minute I heard it described as a “sultry, summer read”. Since we haven’t been able to go anywhere in approximately twenty years, I needed the escapism and atmosphere that comes with a great holiday book - and this definitely delivered. While I agree that none of the characters are particularly pleasant or endearing people, it was this raw honesty (particularly on the part of the protagonist) that I appreciated. If I were to be feeling especially harsh, I would call Leah a whiny, privileged, narcissistic millennial. Having said that, she is also me, and therefore I can see past these problematic flaws. I’m not excusing her or myself, but it was so refreshing to read my own thoughts and feelings within a book’s character: I feel it doesn’t happen often, because authors think they have to solely create fascinating, beguiling, or mysterious people. This makes a lot of modern fiction very readable, but wildly unrealistic. My affinity with Leah dropped off towards the end of the book, as her life came to resemble those of the people she had previously scorned: she lands a lucrative job in the arts, that would be vastly oversubscribed and underpaid; men start to fall all over her; she ends up on a free holiday in the south of France; etc. There’s also a great deal of build-up to a conclusion that comes about quite swiftly, and doesn’t pack the punch that I had expected it to. Yet I still enjoyed it, and look forward to Reece’s next title; this was an ambitious and impressive debut.
Thanks to Hachette and NetGalley, for a reading copy of this title.
I was sold on this from the minute I heard it described as a “sultry, summer read”. Since we haven’t been able to go anywhere in approximately twenty years, I needed the escapism and atmosphere that comes with a great holiday book - and this definitely delivered. While I agree that none of the characters are particularly pleasant or endearing people, it was this raw honesty (particularly on the part of the protagonist) that I appreciated. If I were to be feeling especially harsh, I would call Leah a whiny, privileged, narcissistic millennial. Having said that, she is also me, and therefore I can see past these problematic flaws. I’m not excusing her or myself, but it was so refreshing to read my own thoughts and feelings within a book’s character: I feel it doesn’t happen often, because authors think they have to solely create fascinating, beguiling, or mysterious people. This makes a lot of modern fiction very readable, but wildly unrealistic. My affinity with Leah dropped off towards the end of the book, as her life came to resemble those of the people she had previously scorned: she lands a lucrative job in the arts, that would be vastly oversubscribed and underpaid; men start to fall all over her; she ends up on a free holiday in the south of France; etc. There’s also a great deal of build-up to a conclusion that comes about quite swiftly, and doesn’t pack the punch that I had expected it to. Yet I still enjoyed it, and look forward to Reece’s next title; this was an ambitious and impressive debut.
June 8, 2021
My high school French was reasonably up to reading "Voyeur" although some phrases eluded me. Investigating further took me out of the story so eventually I resigned myself to skipping those bits. You mostly get the gist anyway.
Leah is a young English woman, adrift in Paris. Michael is misanthropic, despairing of the youth of today whilst yearning for his younger years. Through Michael, Leah gets a taste of bourgeois life and is drawn into Michael's unhealthy obsession with the past.
Francesca Reece beautifully animates Paris; the sights, sounds and smells. "Voyeur" is a sultry, sexy novel encompassing a variety of themes including class, food, drink, sex, culture and the Arts.
Leah is a young English woman, adrift in Paris. Michael is misanthropic, despairing of the youth of today whilst yearning for his younger years. Through Michael, Leah gets a taste of bourgeois life and is drawn into Michael's unhealthy obsession with the past.
Francesca Reece beautifully animates Paris; the sights, sounds and smells. "Voyeur" is a sultry, sexy novel encompassing a variety of themes including class, food, drink, sex, culture and the Arts.
September 24, 2022
Es ist schwierig, dieses Buch zu bewerten. Am Anfang war es abstoßend, dann verwirrend und letztlich konnte ich es nicht aus der Hand legen. Es bietet den Einblick in eine Welt, in einen Verstand, den ich mir so hätte niemals vorstellen können. Mit ganz viel Ekel und dennoch auch Mitgefühl bin ich durch die Geschichte gestolpert und jetzt, nachdem das Buch einfach vorbei ist, immernoch und vollkommen in ihren Bann gezogen. Ich bin perplex und war es die meiste Zeit.
Kurios und fesselnd.
Kurios und fesselnd.
