Hate: A Romance

by Tristan García, Marion Duvert (Translator), Lorin Stein (Translator)

In a controversial first novel that took the French literary world by storm and won the Prix de Flore, Tristan Garcia uses sex, friendships, and love affairs to show what happens to people when political ideals--Marxism, gay rights, sexual liberation, nationalism--come to an end. As Elizabeth Levallois, a cultural journalist, looks back on this decade and on the ravages of the AIDS epidemic in Paris, a drama unfolds--one in which love turns to hate and fidelity turns to betrayal, in both affairs of the heart and politics.



With great verve and ingenuity, Garcia lays claim to an era that promised freedom as never before, and he paints an indelible, sharp, but sympathetic portrait of intellectuals lost in the age of MTV.

Genres: Fiction, LGBT, Queer, Gay, France, Novels, 21st Century

273 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2008

About the author

Tristan García is French philosopher and novelist.

Reviews

[Denis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recently published in English under the interesting title "Hate: a romance", this novel created quite a stir when it was published in France, and won a major literary prize. Because of the subject matter (the trajectory of the generation of gay men that had to deal with AIDS when it exploded), because of the fact that it is based on real characters, because of the in-your-face style of the writer (who's a very young philosophy teacher), it's obvious from the start that this book aims at being more or less scandalous, and at shocking the reader as much as it can, while also at giving him a lesson in as many fields as Garcia thinks he's good at (social history, politics, philosophy, etc). But the truth is, the book doesn't really achieve any of its goals, simply because it's not good enough to do so. Garcia is certainly a talented person - and he's got some good ideas. His views on some aspects of all the debates that have surrounded the AIDS epidemic, and how people reacted to it in France, are often interesting, as are some broader comments on French society and culture in the last thirty years. But Garcia's vision of an era that he hasn't known (and which I have) sounds pretty shallow and narrow-minded to me, and doesn't come close to recapture what it meant to be young in the twenties, as the AIDS crisis unfolded and decimated a whole segment of the population. There is absolutely no emotion in a book that is infuriatingly "intellectual", in the worst sense of the word. It isn't helped by the over the top, lurid prose - especially when it comes to the dialogues. Garcia's characters are, for the most part, caricatural and unconvincing, and therefore are hard to empathize with, or even to comprehend. Not once did I feel that they represented an era - and they certainly don't do justice to the real (and controversial) persons they're based on. There's something very pretentious and arrogant about this book. Yet, despite all this, something in Garcia's narration keeps the reader not necessarily interested, but at least intrigued. I wonder how it's been translated and how American readers can relate to it.

[Simona Stefani · Rating 1 out of 5]

— Aggiunta alla recensione precedente —

Alla fine ho dovuto leggerlo tutto per renderlo valido per le Letturiadi 2022 a cui sto partecipando… un incubo! Un incubo assoluto. Personaggi così antipatici che ti chiedi perché l’AIDS ci abbia impiegato così tanto a farne fuori solo uno.


Cosa cazzo sto leggendo? Non ci capisco una mazza! Lo mollo a metà, a circa 130 pagine per non buttarlo direttamente nel camino.
Un mischione sgangherato che parla di politica francese che si presume uno conosca a memoria, comportamenti surreali (Will che si picchia il gomito fino a lussarselo e girarsi il braccio dall’altra parte e svenire? Ma cos’è Saw?), personaggi insopportabili che analizzano tutto e che ci raccontano le loro miserabili ed inutili vite (facendolo male), ma PERCHÉ?

Perché inserire dettagli irrilevanti nella narrazione? Specialmente nelle descrizioni iniziali: sono un cliché parigino, ho gli occhi verdi, mia madre è una hippy, ho un naso. Cioè… ho un naso!!

Ma poi che ruolo ha Liz? Raccontare una storia/non-storia del suo collega, del di lui ex e del suo amante vegliardo-professore-di-sinistra-ma-anche-di-destra? Davvero non capisco quale sia stata l’esigenza che ha spinto Garcia a scrivere questo libro. Cosa ci ha voluto raccontare? Non lo so. Cosa ha voluto insegnarci? Non lo so.
Madonna santa, sei giorni della mia vita sprecati a cercare di comprendere questo libro. Se ci penso mi incazzo!

