I have been wanting to read Suite Francaise [Irene Nemirovsky] for years. I can remember seeing it in bookstores for at least 5 years - including the entire time I worked at Barnes & Noble - and for the life of me I cannot figure out why I never picked it up before. Maybe it was the same as the case with The Fountainhead [Ayn Rand] - I've been thinking for years that I need to read it, and every time I am inside a bookstore, I pick it up, but then something shinier always captures my attention. And because in the last few years I've had to put myself on a budget of never buying more than two books per month [trust me, it's good for my soul and for my wallet], I would always end up putting it back. Same went for Suite Francaise.
And then, one day a few months ago, I was perusing the shelves at Blossom's while waiting for Prakash to pick me up, and there it was: a used copy, still in good condition, for only 100 rupees. That's right, for just over $2, it could be mine. And the timing was perfect. I was nearly finished with The Rug Merchant [Meg Mullins] and didn't have a lead on what I wanted to read next. So on a whim I purchased it on my way out, and I just finished it a few days ago.
I loved it. It took me longer than I would have liked to get through, but that's mostly because I've only been going to the Boys' Home twice a week in recent months, which has significantly cut down on my reading time on the bus. And my house flooded. And I've been working on a new puzzle. And the IPL is on. So I've just not had a lot of time for reading for pleasure. But I still really enjoyed it. Nemirovsky managed to capture a time that was both terrifying and unpredictable for French citizens, and she wrote the characters in such a way that you could empathize with them, even if you didn't necessarily like them.
The second half of the book - set in a German-occupied French village in 1941 - went much faster for me for some reason. I can't imagine what it must have been like for Frenchmen and women to have Germans living with and amongst them, the men who were the possible captors of their own husbands, sons, and fathers who were off at war. It makes me thankful that I grew up in a society where I had so many freedoms that I realize now I took for granted.
I'm not sure what my fascination is with World War II, but I've had it since I was in middle school. I've always enjoyed reading about the time, studying not only the battles and the war itself but also the lives that were disrupted and the towns and cities that were destroyed. And this book only served to heighten my fascination once again.
If you haven't read it already, find it and read it as soon as you can. I don't think you'll regret it.
xx
And then, one day a few months ago, I was perusing the shelves at Blossom's while waiting for Prakash to pick me up, and there it was: a used copy, still in good condition, for only 100 rupees. That's right, for just over $2, it could be mine. And the timing was perfect. I was nearly finished with The Rug Merchant [Meg Mullins] and didn't have a lead on what I wanted to read next. So on a whim I purchased it on my way out, and I just finished it a few days ago.
I loved it. It took me longer than I would have liked to get through, but that's mostly because I've only been going to the Boys' Home twice a week in recent months, which has significantly cut down on my reading time on the bus. And my house flooded. And I've been working on a new puzzle. And the IPL is on. So I've just not had a lot of time for reading for pleasure. But I still really enjoyed it. Nemirovsky managed to capture a time that was both terrifying and unpredictable for French citizens, and she wrote the characters in such a way that you could empathize with them, even if you didn't necessarily like them.
The second half of the book - set in a German-occupied French village in 1941 - went much faster for me for some reason. I can't imagine what it must have been like for Frenchmen and women to have Germans living with and amongst them, the men who were the possible captors of their own husbands, sons, and fathers who were off at war. It makes me thankful that I grew up in a society where I had so many freedoms that I realize now I took for granted.
I'm not sure what my fascination is with World War II, but I've had it since I was in middle school. I've always enjoyed reading about the time, studying not only the battles and the war itself but also the lives that were disrupted and the towns and cities that were destroyed. And this book only served to heighten my fascination once again.
If you haven't read it already, find it and read it as soon as you can. I don't think you'll regret it.
xx
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