June 11, 2021
Really wanted to give 4 stars, but felt like it lost its way in the final third
September 8, 2022
DNF around the 300 Page mark. I couldn't bother for the characters anymore. 100-120 pages less and it would have been a fine to read book
April 5, 2023
Filled with some highly relatable lines like sitting on the floor listening to ldr or jb
Also this is the letterboxdification of my goodreads where I now review everything with a one or two liner
Also this is the letterboxdification of my goodreads where I now review everything with a one or two liner
July 5, 2022
„Er war so mit ihrer Stimme beschäftigt: Astrid, die Sängerin, Astrid mit ihrem geradezu zum Fetisch erhobenen singenden East-End-Tonfall. Als es jedoch darauf angekommen wäre, da war ihre Stimme vom Lärm seiner eigenen so gut wie übertönt worden.“
May 8, 2022
Meine Meinung:
Dieses Buch ist wie ein Sommer, der voller Gewitter ist, aber auch voller Lauer Abendstunden und dann wenn man es sich gerade gemütlich gemacht hat, bricht ein Knall durch die sommerliche Stille und setzt ein Geheimnis voller Kraft in Bewegung.
Dieser Debütroman hat mich absolut kalt erwischt, denn zunächst bin ich beinahe ohne Erwartungen an diese Geschichte herangegangen. Zwar ist das Cover sehr hübsch, doch ebenso wie die Kurzbeschreibung bleiben die Assoziationen in meinem Kopf eher blass.
Doch diese Blässe würde ersetzt, durch ein farbenfrohes Sammelsurium an Emotionen und Szenen, die man besser kaum schreiben kann.
Zunächst einmal ist der Schreibstil der französischen Schriftstellerin unheimlich intensiv und sie schafft es mit einer sehr ruhigen, aber auch ausdrucksstarken Art des Schreibens lauter kleine Bilder in den Kopf des Lesers zu zeichnen und diesen damit in den Bann der Geschichte zu ziehen. Und diese hat es in sich, zum einen erlebt der Leser eine sommerlich tolle, aufregende und extravagante Stimmung und Szenerie und auf der anderen Seite sprudelt es nur so, vor atmosphärisch dichten Geheimnissen und prickelnd gezeichneten Momenten.
Meine Meinung:
Ein wunderbar leichter Sommerroman, der alles hat, was ein gutes Buch braucht und der definitv Lust auf mehr macht! Und nebenbei birgt dieser so viele Geheimnisse und spannende Momente, dass man als Leser gebannt, gefesselt und begeistert vor dieser Lektüre sitzt und seinen Tag und seine Nacht damit verbringen möchte, bis die letzte Seite ungeschlagen wurde!
Dieses Buch ist wie ein Sommer, der voller Gewitter ist, aber auch voller Lauer Abendstunden und dann wenn man es sich gerade gemütlich gemacht hat, bricht ein Knall durch die sommerliche Stille und setzt ein Geheimnis voller Kraft in Bewegung.
Dieser Debütroman hat mich absolut kalt erwischt, denn zunächst bin ich beinahe ohne Erwartungen an diese Geschichte herangegangen. Zwar ist das Cover sehr hübsch, doch ebenso wie die Kurzbeschreibung bleiben die Assoziationen in meinem Kopf eher blass.
Doch diese Blässe würde ersetzt, durch ein farbenfrohes Sammelsurium an Emotionen und Szenen, die man besser kaum schreiben kann.
Zunächst einmal ist der Schreibstil der französischen Schriftstellerin unheimlich intensiv und sie schafft es mit einer sehr ruhigen, aber auch ausdrucksstarken Art des Schreibens lauter kleine Bilder in den Kopf des Lesers zu zeichnen und diesen damit in den Bann der Geschichte zu ziehen. Und diese hat es in sich, zum einen erlebt der Leser eine sommerlich tolle, aufregende und extravagante Stimmung und Szenerie und auf der anderen Seite sprudelt es nur so, vor atmosphärisch dichten Geheimnissen und prickelnd gezeichneten Momenten.
Meine Meinung:
Ein wunderbar leichter Sommerroman, der alles hat, was ein gutes Buch braucht und der definitv Lust auf mehr macht! Und nebenbei birgt dieser so viele Geheimnisse und spannende Momente, dass man als Leser gebannt, gefesselt und begeistert vor dieser Lektüre sitzt und seinen Tag und seine Nacht damit verbringen möchte, bis die letzte Seite ungeschlagen wurde!
