The Lover in Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Aug 19, 2007 Duc rated it really liked it

Shelves: the-best, vietnam

This book takes me back to the Mekong Delta more then once though I've been through the Mekong probably once in my life. I did live near a river that flows into the Delta and into the sea. I visited my friend who's house projected over the river. It was an exotic house because it was so close to the river. The narrative and voice of this book is the river and it flows, everything flows to the heart or maybe away from it. The author lived it. It must be hard to write something so close. It is int ...more

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Apr 08, 2008 Rebecca rated it it was amazing

Shelves: faves

Steeped in longing recollection of an adolescent affair. Outcasts in Indochina. Demonstrates how we mythologise our lives. And that the nature of memory is to haunt. Saturated with sensuality.

The beginning...
One day, I was already old, in the entrance of a public place, a man came up to me. He introduced himself and said: "I've known you for years. Everyone says you were beautiful when you were young, but I want to tell you I think you're more beautiful now than then. Rather than your face as a ...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Stacie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001books, i-own

To me, this book was less about the relationship between an older man and a young girl and more about a young girl trying to find who she is in relation to everyone around her that happens to be having an affair with an older man. While the Chinese man is called "The Lover" throughout the story, I really see the girl as The Lover that really doesn't know what love is and is seeking it where she can.

The word "love" is thrown around quite a bit, but never clearly said to anyone in the story, excep ...more

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Feb 05, 2007 Francisco rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novela, franceses

Que ternura de novela... Es magnífica.

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Dec 05, 2016 Nadine in NY Jones rated it really liked it

Shelves: translation, literary-schmiterary, 1001-books, saw-the-movie-b4-i-read-the-book

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

My mother says, This one will never be satisfied with anything. I think I’m beginning to see my life. I think I can already say, I have a vague desire to die. From now on I treat that word and my life as inseparable.

This book won't be for everyone.

This is the book I've been looking for all my life.

I've found it now, what will I read for the next forty years? I'm sure I'll find something.

This has been on my TBR since back when I first discovered the Jane March / Ton ...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Robin rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1001-books-to-read-before-you-die, i-own-a-copy, random-finds, translations

I found this in a book store (I'd never heard of it), and after reading the back, I thought, why not?

I really enjoyed this little book. Gobbled it up, more like. It's one of those quiet, disjointed, but elegant books that I seem to really get into. I don't have anything intelligent to say about it really, other than that I would recommend it to anyone who likes thoughtful/elegant memoir-type books. ...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Lindsay rated it really liked it

more than the story, I really enjoyed her spare style of writing. I also loved trying to imagine the author's unique childhood in Vietnam and France. ...more

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