Bel-Ami - Guy de Maupassant

Well, it took a month and a half, but I got there in the end! Actually, it was really nice to start out struggling and feel myself improving at reading in French - by the end I didn't need to refer to a translator except for very obscure words and my reading speed was much faster.

I really wanted to read this one because I saw the English film adaptation a while ago and really enjoyed it. Robert Pattinson is actually a pretty good actor when he isn't covered in vampire teeth and glitter, and the rest of the cast are great too. I was curious about how much of the plot was changed from the book - turns out surprisingly little, although it was sensationalised and shortened a bit, but the general tone was really well conveyed to the screen.

One of the things that I find fascinating about French novels is the way that the 'hero' is hardly ever a nice person. In English novels the hero usually at least intends to do good, whereas in a lot of the French novels I've read the hero or heroine is primarily concerned about their own selfish interests, and not about the good of others.

Bel-Ami is no exception. Georges Duroy comes to Paris as a young ex-soldier down on his luck, and manipulates his way up the social and financial ladder. The way his emotions are conveyed gave me the impression of someone verging on a sociopath - he rarely seems to experience or to express genuine emotional responses, but takes pleasure in controlling the emotions of others. Ironically, he gets very offended if anyone suspects him of anything other than honest intentions.

This was a very interesting read, and I recommend it and/or the film very much.


Next up: Dead Men do Tell Tales by William R Maples

Bitterblue - Kristin Cashore

I loved the previous two novels in this trilogy, Fire and Graceling, and Bitterblue was very different but just as good. The story picks up 10 years after the end of Graceling, with the young queen Bitterblue beginning to pick up the pieces of her shattered kingdom.

Even the premise, I think, is quite original – while coming-of-age novels involving young rulers are very common, the idea of seeing what happens after the villain is defeated, what happens to all the ordinary people trying to rebuild their lives, is very unusual. This novel is about what happens after the happy ending.

Bitterblue's despotic father, King Leck, used his mind-manipulating powers to confuse and control his subjects, forcing them to forget about the atrocities he did in the deluded name of progress. While those who served under him are desperate to forget those times, the young queen wants to dig up the past in order to provide reparations for those who suffered. Her castle is full of secrets, locked doors, and coded messages, and many people wish for them to remain hidden.

While there is a love interest involved, it's more of a side issue than the main point of the story, which is something Cashore does very well, and like in Fire we get the feeling that Bitterblue's own narrative is far from being all-important. There are tantalising glimpses into the lives of other kingdoms and other people, which add depth and realism to her fantasy universe. Instead of being simply narrative devices, other characters, however briefly mentioned, feel as though they have a full story to tell themselves, if they were only given the chance.

Another wonderful (and unusual) thing about this trilogy is the way the three books fit together. Aside from being written out of chronological order, each is set in a different kingdom, and features different main characters. Places and people from each novel have an impact on each of the other stories, and having read all three I feel as though each one adds significance to both of the others. Definitely worth a read, and I recommend getting your hands on the whole trilogy if you can.

The cover art is, again, very much underselling itself, but there are much nicer editions out there, like this one from Barnes and Noble.
 

Next up: Bel-Ami by Guy de Maupassant

Early birthday present!

I got home from work to find a big Amazon parcel waiting for me - an early birthday present from my brother! I've been trying to improve my French by reading (currently trawling my rather depressing way through Les Fleurs du Mal), so I wanted something a bit lighter and more approachable to be going on with.

Contents consist of:

La Princess de Clèves by Madame de Lafayette
Germinal by Émile Zola
Bel-Ami by Guy de Maupassant (I loved the film adaptation and have been really wanting to read this one)
Le Chef-d'oeuvre Inconnu by Honoré de Balzac
Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Le Comte de Monte-Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (which I have read in English but loved so much that I'll happily sit through the whole lot in French as well)

All shiny, new, sharp-edged and exciting!