August 26, 2021
I watched an interview with this author a few months ago, and what prompted me to buy her book was her describing how she wanted to capture that same feeling from books like Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night (one of my favorite classics).
Reece did a fantastic job, and this will be one I'll reread every summer (along with Tender is the Night). She captures that feeling of youthful aimlessness, hazy nights in Paris, and sticky summer holidays at the beach perfectly. The story itself is both nostalgic and contemporary; a throwback to another era while still planted firmly in the Instagram age.
I loved the fractured family dynamic, and the way she left you questioning who was the real voyeur in the story: Michael (the narcissist writer in his 70s) or Leah (the aimless young assistant in her 20s). I was fascinated by Michael's mysterious obsession for Leah (she looks exactly like a girlfriend he once had) and the dark tale kept me hooked until the end. Leah also had a great story arc—she's not any less aimless, but she does find herself in a way that felt realistic.
My one complaint would be I didn't feel any sort of resolution at the end of the story, and I was left a bit dissatisfied with how Michael's obsession was explained away. But perhaps that is the point; real life never has clean resolutions either.
All in all, this is the kind of slow read you savor, with lots of detours to describe food, drink, and sex.
Reece did a fantastic job, and this will be one I'll reread every summer (along with Tender is the Night). She captures that feeling of youthful aimlessness, hazy nights in Paris, and sticky summer holidays at the beach perfectly. The story itself is both nostalgic and contemporary; a throwback to another era while still planted firmly in the Instagram age.
I loved the fractured family dynamic, and the way she left you questioning who was the real voyeur in the story: Michael (the narcissist writer in his 70s) or Leah (the aimless young assistant in her 20s). I was fascinated by Michael's mysterious obsession for Leah (she looks exactly like a girlfriend he once had) and the dark tale kept me hooked until the end. Leah also had a great story arc—she's not any less aimless, but she does find herself in a way that felt realistic.
My one complaint would be I didn't feel any sort of resolution at the end of the story, and I was left a bit dissatisfied with how Michael's obsession was explained away. But perhaps that is the point; real life never has clean resolutions either.
All in all, this is the kind of slow read you savor, with lots of detours to describe food, drink, and sex.
December 5, 2021
There was something really cool about this book that I can’t put my finger on, but I really liked it.
The flitting between the two characters felt very purposeful and I loved seeing the contrast between what one person felt happened and what the other person saw.
The way the characters were written was great and I enjoyed it all. 5*
The flitting between the two characters felt very purposeful and I loved seeing the contrast between what one person felt happened and what the other person saw.
The way the characters were written was great and I enjoyed it all. 5*
May 13, 2022
Der Roman „Ein französischer Sommer“ ist der Debütroman von Francesca Reece. In Deutschland ist er im S.Fischer-Verlag erschienen, umfasst 444 Seiten und wurde von Juliane Gräbener-Müller und Tobias Schnettler ins Deutsche übersetzt.
Auf dem Cover sehen wir eine junge Frau, die im Bikini an einem Poolrand sitzt und in die Sonne hinauf schaut. Die hellen Farben und die Zeichnung passen sehr gut zum Titel und Inhalt des Buches.
Der Roman wird aus der Sicht zweier Personen erzählt. Zum einen Leah, eine junge Engländerin, die es nach dem Studium nach Paris verschlagen hat und die sich mit Gelegenheitsjobs über Wasser hält. Sie ist nicht besonders ehrgeizig und hat absolut keine Ahnung was sie mit ihrem Leben anfangen soll.
Auf einer Vernissage begegnet sie dem Schriftsteller Michael, der in ihr seine einstige große Liebe wiedererkennt und sie kurzerhand als Assistentin einstellt. Neben der täglichen Korrespondenz soll Leah ihn und seine Familie den Sommer über nach Südfrankreich begleiten und dort seine alten Tagebücher abtippen.
Der Roman umfasst diesen einen Sommer in Südfrankreich, doch durch die Tagebucheintragungen und Erinnerungen von Michael tauchen wir auch in dessen Vergangenheit ein und lernen den Studenten Michael kennen. An dem Buch hat mir besonders dieser Perspektivwechsel gut gefallen. Ich mochte den Vergangenheitsstrang und bin gerne in diese Zeit eingetaucht. Teilweise waren die Übergänge zwischen dem Gegenwarts-Michael und Vergangenheits-Michael allerdings nicht immer gleich erkennbar, was den Lesefluss etwas gestört hat.
