Ilse’s review of L'Amour > Likes and Comments
150 likes · Like
An incredibly lovely review! 😊🥰
Madame et monsieur moreau? I was going to say that sounds fishy, but I was thinking of madame et monsieur morue :(
Yes, I think we need more books about love - rather than drama and disasters - and dangerous or erotic love. We need to relearn what "normal" love is. Some people know, but I suspect many, many have simply forgotten.
A beautiful review of what sounds like a beautiful book.
Alexandra wrote: "An incredibly lovely review! 😊🥰"
Thank you so much, Alexandra 😊! This library find turned out a gem of a little book, and it made me curious to finally watch 'Entre les murs', the film based on François Bégaudeau's third novel, in which he starred as the lead and which he co-wrote with the director, Laurent Cantet (I loved the couple of films I've seen of his).
Your review is beautifully written, Ilse. Your comparison of this book to Seethaler's The Whole Life tells me it will be a rewarding read.
All you had to say was that it reminded you of A Whole Life for this to make my list, Ilse. Always love your reviews, thank you :).
I never heard of this author, dear Ilse, but it seems this book is conjuring a very special mood that many of us would benefit from:-) Thank you for your wonderful impression and the painting as well. All we need is love:-) (an spring:-))
Jan-Maat wrote: "Madame et monsieur moreau? I was going to say that sounds fishy, but I was thinking of madame et monsieur morue :("
Fauna and flora I find even more challenging in another language but yes, less fishy than it sounds, these Moreau people (I wouldn't have payed attention to the surname if Jeanne hadn't made the little joke that she was named Jeanne Moreau before the famous actress ;)). Talking about fish, no sardines in this novel, but I think fishing was mentioned as one of the pastimes of monsieur Moreau - another detail to evoke the quotidian peace and quietness of these lives, perhaps?
Your review reads like the perfect ode to Love, Ilse. So very refreshing in a drama-filled literary landscape.
Ilse, I so enjoyed reading your review — you’ve captured the novel’s gentleness and its quiet continuity beautifully. I especially love your phrase “the intimate music of everyday life”; that feels exactly right for a book that seems to move without visible seams, letting the years accumulate almost imperceptibly.
Your quotation is marvellously chosen: What struck me most was how much the author's prose anchors that tenderness in physical detail — the sky lowering in March, the stars swelling in summer, bodies bundling inward in autumn. For me, those seasonal contractions and expansions did as much emotional work as the marriage itself. Love felt less like an idea and more like a climate — something lived inside, adjusted to, inhabited over time.
Laura wrote: "Yes, I think we need more books about love - rather than drama and disasters - and dangerous or erotic love. We need to relearn what "normal" love is. Some people know, but I suspect many, many have simply forgotten."
Laura, for a long time I found myself perhaps not agreeing but nevertheless understanding cynic thoughts on stories ending with the 'happily ever after', implying simple happiness and love is boring (or impossible?), but books like this one indeed seem to capture what has been lost or forgotten, how worthwhile it is, and a gift, to navigate through life with someone you love and trust, without accompanying violins as a soundtrack :). As a friend pointed out lately, few are the books that focus on people working, and I also liked how the characters in this book have a working life that doesn't belong to the creative or dream sphere that speak to the imagination (artist, painter, writer, director, musician...) - perhaps its focus on ordinary life making this book stand out ;)?
Loved your last paragraph. Beautiful writing: touching and sincere.
Wow! That really sounds totally lovely! Thanks for sharing your impressions!
Alison wrote: "A beautiful review of what sounds like a beautiful book."
Thank you very much, Alison. Perhaps because quite a few aspects of the novel (time, chansons, working life) reminded me of my parents - what I know from their youth, their loving relationship which already lasts for almost sixty years - this slim novel in the end moved me deeply. Bégaudeau's approach is sober and detached, his light touch however manages to give a glimpse of what is essential in human life - I was impressed.
