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Irène Némirovsky
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Seasonal Author July - September: Irène Némirovsky
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Looking forward to our next seasonal author, I haven't read anything by Irene Nemirovsky before. I've reserved David Golder and Suite Francaise at my library today (which technically won't break my library ban from July onwards will it? #Not failing at this already)
I have read two of her books and both of them had the relationship between mother and daughter as theme. However, the relationship is not dealt in a way one would expect. Mother and daughter are presented as bitter enemies. Found them very interesting. I am not sure how everyone will like them. But Nemirovsky knows to tell a story.The books that I read are: Il ballo and The Wine of Solitude.
Any recommendations for a first book by her? if I have time
Heather wrote: "Any recommendations for a first book by her? if I have time"Among the books I have read I will recommend Le Bal for it is very short. It is in fact a novella.
Otherwise, usually Suite Française is considered to be her best work.
I really liked Suite Française. It was, however, very much an unfinished work. I wish she had lived to finish this piece. It would have been epic. I look forward to reading some of her other works now. I'm glad Irene was chosen as our seasonal author.
I've read Suite Francaise (and thought it was very good) and am looking forward to reading more by her. I have "The Dogs and the Wolves" and "Fire in the Blood" to read by her - so I'm really pleased she is our next seasonal author.
I've liked Suite Française most of the ones I've read by her so far, but thought The Fires of Autumn was also very good. The two I personally thought were a little less strong were Le Bal and All Our Worldly Goods.
I've also read Suite Francaise. I think I might own something else by her - I'll have to look.
I've just started David Golder it's a short book so shouldn't take long to read. The premise was very intriguing so I hope I enjoy it.
Finished David Golder today, it was quick to get through and enjoyable, if that's the right word for a depressing sort of book. Probably a 3 star read for me.
Suite Francaise is £1.79 for UK kindle at present, as part of the summer sale.
Loved Suite Francaise and have recommended it to several book clubs. Currently listening to Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale and I keep thinking of how much better Suite Française was.
I also loved Suite Francaise. Very good writing.
I picked up Suite Francaise at a secondhand booksale a few weeks ago...looking forward to it! I read a short novel of hers: The Misunderstanding earlier this year, I liked the writing style itself but didn't think much of the plot or characters development.
I finally got a copy of Suite Française from the library today. After all the praise I have read, I am looking forward to it!
Just found out that Némirovsky died 17 August in 1942. So it is a fitting day for me to begin reading her novel.
Hope you like it, Leslie! It's been a while since I read it. I think I'm going to reax The Dogs and the Wolves for my choice.
Leslie wrote: "I finally got a copy of Suite Française from the library today. After all the praise I have read, I am looking forward to it!"I have this to listen on audiobook, so might start it soon as well.
I have finished the novel (well, the 2 completed parts: "Storm in June" and "Dolce") -- does anyone know if it is worth reading the appendix? I generally don't...I was pleasantly surprised by the writing style -- I don't know why but I was expecting it to be a difficult book & it wasn't at all. I found the story less compelling but the variety of reactions to German occupation was fascinating especially considered as a contemporary view.
I think there are two appendices, the first containing Nemirovsky's notes on the book and the second containing letters between herself, her husband and friends which document her disappearance to Auschwitz. The preface might also be at the back of your edition, as this has sometimes been moved. I guess it depends how much you want to read about her background story.
Leslie wrote: "I have finished the novel (well, the 2 completed parts: "Storm in June" and "Dolce") -- does anyone know if it is worth reading the appendix? I generally don't...I was pleasantly surprised by t..."
I think they're worth reading, if you are interested in her own story, as Pink said.
I've just started reading The Dogs and the Wolves.
Shirley wrote: "Leslie wrote: "I have finished the novel (well, the 2 completed parts: "Storm in June" and "Dolce") -- does anyone know if it is worth reading the appendix? I generally don't...I was pleasantly..."
Thanks. I guess I will try them but not worry if I don't finish before the book is due back at the library on Monday.
I'm over half way through The Dogs and the Wolves now, and I am really enjoying it. She has a very engaging writing style, which I remember from Suite Francaise.
I agree that her writing was extremely readable. If I have time this month, I may try to read something else by her.
I finished listening to Suite Française today. I was pleasantly surprised by part two, as I was wondering how much I'd enjoy an almost total change to the cast of characters. I thought it held up to the first part, though it was different. I read a little about her plans for part three of the book and what would happen to some of the characters, it sounds like it would have been an epic story if she'd been able to complete all five sections. I'd love to which direction the story was going, but I'm not sure if she'd have known that herself at the time, as it was such a contemporary piece of writing. Quite extraordinary in this respect.
