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Mr
Parfois on extrait une écharde. Parfois on s'extrait d'une écharde. Le reste importe peu. Le reste n'est que ce long processus de désamour qui ramène toutes les petites filles à des rivages où elles désapprennent la douleur, la compromission, l'abnégation, le tourment – où les chagrins sont moins poignants et le plaisir moins dense.
Ellie, vingt ans, mène une existence légère et insouciante jusqu'au jour où elle rencontre Monsieur, un chirurgien marié approchant la cinquantaine. D'abord épistolaire, leur liaison prend son envol dans une chambre d'hôtel du quinzième arrondissement. Au gré des rencontres clandestines et d'appels téléphoniques fugaces, Ellie traversera plusieurs mois d'attente fiévreuse. Un engrenage passionnel dont elle tentera sans succès de se déprendre.
Un roman-confession. Une description cruelle de la traversé du fantasme. Le désenchantement d'une Lolita contemporaine.
Ellie, vingt ans, mène une existence légère et insouciante jusqu'au jour où elle rencontre Monsieur, un chirurgien marié approchant la cinquantaine. D'abord épistolaire, leur liaison prend son envol dans une chambre d'hôtel du quinzième arrondissement. Au gré des rencontres clandestines et d'appels téléphoniques fugaces, Ellie traversera plusieurs mois d'attente fiévreuse. Un engrenage passionnel dont elle tentera sans succès de se déprendre.
Un roman-confession. Une description cruelle de la traversé du fantasme. Le désenchantement d'une Lolita contemporaine.
480 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
October 31, 2012
Adult review for explicit content. Proceed at your own risk.
So...Monsieur. I wanted to read this book from the moment I viewed the summary.
What I was expecting : Gorgeously written Erotic Literary Fiction with a reverse Lolita-esque twist.
What I was smacked down with : Tucker Max-style sex which made me want to throw up a little in my mouth.
I wish I were kidding. Talk about false advertising. It says in the summary : Often shocking but never gratuitous. I call LIE.
Now, I'm not a fan of Tucker Max, but one of the only scenes I've ever read of his was the infamous sex to poop scene. DID WE NEED TO HAVE IT RECREATED HERE? You tell me if this is gratuitous or not : Two huge smears of shit which, as she noted herself one hour later, were the precise shape of fingers hurriedly wiped across the sheets. "I've come to the almost suicidal conclusion he must have touched his cock by mistake, seeing as I must have smeared it all over with..."
I was so intrigued by the idea of a young lady chasing after an older man in a Lolita style role reversal. After reading this book, I almost feel the need to want to award Lolita with an extra star. Nabokov, this was not. Love him or hate him, at least Nabokov brought something intriguing with his delivery of a story about a man and his nymphette.
First off, a 20 year old grown woman (who's a self-admitted whore, flappy vagina and all) chasing a 45 year old man is not even close to being the same thing as Lolita and Humbert. At all. Secondly, just because a woman chooses to stalk someone on Facebook for all of a few days does not even come close to the torture of what Humbert dealt with inside of his head. The comparison is so off, it's ridiculous.
What really frustrates me is that I was so excited about this book within the first few chapters and I honestly thought we had a winner here. The language started off as absolutely beautiful : Even the fingers lingering on the back of my neck felt clothed, elegant, and relaxed. For a few minutes they fluttered all the way down to my spine, caresses I had never experienced before, disturbingly reaching for the depths of my soul.
Paris held its breath.
The detailed descriptions of how the events were set in motion (as well as the reflections of the past) were beautiful. This book could have been spectacular.
The earliest character conversations over the computer and phone about books and sexual pleasures were captivating. The initial meeting in the hotel room was thrilling - they didn't even turn to face each other when he crawled into bed...I loved the mystery of it all. Then the story just deteriorated into a book made up of nothing but lust, raunchy sex and "should we or shouldn't we?" By the time I reached the halfway point in the book, I was wondering when it was all going to end.