Comunque questo è il secondo libro su due che leggo della NN Editore che mi delude…

[Floflyy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf à 40%

[Víctor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Moralement corrumpu, intellectuellement vide. Garcia n'a pas le temps ou l'intérêt de s'engager avec les idées —beuacoup plus complexes et intéressantes— des personnages dont il fait la satire.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

“In the end the connections among several beings last only for a certain culminating moment in life, and the strong feelings that rise up, joining three or four people together, to the point of obsession, come back down again and finally leave nothing in our memories except the form of a bell curve – which one must leave behind, just as it is.”

This philosophical and cerebral novel has, at its core, the relationships among four friends. William (Willie) Miller, Dominique (Doume) Rossi, Jean-Michel (Leibo) Leibowitz, and the narrator, Elizabeth (Liz) Levallois. Through their experiences, this young, first-time author examines many cultural aspects (gay rights, the political situation, sexual liberation) in a way that allows the reader to feel the characters’ beliefs strongly on both sides of each issue. These four friends, dedicated to each other at the beginning of the novel, gradually succumb to the pressures of their ideologies and part ways, becoming vengeful and bitter enemies.

It is my hope that French author Garcia continues to write powerful, mind-churning novels. Having already won the 2008 Prix de Flore for this first novel, he should aspire to one day enter the Pantheon of great French philosopher-authors like Voltaire, Sartre and Camus. Though this was a difficult read demanding intense concentration, in the end it was a worthwhile one. It encourages the reader not only to examine the political and philosophical issues which affect his/her life, but also to examine the true nature of friendship.

Thanks to bookseller Charles at the Northshire Bookstore for recommending this book via a shelf talker.

Grade: B+

[Matthew Gallaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, not only because it tackles the subject of AIDS and 'safe sex' in a way that is completely believable, but because it captures so much of the political and cultural ambiguity surrounding the disease and the 'gay' world. I thought the strongest part of the book was the middle; to me the end felt a bit predictable and moralistic, but that's a minor quibble in light of my overall enjoyment. The book is also VERY FRENCH to the extent that politics and political labels such as 'left' and 'right' actually mean something to the characters in ways that I think are relatively rare in the U.S. (which I say without judgment, it's just a difference).

[Donal Healy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s at times like this that I wish Goodreads did half stars.

The first 2/3 of this book are a slog. Relentless references to different movements, political ideas and philosophers. This can be interesting but they’re kind of just dropped in their and unexplained. Which I guess is sort of representative of the characters in the book who are often self indulgent and the type to drop in unexplained routers and thinkers into their conversations.

Elizabeth’s narrative throughout the book focuses on her relationship with three pretty unlikeable men. Their complicated relationships progressively sour and spiral into decay over most of the book. William is exceptionally dislikeable, honestly an inspiring literary creation. Leibo and Doumé are also nauseating and self indulgent. These three painful characters nonetheless have at times tender and humanising moments that kind of drag you through to the latter stages of the book, despite a strong compulsion to give up on the whole thing.

What I will say is that I found the final arc of the book much more enjoyable. As (most of) the characters emerge from their prolonged and tumultuous youth, the narrative reflects this and their seems to be unifying lessons to be learned. The chaos of the first 150 pages suddenly seems to have been necessary to contrast the more measured finale.

I don’t necessarily know if I enjoyed this book or if I would recommend it to anyone, but the conclusion had a satisfying punch to it. Now this could well have just been the relief of finishing the book, but I do think in a rather fragmentary way it had the intended effect of showing the messiness of modernish love.

[In_Mart · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'aime bien les romans à clé et toute la reconstitution que ça implique pour le lecteur qui peut recouper ce qui est écrit et la réalité. Le sujet m'intéresse aussi (la controverse autour du bareback qui a divisé la communauté gay). Pourtant, je ne suis pas sûr d'avoir vraiment apprécié ce bouquin. Il se lit plutôt facilement, mais sur le fond, l'amusement des premières pages a vite été remplacé par une sorte d'agacement. Je me suis beaucoup questionné sur l'intention de l'auteur et je n'ai pas réussi à comprendre pourquoi : pourquoi amplifier à ce point le caractère et les discours des personnages qu'on reconnaît bien ? pourquoi les confronter tous ensemble par l'intermédiaire d'une narratrice totalement effacée ? autrement dit, pourquoi écrire ce livre ? Je ne saisis pas les intentions de l'auteur, et je pense que c'est dommage d'avoir ce sentiment à l'issue de la lecture. Finalement, je me suis dit que j'aurais vraiment préféré une enquête historique sur la période et sur la controverse, plutôt qu'une réécriture hasardeuse et fictive. Quand vers le milieu du roman il est question de la publication d'une mauvaise "alterfiction", je me suis dit que ça s'appliquait peut-être bien à ce livre aussi.