Die Figuren waren alle sehr unterschiedlich und auf ihre Art authentisch. Wirklich gemocht habe ich, mit Ausnahme von Jenny, keine von ihnen wirklich. Besonders unsympatisch waren mir Michael und seine Frau Anna.
Aber das hat der Geschichte absolut keinen Abbruch getan. Figuren dürfen einen aufregen, anekeln, etc. Wenn sie es schaffen Gefühle in einem zu wecken, dann ist das ein gutes Zeichen.
Neben diesen sehr lebendigen Personen hat die Autorin auch ein Talent Landschaften, Räumlichkeiten und Stimmungen zu transportieren. Ich konnte mir die Szenen wie in einem Film gut vorstellen und mochte den Vibe des Buches sehr. Der Roman ist wirklich ein literarischer, französischer Sommer. Ich mochte die Offenheit mit der über Drogen, die Künstlerszene, die Literaturwelt, etc. gesprochen wurde.
Wie Michael mit Leah umgegangen ist fand ich teilweise schwer auszuhalten; insbesondere der Machtmissbrauch und die Verbindung zwischen den beiden, die sich während des gesamten Buches aufbaute und immer als Frage im Hinterkopf mitschwang.
Der Griechenland-Teil hätte für meinen Geschmack ausführlicher sein können; hier ist die Autorin leider nur an der Oberfläche geblieben und hat einige Themen und Spannungen nur angekratzt. Insbesondere wenn man die Danksagung liest, bekommt man den Eindruck, dass hier Stellen gekürzt wurden.
Was mich gestört hat waren die doch häufig vorkommenden französischen Sätze, die nicht übersetzt waren und die einem manchmal das Gefühl gaben, etwas zu verpassen. Ein „ergooglen“ der Übersetzung stört den Lesefluss und es braucht diese Sätze nicht um einen französischen Vibe zu transportieren, dass bekommt die Autorin auch so sehr gut hin. Insgesamt eine empfehlenswerte Sommerlektüre, die mich gut unterhalten hat und nicht zu platt war.
Auf dem Cover sehen wir eine junge Frau, die im Bikini an einem Poolrand sitzt und in die Sonne hinauf schaut. Die hellen Farben und die Zeichnung passen sehr gut zum Titel und Inhalt des Buches.
Der Roman wird aus der Sicht zweier Personen erzählt. Zum einen Leah, eine junge Engländerin, die es nach dem Studium nach Paris verschlagen hat und die sich mit Gelegenheitsjobs über Wasser hält. Sie ist nicht besonders ehrgeizig und hat absolut keine Ahnung was sie mit ihrem Leben anfangen soll.
Auf einer Vernissage begegnet sie dem Schriftsteller Michael, der in ihr seine einstige große Liebe wiedererkennt und sie kurzerhand als Assistentin einstellt. Neben der täglichen Korrespondenz soll Leah ihn und seine Familie den Sommer über nach Südfrankreich begleiten und dort seine alten Tagebücher abtippen.
Der Roman umfasst diesen einen Sommer in Südfrankreich, doch durch die Tagebucheintragungen und Erinnerungen von Michael tauchen wir auch in dessen Vergangenheit ein und lernen den Studenten Michael kennen. An dem Buch hat mir besonders dieser Perspektivwechsel gut gefallen. Ich mochte den Vergangenheitsstrang und bin gerne in diese Zeit eingetaucht. Teilweise waren die Übergänge zwischen dem Gegenwarts-Michael und Vergangenheits-Michael allerdings nicht immer gleich erkennbar, was den Lesefluss etwas gestört hat.
Die Figuren waren alle sehr unterschiedlich und auf ihre Art authentisch. Wirklich gemocht habe ich, mit Ausnahme von Jenny, keine von ihnen wirklich. Besonders unsympatisch waren mir Michael und seine Frau Anna.
Aber das hat der Geschichte absolut keinen Abbruch getan. Figuren dürfen einen aufregen, anekeln, etc. Wenn sie es schaffen Gefühle in einem zu wecken, dann ist das ein gutes Zeichen.
