One of my very fave contemporary authors.....she usually writes historical fiction......usually set in France.....this one was a "not too distant future Paris" and it is so vastly different from the other novels I've read by her. It's super compelling and extremely thought provoking. (Her first novel Sarah's Key is now a movie on Netflix...it's good....but i much prefer the novel) She has written 12 books that I know of (possibly more by now) and I have read 4. (I believe 6 of them are in French and not published in English) I have thoroughly enjoyed them all. She's a compelling story teller.
STORY SUMMARY
It is summer in Paris....a very hot summer....in the near future.
Clarissa Katsef is an author who came late to the writing scene after raising her daughter Jordan and divorcing her husband Toby. Toby and she are still good friends and have a good relationship with their daughter and granddaughter Adriana (Andy). Toby lives in a different part of France. Jordan and her family live in Paris and Clarissa sees them often. Clarissa is currently separated from her 2nd husband, Francois, because she discovered a horrible secret life he was leading. She feels disappointed, angry, betrayed, lonely and depressed. She decides to leave their apartment and find her own.
She discovers a brand-new "artists in-residence" apartment in an ultra-modern apartment building. It's got a great view of Paris and it's a true dream for a novelist. It's supposed to offer a sense of peace. Clarissa is on the 8th floor. She had to interview for this apartment and was accepted, along with musicians, sculptors, painters, other writers. Clarissa's apartment is sleek....everything is digital including a personal assistant she has named "Mrs Dalloway".
However, since she has moved in, she feels that someone is watching her all of the time. Yes there are cameras installed for security reasons. Every room has a surveillance system except the bathroom.
Her beloved Paris has been changed of course due to terrorist attacks. The Eiffel Tower has fallen and is slowly being rebuilt. Other European structures/tourist spots have also fallen. London has lost Big Ben, Italy has lost the Piazza San Marco in Venice, the Sistine Chapel has been obliterated. The world is a mess with climate changes and the environmental catastrophes.
Through all of these changed, Clarissa has been grieving the loss of her first born baby......a stillborn.....she has never quite overcome that loss.
Hypnosis worked for a bit.......but she continues to grieve deeply.
Clarissa feels like she is going crazy. Why is the apartment managers/owners spying on the residents? Her granddaughter decides to help her out.
Is Clarissa just being paranoid? Or is her discomfort and distraction from writing her next book due to the betrayal of her 2nd husband?
What is going on??
MY THOUGHTS
This was a short, whirlwind of a novel. There are only 9 chapters. All have titles.
It is gripping, suspenseful and in some ways disturbing.
This book centers on the imprint of places, and the burdens of secrets. It's a very compelling book. In fact, it's so well written that I wasn't sure what was real and what was fantasy. It is a very emotional book as well. It draws you right in.
Paris is devoid of birds, bees, and real flowers. It is devastating.
I found the very beginning and most of it actually quite good...the thing that is disturbing is the section that describes Francois' and his "affair". I don't want to go into detail here as if you read it, I don't want to add spoilers for you. But let's just say it's quite "out there" and odd. But nothing today really shocks me and for all i know this is a "thing" in the underworld of prostitution/adultery.....who knows??
I love that there are these elements of past famous authors that thrust the character and her own style. Her 2 faves are Virginia Woolf (whom I've never read but I probably should read Mrs Dalloway at some point!) and Romain Gary. Both of these authors committed suicide. And there are so many parallels between Clarissa and these authors.
I listened to an interview given by Tatiana (on You Tube) and I discovered that yes there are some similarities between the character Clarissa and her self but it's just the bilingual thing and the French/English heritage thing. Other than that, there is NO parallel. Tatiana has not lived through the same experiences as Clarissa. She does live near where her character does: near the Eiffel Tower...with fake vegetation and some devastation. In the book the Notre Dame has been restored but when Tatiana wrote this book the church was burning!!
I liked this story. But I didn't love it. It's difficult (emotionally) yet just so compelling!! I know I've used that word alot...it's the only adjective that describes how I feel about it! It has received mixed reviews. My take on it is this: mental and emotional breakdowns do occur when deep grief is not handled well. Deep grief is what Clarissa, in my opinion, is experiencing. Her mind is going in all directions and it must be a horrible feeling. The parallels and quotes from the 2 very real authors (Woolf and Gary) give you an insight as to the character's mind. I did look up both authors to refresh my memory of just what happened with them.
If you like Tatiana de Rosnay, you will probably like this story. I found it gripping and I found myself saying Thanks to God for being allowed to visit Paris when we did because I cannot imagine that beloved city being devastated and to learn that the area around the Eiffel Tower has suffered over the years makes me sad. To hear Tatiana's interview about it made me sad. I'm so very thankful we went in 2010. ( the rest of the description in the book is NOT like the real Paris...at least not yet...all the more reason to really think about what we as humans can do to save our planet)
The character Clarissa.......does she ever get the help she really needs??
I don't know. But that's what makes it so well written. I like to believe she won't go the way of Woolf and Gary.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older due to some mature content.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9.
2 comments:
Wow it does sound very thought provoking. I will have to see if our library has this one. Thanks for the review!
I've only read 2 books by this author. One I loved and the other I didn't finish. I have another in my closet of hers but haven't read it yet. I think it's called The Other Story.
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