[Rabiut · Rating 3 out of 5]

Per a mi, la tesi del llibre s'anuncia irònicament al títol: la millor part dels homes rau en el cor, l'herència dels quals no deixa testimoniatge (comparat amb els qui deixen testimonis "visibles", però no tenen bon cor).

A finals dels anys 80, la mort causada per l'estrall de la sida era una qüestió silenciada, denunciada o fins i tot polititzada: un intel·lectual descriu l'amant del seu millor amic com un exemple de la "buidor del pensament contemporani"; ex-parelles que es denuncien mútuament per la ràdio... "L'odi és important. És la cosa més important... L'odi et porta a viure", diu Will, un dels protagonistes.

Aquesta és una novel·la sobre un moment històric ben cruel i que remou tres grans sentiments als lectors: la curiositat per l'esclat de la vida gai dels 80, la por estesa arreu per la preservació o no de ser infectat pel VIH (l'oposició militant a fer sexe sense preservatiu vs. la militància per la preservació de la pandèmia amb l'ús del preservatiu) i la impotència i la ràbia dolorosa de patir en silenci la mort anònima i solitària dels éssers estimats.

[Kevin Warman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tristan Garcia's writing is riddled with beautiful prose and crudeness. I thought his characters developed in such a way that they became real, multidimensional personalities. The crux of this, of course, is that I found myself pretty much hating every single one of them. William is perhaps the worst. To me he was the fictional combination of Daisy Buchanan meets Dorian Gray. He does not have any understanding that other people exist, let alone how his actions impact them. Dominique played such a role in creating trouble for himself and others, that he too is awful. Elizabeth, actually starts to come into her own, and I disliked her less as I learned more. Still, I thought she could grow up and be more independent. Leibo, like Dominique, used intellectualism to hid from his problems and justify acting horribly. All this still withstanding, the author shows what the 80s were like in Paris and touches really hard topics. I think he crafted a crass and pointed story.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot believe that Garcia is only a couple years older than I, but that just adds to how much I felt about this book. During college, I did a lot of research on AIDS narratives, but all of them were anglophone accounts. This was one of the first times that I had a French perspective on the subject, and because it was written so much later, it puts all of the stories, many of the important personalities all together, creating a provocative narrative that discusses many of the identity problems that face the queer community post AIDS.

[Alvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly unsentimental and disturbing novel of ideas. After a slow, choppy start, I found it unputdownable. The narrator is a woman with few opinions, but the three main characters are men motivated by political ideologies, which naturally get mixed up with their career aspirations and sex lives. Lots of AIDS politics. Lots of sweeping generalizations about the broader political landscape. Only one character, the odiously deranged enfant terrible, Will, truly comes alive on the page, but he's a type one knows all too well from real life but seldom finds in literature, so I was impressed.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hay seres humanos cuyo entero valor, cuya vida están en el interior, y desde luego no hay ninguna manera de verificarlo, calibrarlo, saber si son potencialmente extraordinarios o mediocres, a parte de vivir en su compañía.

[Sneha Narayan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Des fois, nos propres deviennent nos ennemis.

À mon avis, ce bouquin est une histoire d'amour. Pas forcément dans un sens commun, mais plutôt un sens vraiment, profondément intellectuel. Oui, je ne suis pas française, mon français n'est pas exactement bon, et je n'ai pas toujours compris la plupart du contexte. Mais je vais dire que c'est quand même possible que personne ne l'a bien compris à cause d'une manque d'assez de vrai discussion honnête autour de la génération queer pendant l'épidémie d'SIDA.

[Kittaroo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mamma mia che brutto.
Sono disperata.
7 è un romanzo geniale.
Quindi io pensavo la sua produzione fosse tutta così.
Seeeeeee
Questo è il suo primo, quindi, diamogli credito.
Ma ho odiato ogni singolo personaggio, ogni singola mossa, ogni sinagoga parola.
Ho ancora negli occhi “i grandi sognatori”, sull’epidemia di aids negli USA, inizio anni 80, e mentre là ho letto grandi emozioni, ragionamenti, persone, qui ho letto un esercizio sterile di scrittura che crea figure e non personaggi.