Neben diesen sehr lebendigen Personen hat die Autorin auch ein Talent Landschaften, Räumlichkeiten und Stimmungen zu transportieren. Ich konnte mir die Szenen wie in einem Film gut vorstellen und mochte den Vibe des Buches sehr. Der Roman ist wirklich ein literarischer, französischer Sommer. Ich mochte die Offenheit mit der über Drogen, die Künstlerszene, die Literaturwelt, etc. gesprochen wurde.
Wie Michael mit Leah umgegangen ist fand ich teilweise schwer auszuhalten; insbesondere der Machtmissbrauch und die Verbindung zwischen den beiden, die sich während des gesamten Buches aufbaute und immer als Frage im Hinterkopf mitschwang.
Der Griechenland-Teil hätte für meinen Geschmack ausführlicher sein können; hier ist die Autorin leider nur an der Oberfläche geblieben und hat einige Themen und Spannungen nur angekratzt. Insbesondere wenn man die Danksagung liest, bekommt man den Eindruck, dass hier Stellen gekürzt wurden.
Was mich gestört hat waren die doch häufig vorkommenden französischen Sätze, die nicht übersetzt waren und die einem manchmal das Gefühl gaben, etwas zu verpassen. Ein „ergooglen“ der Übersetzung stört den Lesefluss und es braucht diese Sätze nicht um einen französischen Vibe zu transportieren, dass bekommt die Autorin auch so sehr gut hin. Insgesamt eine empfehlenswerte Sommerlektüre, die mich gut unterhalten hat und nicht zu platt war.
June 30, 2021
http://jessjustreads.com
Francesca Reece’s debut novel Voyeur is a dual-POV literary novel set between the UK and Europe, and following an aimless young woman’s coming-of-age journey after she is employed as an author’s assistant. When Michael meets Leah through a chance encounter, he’s struck by how familiar she looks – Leah resembles a woman he once loved years earlier, and perhaps still does. But what happened to the young Astrid? And what was Michael’s involvement in their separation?
First of all, what a cracking cover. Whoever designed this cover did a stellar job – I’d pluck this from a bookstore shelf in a heartbeat. It’s bright and bold, and quirky. This cover serves well to attract a young, female audience.
“Astrid had worked in a café on Frith Street. It was a greasy spoon owned by a fat, old Italian man called Giorgio and I’d got into the habit of going there because I thought I was in love with a girl, Kathy, who lived across the street.”
Voyeur is definitely a plot-driven story, with quite a large cast of characters moving in and out of the timelines. I’d describe this novel as quite colourful, because it moves between moments of quiet interaction to more intense moments between multiple characters – loud, chaotic and abrupt. A lot of our experiences with Leah and Michael happen during quiet moments of introspection and reflection, but elements of their personalities are also revealed when they’re surrounded by other people. Moments of outburst force the two characters to confront their insecurities.
Moving between past and present, we get an intimate insight into both Leah and Michael’s lives, before and after they meet each other. Narrative strands are interwoven seamlessly, but I did find Michael’s arc to be a lot more interesting to read than Leah, who felt just a little too aimless to be interesting. A lot of people in this world will be able to relate to Leah, but does that mean we want to read about her?
“I thought a lot at that time about how I would have done university differently. Although I’d been largely unaware of it then, I could see now that I’d spent the first two years in dumb awe.”
Strength lies in the storyline of the past – Michael’s younger self and how his relationship with Agatha unfolds. In the present storyline, there doesn’t feel like much of a connect between him and Leah, and their story seems to be missing something.
Truthfully, Leah is quite a dull character – a bit flat. Michael is an unlikable person but he’s got more depth to him, and he’s more interesting to read about. I’m not sure we get as much insight into who Leah really is. When I read the blurb, I sensed comparisons with Lolita and The Virgin Suicides, but I feel like the novel lost its way and didn’t quite live up to expectation.
“It was only then that her identity became apparent and I realised that as a chronically bored teenager I’d read her newspaper column every Saturday. My brain started to involuntarily access all the images I’d invented and stored, lying on the living room floor on infinitely empty afternoons.”
For readers of literary fiction. Readership skews female, 30+
Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Francesca Reece’s debut novel Voyeur is a dual-POV literary novel set between the UK and Europe, and following an aimless young woman’s coming-of-age journey after she is employed as an author’s assistant. When Michael meets Leah through a chance encounter, he’s struck by how familiar she looks – Leah resembles a woman he once loved years earlier, and perhaps still does. But what happened to the young Astrid? And what was Michael’s involvement in their separation?