Erotic literary fiction - no. I didn't find this book to be sexy or arousing in any way. True to life fiction - maybe? I noticed the main character was named Ellie Becker. The author of this book is named Emma Becker. The main character in the book is writing a book about her Monsieur, the man she was having an affair with. Perhaps, there's a chance that the author wrote a true-to-life account of a sordid affair? Who knows? It could be a wild guess, but it appears that the author might match up in age to her female protag...
Sadly, this book turned out to be nothing but a tale of a man with an asshole fetish. If anything could go there, it went there, hah. Use your imagination.
Please don't misunderstand me. If this had been a "fetish" book, I might not have felt the need to continue this review with the notes I added under comment number 2 below, as well as the inappropriate pic in comment number 3. But this book is being marketed as some sort of spin on Lolita and I expected more than a year in the life of a girl obsessed with a man who liked dirty sex.
This book was provided from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
So...Monsieur. I wanted to read this book from the moment I viewed the summary.
What I was expecting : Gorgeously written Erotic Literary Fiction with a reverse Lolita-esque twist.
What I was smacked down with : Tucker Max-style sex which made me want to throw up a little in my mouth.
I wish I were kidding. Talk about false advertising. It says in the summary : Often shocking but never gratuitous. I call LIE.
Now, I'm not a fan of Tucker Max, but one of the only scenes I've ever read of his was the infamous sex to poop scene. DID WE NEED TO HAVE IT RECREATED HERE? You tell me if this is gratuitous or not : Two huge smears of shit which, as she noted herself one hour later, were the precise shape of fingers hurriedly wiped across the sheets. "I've come to the almost suicidal conclusion he must have touched his cock by mistake, seeing as I must have smeared it all over with..."
I was so intrigued by the idea of a young lady chasing after an older man in a Lolita style role reversal. After reading this book, I almost feel the need to want to award Lolita with an extra star. Nabokov, this was not. Love him or hate him, at least Nabokov brought something intriguing with his delivery of a story about a man and his nymphette.
First off, a 20 year old grown woman (who's a self-admitted whore, flappy vagina and all) chasing a 45 year old man is not even close to being the same thing as Lolita and Humbert. At all. Secondly, just because a woman chooses to stalk someone on Facebook for all of a few days does not even come close to the torture of what Humbert dealt with inside of his head. The comparison is so off, it's ridiculous.
What really frustrates me is that I was so excited about this book within the first few chapters and I honestly thought we had a winner here. The language started off as absolutely beautiful : Even the fingers lingering on the back of my neck felt clothed, elegant, and relaxed. For a few minutes they fluttered all the way down to my spine, caresses I had never experienced before, disturbingly reaching for the depths of my soul.
Paris held its breath.
The detailed descriptions of how the events were set in motion (as well as the reflections of the past) were beautiful. This book could have been spectacular.
The earliest character conversations over the computer and phone about books and sexual pleasures were captivating. The initial meeting in the hotel room was thrilling - they didn't even turn to face each other when he crawled into bed...I loved the mystery of it all. Then the story just deteriorated into a book made up of nothing but lust, raunchy sex and "should we or shouldn't we?" By the time I reached the halfway point in the book, I was wondering when it was all going to end.
Erotic literary fiction - no. I didn't find this book to be sexy or arousing in any way. True to life fiction - maybe? I noticed the main character was named Ellie Becker. The author of this book is named Emma Becker. The main character in the book is writing a book about her Monsieur, the man she was having an affair with. Perhaps, there's a chance that the author wrote a true-to-life account of a sordid affair? Who knows? It could be a wild guess, but it appears that the author might match up in age to her female protag...
Sadly, this book turned out to be nothing but a tale of a man with an asshole fetish. If anything could go there, it went there, hah. Use your imagination.
Please don't misunderstand me. If this had been a "fetish" book, I might not have felt the need to continue this review with the notes I added under comment number 2 below, as well as the inappropriate pic in comment number 3. But this book is being marketed as some sort of spin on Lolita and I expected more than a year in the life of a girl obsessed with a man who liked dirty sex.