Laysee wrote: "Your review is beautifully written, Ilse. Your comparison of this book to Seethaler's The Whole Life tells me it will be a rewarding read."
Thank you very much Laysee. I have a hunch that many readers who loved Seethaler's novel would appreciate Bégaudeau's painting of this couple's life as well - fingers crossed that it will be translated into English too so that more readers can discover it.
Oh, I so much want to read this one! Thank you Ilse for your beautiful review.
Jennifer wrote: "All you had to say was that it reminded you of A Whole Life for this to make my list, Ilse. Always love your reviews, thank you :)."
Jennifer, thank you so much, so kind of you to say so ♥ :) This was such a good find, maybe the first novel I read this year that emotionally stirred me (admittedly mostly reading non-fiction at the moment, too stressed to enjoy fiction much). Fortunately for Jacques and Jeanne, they don't have to deal with tragic loss like Andreas Egger, but their way of being seems alike, taking life as it comes and making the best of it.
That does sound like a special find, Ilse. It was that very quality of Egger’s that impacted me in A Whole Life, and one I’d be happy to meet again here.
Reading your review felt like a slice of peace this morning, Ilse. I suspect the book will have a calming effect as well. Your mention of A Whole Life was definitely a hook for me! Beautifully reviewed, my dear :)
Katia wrote: "I never heard of this author, dear Ilse, but it seems this book is conjuring a very special mood that many of us would benefit from:-) Thank you for your wonderful impression and the painting"
Glad you liked the painting, thank you very much, dear Katia (and yes, let spring come, now :). The (Dutch edition of) book also had a painting on the cover that I liked, but I couldn't post it here and I also wondered if the painting of a man and a woman sitting next to each other on a bench but not interacting (at least not in a way that is visible) covered the image of the couple in the book that had formed in my mind. Bégaudeau was new to me as well, although the film based on another novel of his - Entre les murs - rang a bell. I haven't seen it (yet) (Bégaudeau also acts in it), but I liked other films by that director, 'Human Resources' and 'Time Out', both on employment and the brittle place of the individual in the corporate world. This novel on the contrary was rather sweet, even if Bégaudeau takes on a detached tone some readers might experience it as somewhat sugary, but it touched me, it felt the right book on the moment I could read it (happily stuck in a café because a cat decided to have a nap on my lap ;D). I am curious if this will be translated into English as well, perhaps it is too run-of-the-mill for that - or too little :)?
Thanks for sixty seconds of calm, Ilse.
Perhaps we find the books we need, Ilse, or at least love the books that give us what we need? I had a range of emotions reading your lovely review: Anticipation of a great book, reminiscent of A Whole Life; But my Heart sank when I saw it is not in English; Delighted by the image of the cat on your lap while you read; Apprehension when reminded of the film Amour: I have a copy, but haven’t had the heart to watch it because it is about the elderly wife suffering a stroke and paralysis.
Violeta wrote: "Your review reads like the perfect ode to Love, Ilse. So very refreshing in a drama-filled literary landscape."
Thank you very much, Violeta - I didn't know what to expect from this short novel - it could as well have been a more cynical or ironic take on the topic, with that title - but it turned out the contrary - a maybe strangely old-fashioned tale on love, quite suprisingly, particularly for a contemporary book :).
Peter wrote: "Beautiful review."
Thank you very much for stopping over and reading this, Peter - sometimes ‘all you need is love’ sounds so true :)
Peter wrote: "Beautiful review."
Thank you very much for stopping over and reading this, Peter - sometimes ‘all you need is love’ sounds so true :)
High praise! For reasons I cannot fathom, I have trouble with generational novels (maybe because I lose characters I became attached to?) and gravitate toward novels that take place in the comfy confines of a day. Another one of my unhealthy reading quirks.
"Their secret, if any? Nothing earth-shattering, nor complex: openness, affectionate banter, acceptance of oneself and the other, granting each other some space."