First of all, what a cracking cover. Whoever designed this cover did a stellar job – I’d pluck this from a bookstore shelf in a heartbeat. It’s bright and bold, and quirky. This cover serves well to attract a young, female audience.
“Astrid had worked in a café on Frith Street. It was a greasy spoon owned by a fat, old Italian man called Giorgio and I’d got into the habit of going there because I thought I was in love with a girl, Kathy, who lived across the street.”
Voyeur is definitely a plot-driven story, with quite a large cast of characters moving in and out of the timelines. I’d describe this novel as quite colourful, because it moves between moments of quiet interaction to more intense moments between multiple characters – loud, chaotic and abrupt. A lot of our experiences with Leah and Michael happen during quiet moments of introspection and reflection, but elements of their personalities are also revealed when they’re surrounded by other people. Moments of outburst force the two characters to confront their insecurities.
Moving between past and present, we get an intimate insight into both Leah and Michael’s lives, before and after they meet each other. Narrative strands are interwoven seamlessly, but I did find Michael’s arc to be a lot more interesting to read than Leah, who felt just a little too aimless to be interesting. A lot of people in this world will be able to relate to Leah, but does that mean we want to read about her?
“I thought a lot at that time about how I would have done university differently. Although I’d been largely unaware of it then, I could see now that I’d spent the first two years in dumb awe.”
Strength lies in the storyline of the past – Michael’s younger self and how his relationship with Agatha unfolds. In the present storyline, there doesn’t feel like much of a connect between him and Leah, and their story seems to be missing something.
Truthfully, Leah is quite a dull character – a bit flat. Michael is an unlikable person but he’s got more depth to him, and he’s more interesting to read about. I’m not sure we get as much insight into who Leah really is. When I read the blurb, I sensed comparisons with Lolita and The Virgin Suicides, but I feel like the novel lost its way and didn’t quite live up to expectation.
“It was only then that her identity became apparent and I realised that as a chronically bored teenager I’d read her newspaper column every Saturday. My brain started to involuntarily access all the images I’d invented and stored, lying on the living room floor on infinitely empty afternoons.”
For readers of literary fiction. Readership skews female, 30+
Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2022
Lavendel, Pinienduft, glitzerndes azurblaues Meer, Pastis, Croissants, Bistros und Savoir-vivre – all das vereint “Ein französischer Sommer”. Der Roman versprüht eine geballte Ladung französischen Sommercharmes und wird so vom Setting her zur atmosphärisch überaus angemessenen Sommerlektüre, die ich zumindest in der ersten Hälfte gern gelesen habe – weil die Grundstimmung einfach so entspannt und fließend war.
Mit der jungen Leah, die in eigentlich nichts so richtig auf die Reihe bekommt, reisen wir an die französische Riviera, um dem alternden Schriftsteller Michael zu assistieren, der offensichtlich eine aus bedauernder Nostalgie gespeiste Affinität zu der jungen Frau zu entwickeln scheint. Die Handlung hätte nun spannungsgeladen, mit leidenschaftlichen Unterströmungen und amourösen Verwicklungen auf den Höhepunkt zu steuern können – leider tut sie es aber nicht so wirklich. Zwischen zahlreichen Rückblenden in Michaels Jugendzeit, die ihn als affektierten, egoistischen und wenig ehrenhaften Selbstdarsteller entlarven, und den sonnengetränkten Stunden an der Côte d’Azur schaukelt die Handlung mitunter träge dahin, Schwung wird durch die allgegenwärtigen Alkoholexzesse, den anscheinend zum guten Ton gehörenden Drogenkonsum und die ein oder andere mehr oder weniger erotische Szene in den Ablauf gebracht. Zum Ende hin scheint der Roman sich dann daran zu erinnern, dass er auch noch irgendwie über die Ziellinie muss und das ist dann leider der Punkt an dem der (zugegebenermaßen) bisher recht milde Spannungsbogen aus dem Takt gerät. Auf den letzten Seiten wird nun eine politisch-tragische Intrige erschaffen, die irgendwie so gar nicht zum Rest des Romans passen will. Nichts gegen Griechenland, aber hatten wir nicht schon genug Sommer auf den französischen Seiten? Die Handlungsentwicklung hat mich am Ende so gar nicht mehr überzeugt, sie wirkt wie ein Nachgedanke, der unbefriedigend ausgeführt wird bzw. so, als ob die Autorin unbedingt etwas über diese griechische Episode schreiben wollte, aber nicht genügend Stoff für eine eigenständige Geschichte gehabt hätte. Ich muss gestehen, dass der Schluss nicht nur aus diesem Grund unerquicklich ist, auch insgesamt hat er mir missfallen. Für ein geschlossenes Ende bleibt zu viel in der Luft hängen, für eine literarisch ansprechende Schlussnote nimmt er zu wenig Bezug auf die in der Handlung und den Figuren angelegten Möglichkeiten.