[Alessandro Margheriti · Rating 1 out of 5]

A.A.A. Parte migliore cercasi
Con un titolo così e una copertina del genere avrebbe potuto benissimo essere un porno, ma prima di leggerlo pensavo "Ma no, ci sarà sicuramente un significato profondo, filosofico".
Tuttavia con ciò non pensavo certo che sarebbe stato chiamato in causa Spinoza in ogni frase, anche e soprattutto a sproposito.
Questo è un libro irritante, troppo politico (l'omosessualità a mio avviso NON è una scelta politica, e comunque non è affatto una scelta), e perfino pedante e noioso.
Potrei giustificarne il titolo se i personaggi maschili avessero davvero una parte migliore, ma purtroppo non è così.
Se gli uomini fossero davvero tutti come in questo libro sarebbero ottusi, arrivisti, insulsi, egocentrici, di quella specie peggiore che si approfitta di te e poi ti getta via..se dovessimo credere questo, allora era giusto pensare che la parte migliore degli uomini sia proprio "quella", nel senso più malizioso possibile.
Ciò che ci fa apparire tutti questi personaggi detestabili, inoltre, è un inutile personaggio femminile, una giornalista fallita, sfigata, relegata al ruolo di amante da un suo ex-professore (ma solo per una decina d'anni eh). Questo splendido esemplare di masochismo e ottusità ci parla dei suoi uomini (suoi, che illusa!) raccontando le loro storie dall'esterno e ammettendo ella stessa che di queste storie ne conosce solo una parte oppure che di alcune cose non ne sa più di tanto.
La narrazione pertanto si sposta da un personaggio all'altro senza dirci molto di più rispetto alle pagine precedenti e caricando il nostro disappunto, lasciandoci dell'idea che tutto sommato non fosse coinvolta e partecipe più di tanto.
Anche la spiegazione finale del titolo si rivela insoddisfacente e lacunosa, pertanto stavolta rimaniamo dell'idea precedente: forse gli uomini non hanno una parte migliore, oppure è esclusivamente "quella".
Ma se mi chiedessero invece qual è la parte migliore di questo libro, beh quella onestamente non l'ho proprio trovata.

[Stephanie Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book caught my eye, admittedly I have a thing for gay literature. I thought Willie was a very enthralling character. I loved him, hated him, envied, pitied him, felt disgusted by him, and admired him all at once, often over the scope of just a few pages or chapters. His slow descent into disease-addled mania was painful to watch, but impossible to look away from. His antagonism with Dominique was at times humorous it it's obsessiveness, other times disturbing. The end was a bit deflating and abrupt. I loved the relationships. The main reason this didn't get five stars is because at times I felt like it was too political for my taste. Admittedly, I don't know much about French politics in the 80s, so much of that went over my head. At times the books feels like it's all over the map, going from philosophical musings, to cultural analysis, to political statements, often all within a single page or chapter. It feels dry at times. Luckily, it is very much grounded in the relationships and the narrative always makes its way back to the characters at hand, making it readable even for people with a less than keen interest in the other things going on. Overall, what I enjoyed most about this book were some of the less intellectual, more human philosophical insights, such as this:

"I think the existence of something outside himself-the existence of people, of the world-always came as a kind of revelation, for ever since he was little, and in all his daily life, he had trouble believing for more than a second in the existence of anything outside himself..."

[Chris]

A (gay) friend of mine said this novel was "too gay" even for him, which is perhaps understandable, given that it's caught up in a very specific niche of late-80s to mid-00s French intellectual gay life. But I think that we (gays, the literary community, the culture at large) are still uncomfortable with fully developed and fully honest gay characters in literature, and this novel does a very good job or forging some new (for me, at least) ground in this area. Garcia's characters felt on the same plane as some of the characters of Genet, but he approaches them with more distance than Genet, less as fantastical beings and more as just beings. It's a very ambitious novel, with a lot of politics and intellectual history bound up in it, but what ultimately carries through is the personal politics of these characters' lives. There's a lot of tragedy, but can't we say that about the recent history of homosexuals--especially those dealing with AIDS--in general? Garcia captures a lot of truth here, and does so very thoughtfully.