This book was provided from the publisher through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2025
Al fiiiiiiiiiiiin.
Me da tristeza y alegría terminar este libro. Tristeza porque le había tenido fe, alegría por el lloriqueo al fin ha terminado.
Me parece increíble la forma en que esta historia decae y no para se caer. Las primeras páginas resultan fascinantes, te atrapan, intrigan, te involucran en la relación a un nivel que te pide un poco más. Pero después todo se transforma en un capricho, insana obsesión por parte de nuestra protagonista, quien, para tener una afición tan grande por la literatura erótica y ser tan experimentada en el sexo cotidiano, resulta muy poco cooperativa al mantener contacto con su querido Monsieur.
Y bueno, ni me hagan empezar con ese hombre. El narcisismo se le salía por los poros y me resulta increíble que alguien pueda obsesionarse con alguien de ese tipo a un nivel que grita pena. De verdad.
Una pena que tremendo potencial fuera gastado de esta forma. Alargando una pena de manera innecesaria, perdiendo el toque de intriga y sobre todo, desarrollando una obsesión llamado enamoramiento que me parece muy poco fundamentada.
Me da tristeza y alegría terminar este libro. Tristeza porque le había tenido fe, alegría por el lloriqueo al fin ha terminado.
Me parece increíble la forma en que esta historia decae y no para se caer. Las primeras páginas resultan fascinantes, te atrapan, intrigan, te involucran en la relación a un nivel que te pide un poco más. Pero después todo se transforma en un capricho, insana obsesión por parte de nuestra protagonista, quien, para tener una afición tan grande por la literatura erótica y ser tan experimentada en el sexo cotidiano, resulta muy poco cooperativa al mantener contacto con su querido Monsieur.
Y bueno, ni me hagan empezar con ese hombre. El narcisismo se le salía por los poros y me resulta increíble que alguien pueda obsesionarse con alguien de ese tipo a un nivel que grita pena. De verdad.
Una pena que tremendo potencial fuera gastado de esta forma. Alargando una pena de manera innecesaria, perdiendo el toque de intriga y sobre todo, desarrollando una obsesión llamado enamoramiento que me parece muy poco fundamentada.
July 9, 2015
After managing to avoid the Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon completely, an erotic novel wasn't at the top of my reading wishlist. I was intrigued by a couple of reviews I've read of this on book blogs I follow, though - one absolutely tore it to pieces, the other was very positive. Then it was reduced to 99p in the Kindle sale and I just thought, why not? It's always interesting to give a different type of story a try, and the first couple of pages grabbed my attention as I immediately liked the narrator's voice.
Monsieur is ostensibly the story of an affair between Ellie, a twenty-year-old student, and 'Monsieur', a married plastic surgeon who is twenty-six years her senior. It may have been widely described as an erotic novel but it's only really erotic in the sense that a) the sex scenes are very graphic, and b) the narrator is always thinking about sex. The majority of the story is actually about the aftermath of their affair - Ellie angsting and wringing her hands over why Monsieur is ignoring her and how things could have been different. Oh, and (because he's told her to) she is also writing a book about their time together, which is called, you guessed it, Monsieur.
I loved the very beginning of the book: Ellie encounters Monsieur's eldest son unexpectedly, thinks about all the ways she could potentially introduce herself to him but doesn't dare to speak, and ends up sobbing, alone, on the train. I was instantly captivated and wanted to know the backstory, the whole messy tale of how Ellie had ended up here. Unfortunately, I didn't really get that. Instead I got some detailed sex scenes (most of which aren't very sexy), pages and pages of Ellie and Monsieur texting each other (!), and long interludes in which Ellie just spends a lot of time thinking about and analysing... well, not a lot. It's clear that Ellie has an unhealthy obsession with Monsieur but rather than addressing why, the story throws up so many questions that just don't get answered. Most importantly, why is she even bothered about him? He treats her pretty terribly, is always either patronising her, manipulating her, or ignoring her - often more than one at the same time. On top of that, he doesn't even satisfy her sexually, and she has a (bewilderingly large) collection of other lovers who she seems to be getting more enjoyment out of. Obviously, she wouldn't be the first woman to fall in love with a horrible man, but I didn't feel like the book was doing anything to explain to me why this would have been the case here.