Die Figuren haben nämlich in ihrer egoistischen und hedonistischen Art, mit der sie Unsicherheiten und Fehlentscheidungen zu verschleiern suchen, durchaus Potenzial, auch wenn mir keine einzige der Figuren sympathisch war. Leahs unreifes Dümpeln durchs Leben hat mir dabei sicherlich mehr zu schaffen gemacht, als Michaels selbstverliebte und mitunter verschlagene Art, die aber interessant zu beobachten war, vor allem auch, weil man im alternden Michael Spuren des jüngeren suchen konnte.
Insgesamt ist der Roman eine recht gefällige Sommerlektüre für Frankophile, ich hätte mir jedoch mehr konsequente Stringenz in der Handlungsführung gewünscht und eine über den Konsum von Alkohol und Drogen hinausgehende Definition von Jugend.
Mit der jungen Leah, die in eigentlich nichts so richtig auf die Reihe bekommt, reisen wir an die französische Riviera, um dem alternden Schriftsteller Michael zu assistieren, der offensichtlich eine aus bedauernder Nostalgie gespeiste Affinität zu der jungen Frau zu entwickeln scheint. Die Handlung hätte nun spannungsgeladen, mit leidenschaftlichen Unterströmungen und amourösen Verwicklungen auf den Höhepunkt zu steuern können – leider tut sie es aber nicht so wirklich. Zwischen zahlreichen Rückblenden in Michaels Jugendzeit, die ihn als affektierten, egoistischen und wenig ehrenhaften Selbstdarsteller entlarven, und den sonnengetränkten Stunden an der Côte d’Azur schaukelt die Handlung mitunter träge dahin, Schwung wird durch die allgegenwärtigen Alkoholexzesse, den anscheinend zum guten Ton gehörenden Drogenkonsum und die ein oder andere mehr oder weniger erotische Szene in den Ablauf gebracht. Zum Ende hin scheint der Roman sich dann daran zu erinnern, dass er auch noch irgendwie über die Ziellinie muss und das ist dann leider der Punkt an dem der (zugegebenermaßen) bisher recht milde Spannungsbogen aus dem Takt gerät. Auf den letzten Seiten wird nun eine politisch-tragische Intrige erschaffen, die irgendwie so gar nicht zum Rest des Romans passen will. Nichts gegen Griechenland, aber hatten wir nicht schon genug Sommer auf den französischen Seiten? Die Handlungsentwicklung hat mich am Ende so gar nicht mehr überzeugt, sie wirkt wie ein Nachgedanke, der unbefriedigend ausgeführt wird bzw. so, als ob die Autorin unbedingt etwas über diese griechische Episode schreiben wollte, aber nicht genügend Stoff für eine eigenständige Geschichte gehabt hätte. Ich muss gestehen, dass der Schluss nicht nur aus diesem Grund unerquicklich ist, auch insgesamt hat er mir missfallen. Für ein geschlossenes Ende bleibt zu viel in der Luft hängen, für eine literarisch ansprechende Schlussnote nimmt er zu wenig Bezug auf die in der Handlung und den Figuren angelegten Möglichkeiten.
Die Figuren haben nämlich in ihrer egoistischen und hedonistischen Art, mit der sie Unsicherheiten und Fehlentscheidungen zu verschleiern suchen, durchaus Potenzial, auch wenn mir keine einzige der Figuren sympathisch war. Leahs unreifes Dümpeln durchs Leben hat mir dabei sicherlich mehr zu schaffen gemacht, als Michaels selbstverliebte und mitunter verschlagene Art, die aber interessant zu beobachten war, vor allem auch, weil man im alternden Michael Spuren des jüngeren suchen konnte.