[Yooperprof · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not really bitchy or bad enough to be "camp" - unfortunately.

Garcia has written a contemporary "roman a clef" in the manner of Saul Bellow's "Ravelstein." But none of his characters is Allan Bloom, and Garcia is certainly no Saul Bellow. French cultural life - with its celebrity "talking heads" - is shown to be insular, incestuous, and (ultimately) irrelevant. Is the modern French intellectual scene really this dull?

I probably would have liked the novel more - given it two stars, or perhaps even three - if it hadn't been for the narrator, Elizabeth Lavallois. She's the recipient of other character's confessions and confidances, but herself is passive and unreflective. For a "cultural journalist," she's pretty much a cypher.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hate, a Romance has been longlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, which is probably no surprise to the French because it won the 2008 Prix de Flore. It’s the debut novel of a young philosopher called Tristan Garcia and it explores the decline of the idealism that for my generation defined the 1970s. But it is not for the faint-hearted: there is a great deal of very bad language, and there’s possibly more about gay sex than many people want to know…

To read my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.com/2012/03/24/ha...

[Freddy Veloz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunque los personajes no están tan bien trabajados (especialmente la narradora), La mejor parte de los hombres ofrece un retrato meticuloso sobre el activismo gay en el Francia en la década de los 90, con todas sus contradicciones, vendetas, escándalos, aspiraciones truncadas y demás situaciones que lo volvieron un fascinante y confuso reflejo del periodo de transición en la lucha por los derechos LGBT bajo la sombra del VIH.

[Leggo Quando Voglio · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Quando vivi il tuo tempo, senza accorgertene, crei l'avvenire."

La parte migliore degli uomini è l'ultimo romanzo di Tristan Garcia edito da NN.

In questo libro d'esordio, l'autore francese ci parla dell'essere umano dal punto di vista politico e filosofico, incentrandosi particolarmente sulla causa omosessuale.
Grazie a La parte migliore degli uomini, infatti, si potrà vedere la graduale differenza di trattamento nei loro confronti e della reazione del mondo davanti alla scoperta del virus del'HIV e delle sue conseguenze.

La narratrice del testo corrisponde all'unico personaggio femminile della vicenda, Liz, che, dal suo punto di vista, descrive al lettore tre uomini che ha conosciuto in prima persona e che hanno fatto la differenza nella Storia (fittiziamente): il miglior amico William Miller, l'amante Jean-Michel Leibowitz e il filosofo Dominique Rossi.
Nonostante la donna si dichiari apertamente diversa e meno rilevante di queste figure, per lei fondamentali, è inevitabile che il suo punto di vista, sebbene più oggettivo possibile, sia limitato e influenzato da ciò che ha potuto sapere indirettamente o direttamente dei tre.

Tutti e quattro i personaggi si modificano molto nel corso della storia, che copre diversi decenni tra aneddoti sul passato e narrazione presente e con loro mutano enormemente anche le loro relazioni. Trattandosi di persone estreme anche i loro legami lo diventano, ricoprendo ogni gamma emotiva.

Il resto della recensione su https://www.leggoquandovoglio.it/libr...

[Martin Tuero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro me ha aportado la visión de la lucha LGBT y las luchas intestinas entre lo que llaman izquierda y derecha en la Francia de los 80 y 90. Es increíble el pensamiento de algunas personas (dentro del lobby sobretodo) acerca del VIH. Esperaba un romance pero me he cruzado con todo lo contrario: traición, hambre de poder, sexo salvaje sin amor, odio entre semejantes,… Hasta Willem ha tenido un final solitario. Bendita la mariliendre de Liz por estar ahí siempre. Así como todos los narradores invisibles que nos acompañan en esta vida sin saber que prodrían sacar un libro de sus vivencias.

Como dice el libro: el tesoro de un hombre, ¿Está en lo que deja, en lo que conserva?.

[Francesco · Rating 1 out of 5]

Brutto, bruttissimo. Non sono riuscito a finirlo: non mi capita così spesso, ma con La parte migliore degli uomini mi sono arreso. Troppo sgangherato, troppa carne sul fuoco, troppi passaggi senza senso, tutto troppo troppo troppo. Così non si fa.
Peccato: ero convinto mi sarebbe piaciuto.
Magari proverò a recuperarlo tra qualche tempo.