It's hard not to see Monsieur as partly autobiographical when you learn that the author is in her early twenties - and she's given the narrator the same last name as her (as well as a very similar first name). Given that knowledge, it's hard to tell whether certain aspects of the protagonist's character have been created deliberately - which would make it a better book - or whether this is the author talking about herself - which would make it worse. On top of the problems with how the relationship is portrayed, Ellie isn't a very likeable person. She's unbelievably self-centred and her naivete is extraordinary, all of which makes her seem more like a spoilt child than a woman in the throes of a meaningful affair. Of particular note is the fact that she seems to take Monsieur calling her 'my love' to mean that he's in love with her, and she is bizarrely naive about some aspects of sex and relationships for someone who seems to think of nothing else. If the character's identity didn't seem so close to the author's then I would assume we were supposed to see Ellie as almost comically gullible and childlike, but I could never be sure.
I really like stories about all-consuming affairs, difficult relationships and the marks they leave on the people involved. For example, Anna Raverat's Signs of Life, one of my favourites of 2012, would fit into that category, and it's this kind of story I was hoping for from Monsieur. I was never all that bothered about the sex scenes either way - it wasn't the promise of erotica that drew me to this book, although if they'd been good they would have added some much-needed spice to the story. As it happened, they were okay: not quite Fifty Shades levels of bad, but they often strayed into cringeworthy language, and after a while they became unsurprisingly repetitive. Becker actually seems to be better at portraying sexual tension and anticipation, most evident in the scenes between Ellie and Lucy, a female friend she finds herself attracted to, but sadly there wasn't enough of this.
Becker definitely has talent: when I re-read the beginning of the book to write this review, I could still see exactly why I was sucked into it, despite knowing that I didn't much like what came after those first few chapters. It's just a shame those glimmers of good writing weren't put to better use. If you want a brilliantly written story about a destructive affair, read Signs of Life. If you want a good erotic novel, well, I'm not really sure what I'd recommend, but it wouldn't be this.
Monsieur is ostensibly the story of an affair between Ellie, a twenty-year-old student, and 'Monsieur', a married plastic surgeon who is twenty-six years her senior. It may have been widely described as an erotic novel but it's only really erotic in the sense that a) the sex scenes are very graphic, and b) the narrator is always thinking about sex. The majority of the story is actually about the aftermath of their affair - Ellie angsting and wringing her hands over why Monsieur is ignoring her and how things could have been different. Oh, and (because he's told her to) she is also writing a book about their time together, which is called, you guessed it, Monsieur.
I loved the very beginning of the book: Ellie encounters Monsieur's eldest son unexpectedly, thinks about all the ways she could potentially introduce herself to him but doesn't dare to speak, and ends up sobbing, alone, on the train. I was instantly captivated and wanted to know the backstory, the whole messy tale of how Ellie had ended up here. Unfortunately, I didn't really get that. Instead I got some detailed sex scenes (most of which aren't very sexy), pages and pages of Ellie and Monsieur texting each other (!), and long interludes in which Ellie just spends a lot of time thinking about and analysing... well, not a lot. It's clear that Ellie has an unhealthy obsession with Monsieur but rather than addressing why, the story throws up so many questions that just don't get answered. Most importantly, why is she even bothered about him? He treats her pretty terribly, is always either patronising her, manipulating her, or ignoring her - often more than one at the same time. On top of that, he doesn't even satisfy her sexually, and she has a (bewilderingly large) collection of other lovers who she seems to be getting more enjoyment out of. Obviously, she wouldn't be the first woman to fall in love with a horrible man, but I didn't feel like the book was doing anything to explain to me why this would have been the case here.