Insgesamt ist der Roman eine recht gefällige Sommerlektüre für Frankophile, ich hätte mir jedoch mehr konsequente Stringenz in der Handlungsführung gewünscht und eine über den Konsum von Alkohol und Drogen hinausgehende Definition von Jugend.
January 3, 2022
As others have said, the first 70% of this book is incredibly slow, deliberately so I believe, but I found it pretty tiresome. The scenes just seemed to repeat themselves over and over again; every younger man was "very attractive in his own way" (either a typically Parisian way, a typically British way, or similar) and all men had sinewy arms. The light ALWAYS plays delicately on the faces of men in this book, there is light playing delicately on the face of a guy in every other chapter.
The young male characters were barely distinguishable from one another in character; Benoit, Lal, Luke, Jerome, Tom... these are all variations on exactly the same man. There were no complex young men, no men that the female protagonist wasn't attracted to, and all of them had the same arms. Previously mentioned female protagonist always has the same sex with them, regardless of which one she's sleeping with at the time, always wakes up before them, and always makes herself a coffee.
Also there wasn't a single non smoker among them which in 2016 seems hard to believe.
Their counterparts, existing in 1960's London and Greece: Julian, Demitri etc. again just appear to be the same person but 50 decades earlier.
It should also be noted that *every single character* in this book is white. Every single one of them is slim. There are no disabled characters. There is no representation of any culture or religion other than very occasional references to Catholicism. To say that this book lacks representation and diverse characters would be more than an understatement.
The other issue that I had with this book is the repetition of certain words that the author obviously really likes. The two that really stood out for me were 'misanthropic' and 'soliloquy', the *constant* use of these words was irritating. What's more: multiple characters used these words in dialogue. I don't remember the last time anyone used either of these words in casual conversation with me, so I find it hard to believe that various people in this book would just be using them very regularly.
If you're fine with reading 200 pages of people having the same sex over and over again, getting drunk, smoking, being very attractive, and looking at the way people's arms move whilst they're driving, you'll love it.
The final 30% of the book finally picks up in terms of action and plot, although none of the above factors calm down.
The ending, or 'big reveal' was unexpected, but not particularly shocking or exciting, and the male protagonist, who is a really awful human being, is never held accountable for his awfulness - which was frustrating. If anything, he appears, according to the epilogue, to be more awful than ever by the end.
I'm disappointed because Francesca Reece is clearly a gifted writer. Some of her descriptions are incredible, and she can really set a scene. I just feel like maybe she needs to set more than the same 3 or 4 scenes on repeat...
The young male characters were barely distinguishable from one another in character; Benoit, Lal, Luke, Jerome, Tom... these are all variations on exactly the same man. There were no complex young men, no men that the female protagonist wasn't attracted to, and all of them had the same arms. Previously mentioned female protagonist always has the same sex with them, regardless of which one she's sleeping with at the time, always wakes up before them, and always makes herself a coffee.
Also there wasn't a single non smoker among them which in 2016 seems hard to believe.
Their counterparts, existing in 1960's London and Greece: Julian, Demitri etc. again just appear to be the same person but 50 decades earlier.
It should also be noted that *every single character* in this book is white. Every single one of them is slim. There are no disabled characters. There is no representation of any culture or religion other than very occasional references to Catholicism. To say that this book lacks representation and diverse characters would be more than an understatement.
The other issue that I had with this book is the repetition of certain words that the author obviously really likes. The two that really stood out for me were 'misanthropic' and 'soliloquy', the *constant* use of these words was irritating. What's more: multiple characters used these words in dialogue. I don't remember the last time anyone used either of these words in casual conversation with me, so I find it hard to believe that various people in this book would just be using them very regularly.
If you're fine with reading 200 pages of people having the same sex over and over again, getting drunk, smoking, being very attractive, and looking at the way people's arms move whilst they're driving, you'll love it.
The final 30% of the book finally picks up in terms of action and plot, although none of the above factors calm down.
The ending, or 'big reveal' was unexpected, but not particularly shocking or exciting, and the male protagonist, who is a really awful human being, is never held accountable for his awfulness - which was frustrating. If anything, he appears, according to the epilogue, to be more awful than ever by the end.
I'm disappointed because Francesca Reece is clearly a gifted writer. Some of her descriptions are incredible, and she can really set a scene. I just feel like maybe she needs to set more than the same 3 or 4 scenes on repeat...
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