[Fran CR · Rating 3 out of 5]

“… todas las defensas se derrumbaban, su pobre alma, como un viejo dique agrietado, su corazoncito apretado contra sí mismo y que había llegado sin duda a su punto máximo, como decía él, en este mundo de mierda, se abría en canal, sanguinolento, sin protección, y todo lo que lo rodeaba, como esporas, venía a meterse en su cuerpo para hincharlo, deformarlo, desarreglarlo, hacerlo pedazos.”

[Rehan Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good but weird and kind of disturbing

[Ptitmog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ce roman est une plongée au cœur de la société française des années 90, les années SIDA. Le narrateur est une journaliste, Elizabeth, qui raconte la vie de trois hommes, Dominique Rossi, homosexuel, journaliste également et militant de la premier heure de la cause homosexuelle et surtout de la prévention au sein de la communauté ; Jean-Michel Leibowitz, hétérosexuel, philosophe et auteur juif de renom, ayant des liens avec Israël ; et enfin, William Miller, jeune homme paumé, sans réelle compétence hormis une formidable capacité à provoquer les gens et leur haine.
La narratrice est plutôt effacée, dans sa vie comme dans son récit. Elle raconte leur vie, peu la sienne. Elle est l'amie/collègue de Rossi, la maîtresse de Leibowitz (marié, deux enfants) et elle aide Willie à trouver un travail.
Le cœur du roman est constitué par les relations conflictuelles entre les trois hommes, à travers leur propre relation avec Elizabeth.

Autant le dire tout de suite, j'ai eu beaucoup de mal à me mettre dans ce roman. L'absence totale de personne auxquelles m'identifier, l'exaspération que certains personnages m'inspirent, le sujet qui, c'est triste car c'est pourtant le quotidien de beaucoup de gens et un réel enjeux de santé publique, m'est lointain, mais, surtout, ce style décousu, brouillon, quelque chose qui se veut moderne car ça s'apparente à l'écriture d'un langage parlé, mais par quelqu'un qui parle mal! Ça se tient quand il s'agit des dialogues avec Willie qui n'est pas très éloquent, mais le reste du temps... Les phrases, ou plutôt les morceaux de phrase, peuvent s 'enchaîner sans réelle logique, sans qu'on puisse leur donner un sens clair. Cela m'a particulièrement frappée au début, moins vers la fin, alors est-ce parce que je me suis habituée (ce qui m'inquiéterait) ou bien est-ce que l'auteur a enfin réussi à mettre ses idées dans un ordre correct? Je ne saurais le dire. Je sais juste que j'ai fini ce livre pour le finir, sans réelle satisfaction.

[Thibaut Temmerman]

C'est rare, mais je n'ai pas su finir ce roman dont j'avais entendu le plus grand bien et que je me réjouissais de lire parce qu'il aborde les mouvements et revendications de la communauté gaie dans les années 80-90 (particulièrement marquées par le SIDA). Pourtant, mon intérêt déclinait au fur et à mesure de la lecture. Il faut dire que les personnages sont loin d'être sympathiques et l'écriture, principalement composée de monologues que retranscrit la narratrice (y compris les hésitations et les circonvolutions), rendent le tout assez pénible. Les élucubrations mentales de l'un des personnages ont achevé de me convaincre que si j'avais le droit de sauter des pages, j'avais aussi le droit de ne pas le finir.

[Jonathan F · Rating 3 out of 5]

HOLY COW! Garcia is one bold and intelligent man. You might read reviews telling you that the story drags on and the plot never seems to become clear but I took a very deep message out of this novel. This book was translated from the French and like most French writers, Garcia adds his philosophical and political views through the four characters. I wouldn't categorize it as a "gay" novel even though it focuses on it a lot; it goes deeper into the subject and looks at the political and personal implications that AIDS/HIV causes. It's an emotional book and KEEP READING, if you're into a think-hard kind of book you'll love it.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a toddler when the AIDS crisis began, Tristan Garcia has written an eerily uncanny narrative of the AIDS experience of the 1980's and 90's. Garcia's clever narration moves freely between private and public spheres.
“When you’re defining your own era, you’re not aware of it, you think you’re building a future,” Dominique says. “Then one day you realize that this future you’re building is just something that people will look back on one day as the past, as something past and gone. That’s what it means to live out an era, a time, a moment. All of a sudden — yes — it ends.”