Love that. It looks simple when written down but it takes dedicated effort for sure.
back to top
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Alexandra
(new)
Feb 17, 2026 10:04AM
An incredibly lovely review! 😊🥰
reply
|
flag
Madame et monsieur moreau? I was going to say that sounds fishy, but I was thinking of madame et monsieur morue :(
Yes, I think we need more books about love - rather than drama and disasters - and dangerous or erotic love. We need to relearn what "normal" love is. Some people know, but I suspect many, many have simply forgotten.
A beautiful review of what sounds like a beautiful book.
Alexandra wrote: "An incredibly lovely review! 😊🥰"Thank you so much, Alexandra 😊! This library find turned out a gem of a little book, and it made me curious to finally watch 'Entre les murs', the film based on François Bégaudeau's third novel, in which he starred as the lead and which he co-wrote with the director, Laurent Cantet (I loved the couple of films I've seen of his).
Your review is beautifully written, Ilse. Your comparison of this book to Seethaler's The Whole Life tells me it will be a rewarding read.
All you had to say was that it reminded you of A Whole Life for this to make my list, Ilse. Always love your reviews, thank you :).
I never heard of this author, dear Ilse, but it seems this book is conjuring a very special mood that many of us would benefit from:-) Thank you for your wonderful impression and the painting as well. All we need is love:-) (an spring:-))
Jan-Maat wrote: "Madame et monsieur moreau? I was going to say that sounds fishy, but I was thinking of madame et monsieur morue :("Fauna and flora I find even more challenging in another language but yes, less fishy than it sounds, these Moreau people (I wouldn't have payed attention to the surname if Jeanne hadn't made the little joke that she was named Jeanne Moreau before the famous actress ;)). Talking about fish, no sardines in this novel, but I think fishing was mentioned as one of the pastimes of monsieur Moreau - another detail to evoke the quotidian peace and quietness of these lives, perhaps?
Your review reads like the perfect ode to Love, Ilse. So very refreshing in a drama-filled literary landscape.
Ilse, I so enjoyed reading your review — you’ve captured the novel’s gentleness and its quiet continuity beautifully. I especially love your phrase “the intimate music of everyday life”; that feels exactly right for a book that seems to move without visible seams, letting the years accumulate almost imperceptibly.Your quotation is marvellously chosen: What struck me most was how much the author's prose anchors that tenderness in physical detail — the sky lowering in March, the stars swelling in summer, bodies bundling inward in autumn. For me, those seasonal contractions and expansions did as much emotional work as the marriage itself. Love felt less like an idea and more like a climate — something lived inside, adjusted to, inhabited over time.
Laura wrote: "Yes, I think we need more books about love - rather than drama and disasters - and dangerous or erotic love. We need to relearn what "normal" love is. Some people know, but I suspect many, many have simply forgotten."Laura, for a long time I found myself perhaps not agreeing but nevertheless understanding cynic thoughts on stories ending with the 'happily ever after', implying simple happiness and love is boring (or impossible?), but books like this one indeed seem to capture what has been lost or forgotten, how worthwhile it is, and a gift, to navigate through life with someone you love and trust, without accompanying violins as a soundtrack :). As a friend pointed out lately, few are the books that focus on people working, and I also liked how the characters in this book have a working life that doesn't belong to the creative or dream sphere that speak to the imagination (artist, painter, writer, director, musician...) - perhaps its focus on ordinary life making this book stand out ;)?
Loved your last paragraph. Beautiful writing: touching and sincere.
Wow! That really sounds totally lovely! Thanks for sharing your impressions!
Alison wrote: "A beautiful review of what sounds like a beautiful book."Thank you very much, Alison. Perhaps because quite a few aspects of the novel (time, chansons, working life) reminded me of my parents - what I know from their youth, their loving relationship which already lasts for almost sixty years - this slim novel in the end moved me deeply. Bégaudeau's approach is sober and detached, his light touch however manages to give a glimpse of what is essential in human life - I was impressed.