Pink wrote: "I finished listening to Suite Française today. I was pleasantly surprised by part two, as I was wondering how much I'd enjoy an almost total change to the cast of characters. I thought..."I liked the second part more than the first one -- more of a story rather than a series of vignettes. Although those vignettes were extremely effective in conveying a range of attitudes towards the German occupation.
Yes the first part was more a series of vignettes. A setting up of characters really. Did you read her plans for the third chapter, which looks like it would have connected some of the characters from parts 1 and 2? I didn't have an appendix in the audiobook (which I'd like to have read) but there was a short preface about her life.
I did read the appendices - both her notes about the book & then a series of letters to & from both her and her husband & a few other people (such as her editor). Unfortunately I don't recall the specifics of her plans & have returned the book to the library so I can't check... Maybe someone else out there has a copy & can enlighten us.
Leslie, this is the little it says on Wikipedia about chapter 3 (view spoiler)I haven't found anything more, except for possible chapter titles for chapters 4 and 5, Battles and Peace.
I would like to read her letters though, perhaps I'll check the book out from the library at some later time, just to read these.
Pink wrote: "I finished listening to Suite Française today. I was pleasantly surprised by part two, as I was wondering how much I'd enjoy an almost total change to the cast of characters. I thought it held up to the first part, though it was different. I read a little about her plans for part three of the book and what would happen to some of the characters, it sounds like it would have been an epic story if she'd been able to complete all five sections. I'd love to which direction the story was going, but I'm not sure if she'd have known that herself at the time, as it was such a contemporary piece of writing. Quite extraordinary in this respect. ..."
Pink, I remember thinking this, too, when I finished Suite Francaise. This would have been epic if finished. At the end of this book, I just wanted it to go on and on. I've often wondered what direction Irene was going to take this story.
I finished listening to Fire in the Blood today. I liked it a lot. It has the same feeling of being drawn into the story as with Suite Francaise. Slowly, the reader learns the secrets and the deep feelings of the characters. I saw them as very human; each was a good, kind character, full of flaws that brought happiness, pain, hurt.
This was all about secrets, actions, consequences and loyalty in all its forms.
Irene Nemirovsky was a wonderful author. She would have been one of the remembered ones. She still is but who knows how many other wonderful stories she had in her to tell.
Petra wrote: "I finished listening to Fire in the Blood today. I liked it a lot. It has the same feeling of being drawn into the story as with Suite Francaise. Slowly, the reader learns the secret..."
I still have this to read, Petra, but unfortunately didn't get to it within the timespan of this group read. I will read it though, as she was a great writer and it sounds like this one did not disappoint!
I finished The Dogs and the Wolves a while ago and just realised I didn't report back on it here. I think it was an interesting story about class, a Romeo and Juliet type love story, wonderfully told. I gave it three stars.
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Books mentioned in this topic
The Dogs and the Wolves (other topics)Fire in the Blood (other topics)
Fire in the Blood (other topics)
Fire in the Blood (other topics)
Suite Française (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Irène Némirovsky (other topics)Ruth Franklin (other topics)
She was born in Kiev in 1903 into a family of Jewish bankers who fled the country at the start of the Russian Revolution in 1917. After a short stay in Finland and Sweden they eventually settled in France in 1918 where they quickly regained wealth, allowing Irène - who had started to write when she was 18 years old - to study Literature at the Sorbonne.
In 1926 she married Michel Epstein, a banker from a Jewish family, with whom she had two daughters. Shortly after, in 1929, her first novel David Golder was an immediate success, making her widely recognized as an author. As many others of her books, it was adapted for the big screen shortly after publication.
In 1939 Irène Némirovsky converted with her daughters to Roman Catholicism in order to protect herself and her family from the growing Anti-Semitism.
Nevertheless: In 1942 Irène Némirovsky was arrested as a "stateless person of Jewish descent" and together with 928 other Jewish deportees, transported to German concentration camp Auschwitz where she died only weeks after arrival of typhus. Her husband was deported and sent to Auschwitz later that same year, and was sent to the gas chambers immediately.
Both of her daughters survived with the help of friends who hid them. With them, in a small suitcase, they carried the last unfinished novel of her mother Suite Française which was first published in 2004 as for years the daughters had taken it for merely a collection of notes and sketches.
In recent times there have been quite a few debates about Irène Némirovsky's alleged anti-Semitism, Ruth Franklin writes in a New Republic article: "Némirovsky was the very definition of a self-hating Jew.", strongly criticising her portraits of Jews throughout her works. Many others came to her defence.
In her Wiki you can find a list of her translated works (it lists the French titles but gives the translation in brackets) It does however currently miss The Fires of Autumn which was released in 2015.