Reader’s Reviews > Les Mystères de Paris > Status Update

Every time I open the book a feeling of exhaustion invades me not even having read a word! 1067 pages that is quite a challenge. I push myself to read 50 pages a day but it is not an easy task . Petit à petit, je progresse.

Finished part 1/10 - Feuilleton novels chapters and parts always ends with cliffhangers...and Eugène Sue did not disappoint in part one ch XXI!

Chapters are filled with moments that keep the reader curious: people whisper in sb's ear...(?) Rudolph mentions smth important..."... but I'll tell you about it later." Often there is a fight scene, I read it. Then one of the characters repeats the scene telling it to another character. This makes for chapters that tell us nothing new. No wonder the book has 1037 pages!

Speed bumps in the first few chapters but now the narrative has become familiar
It is a roman feuilleton so the chapters end with cliffhangers.
To be honest the story is very simple and
...I'm having difficulty staying engaged with the book,
...un  peu 'ennuyeux"  (boring)
I definitely must read other books.
I feel with MdP I'm just plodding along and am getting the job done
...no great 'reading joy'.

Re-read ch 1 - I spent the entire day just in chapter 2 underling the worlds in italics (31 words/expressions). I’ve ONLY finished looking up and understanding 7 words !! This is a VERY LONG project.

I’m glad I selected this book for my challenge #ParisInJuly…but I’ll be reading at least until Oct/nov! TOO tired to even think about any entries today on tab THEMES/COMMENTARY…tomorrow is another day!

Description on “Lapin-Blanc, Portraits of main characters Le Chourineur, La Goualeuse, Rodolph. (Clothes, physical attributes).New characters were mentined (see tab characters) Rodolphe starts to “build” his personal profile pretending to be a simple worker, in order to gain the trust of the Chourineur and the Goualeuse. Rudolph is telling them and the reader some “whopper” lies!

This will be a monumental read for me. 1367 pages in French, maximum 8-10 pages a day will bring me to a target date 01.10.2026! I'm using a NUMBERS spreadsheet to record my daily progress and thoughts. This is what critical reading is all about!