Laysee wrote: "Your review is beautifully written, Ilse. Your comparison of this book to Seethaler's The Whole Life tells me it will be a rewarding read."Thank you very much Laysee. I have a hunch that many readers who loved Seethaler's novel would appreciate Bégaudeau's painting of this couple's life as well - fingers crossed that it will be translated into English too so that more readers can discover it.
Oh, I so much want to read this one! Thank you Ilse for your beautiful review.
Jennifer wrote: "All you had to say was that it reminded you of A Whole Life for this to make my list, Ilse. Always love your reviews, thank you :)."Jennifer, thank you so much, so kind of you to say so ♥ :) This was such a good find, maybe the first novel I read this year that emotionally stirred me (admittedly mostly reading non-fiction at the moment, too stressed to enjoy fiction much). Fortunately for Jacques and Jeanne, they don't have to deal with tragic loss like Andreas Egger, but their way of being seems alike, taking life as it comes and making the best of it.
That does sound like a special find, Ilse. It was that very quality of Egger’s that impacted me in A Whole Life, and one I’d be happy to meet again here.
Reading your review felt like a slice of peace this morning, Ilse. I suspect the book will have a calming effect as well. Your mention of A Whole Life was definitely a hook for me! Beautifully reviewed, my dear :)
Katia wrote: "I never heard of this author, dear Ilse, but it seems this book is conjuring a very special mood that many of us would benefit from:-) Thank you for your wonderful impression and the painting"Glad you liked the painting, thank you very much, dear Katia (and yes, let spring come, now :). The (Dutch edition of) book also had a painting on the cover that I liked, but I couldn't post it here and I also wondered if the painting of a man and a woman sitting next to each other on a bench but not interacting (at least not in a way that is visible) covered the image of the couple in the book that had formed in my mind. Bégaudeau was new to me as well, although the film based on another novel of his - Entre les murs - rang a bell. I haven't seen it (yet) (Bégaudeau also acts in it), but I liked other films by that director, 'Human Resources' and 'Time Out', both on employment and the brittle place of the individual in the corporate world. This novel on the contrary was rather sweet, even if Bégaudeau takes on a detached tone some readers might experience it as somewhat sugary, but it touched me, it felt the right book on the moment I could read it (happily stuck in a café because a cat decided to have a nap on my lap ;D). I am curious if this will be translated into English as well, perhaps it is too run-of-the-mill for that - or too little :)?
Thanks for sixty seconds of calm, Ilse.
Perhaps we find the books we need, Ilse, or at least love the books that give us what we need? I had a range of emotions reading your lovely review: Anticipation of a great book, reminiscent of A Whole Life; But my Heart sank when I saw it is not in English; Delighted by the image of the cat on your lap while you read; Apprehension when reminded of the film Amour: I have a copy, but haven’t had the heart to watch it because it is about the elderly wife suffering a stroke and paralysis.
Violeta wrote: "Your review reads like the perfect ode to Love, Ilse. So very refreshing in a drama-filled literary landscape."Thank you very much, Violeta - I didn't know what to expect from this short novel - it could as well have been a more cynical or ironic take on the topic, with that title - but it turned out the contrary - a maybe strangely old-fashioned tale on love, quite suprisingly, particularly for a contemporary book :).
Peter wrote: "Beautiful review."Thank you very much for stopping over and reading this, Peter - sometimes ‘all you need is love’ sounds so true :)
Peter wrote: "Beautiful review."Thank you very much for stopping over and reading this, Peter - sometimes ‘all you need is love’ sounds so true :)
High praise! For reasons I cannot fathom, I have trouble with generational novels (maybe because I lose characters I became attached to?) and gravitate toward novels that take place in the comfy confines of a day. Another one of my unhealthy reading quirks.
"Their secret, if any? Nothing earth-shattering, nor complex: openness, affectionate banter, acceptance of oneself and the other, granting each other some space."Love that. It looks simple when written down but it takes dedicated effort for sure.