It's hard not to see Monsieur as partly autobiographical when you learn that the author is in her early twenties - and she's given the narrator the same last name as her (as well as a very similar first name). Given that knowledge, it's hard to tell whether certain aspects of the protagonist's character have been created deliberately - which would make it a better book - or whether this is the author talking about herself - which would make it worse. On top of the problems with how the relationship is portrayed, Ellie isn't a very likeable person. She's unbelievably self-centred and her naivete is extraordinary, all of which makes her seem more like a spoilt child than a woman in the throes of a meaningful affair. Of particular note is the fact that she seems to take Monsieur calling her 'my love' to mean that he's in love with her, and she is bizarrely naive about some aspects of sex and relationships for someone who seems to think of nothing else. If the character's identity didn't seem so close to the author's then I would assume we were supposed to see Ellie as almost comically gullible and childlike, but I could never be sure.
I really like stories about all-consuming affairs, difficult relationships and the marks they leave on the people involved. For example, Anna Raverat's Signs of Life, one of my favourites of 2012, would fit into that category, and it's this kind of story I was hoping for from Monsieur. I was never all that bothered about the sex scenes either way - it wasn't the promise of erotica that drew me to this book, although if they'd been good they would have added some much-needed spice to the story. As it happened, they were okay: not quite Fifty Shades levels of bad, but they often strayed into cringeworthy language, and after a while they became unsurprisingly repetitive. Becker actually seems to be better at portraying sexual tension and anticipation, most evident in the scenes between Ellie and Lucy, a female friend she finds herself attracted to, but sadly there wasn't enough of this.
Becker definitely has talent: when I re-read the beginning of the book to write this review, I could still see exactly why I was sucked into it, despite knowing that I didn't much like what came after those first few chapters. It's just a shame those glimmers of good writing weren't put to better use. If you want a brilliantly written story about a destructive affair, read Signs of Life. If you want a good erotic novel, well, I'm not really sure what I'd recommend, but it wouldn't be this.
February 2, 2016
Ellie is a bored and restless 22 year old university student. It was suggested to Ellie that she should contact her uncles work colleague, Monsieur, as they both share a love of erotic literature. Ellie was thrilled to find someone to whom she could talk too, so she made the decision to connect with Monsieur through email. Initially their exchange was harmless, all about books and writing. But then their conversations became more personal, flirty and heated, until they couldn’t take it any longer and arranged to meet in a hotel room. It all seems perfectly fine, but the problem is Monsieur is 46 years old, married and with children. And so begins their lustrous affair that will take Ellie sexual heights she’s never experienced or dreamed of before. Then one day, out of the blue, everything starts crumbling down.
It’s hard to believe that Emma Becker was so young (22 years old) when she wrote this book. She is an amazing and imaginative erotic writer; the passion was exhilarating when the couple first met (and when it needed to be), and so selfish, dark and fierce when the relationship was coming to an end. Ms Becker is not subtle in her sex scene; there’s a great deal of it, it’s confronting and graphic, so I would think twice if you find these elements hard to handle. But what I really like most was being able to get into the mind set of Ellie; what a relationship like this can do to the sanity of a young woman’s mind and a woman who has fallen in love with a man that’s not good for her. The authors describes in a cruel and hard hitting way all the uncertainties that run through Ellie’s mind - Why the sudden departure? Will he be back? What have done? The desperation and the constant desire for Monsieur, when he’s not around, was driving her insane – it’s done so well you can feel the pain.
The only beef I had with this book was one incident. During sex an unexpected and embarrassing moment happen to Ellie’s body which wasn’t pleasant. I don’t know why she put in there. Was she planning to shock her readers? Hearing it being described in full detail turned out to be vile, and put a slight damper on the book. Ms Becker is such a brave and honest writer, and I admire her for that, but in this case she went a bit overboard. I think she need to learn what’s appropriate and when hold back but I’m sure that will come with experience.
I really like this book. I think Ms Becker is a gifted writer and will have a great future ahead of her, should she continue to write. I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.
It’s hard to believe that Emma Becker was so young (22 years old) when she wrote this book. She is an amazing and imaginative erotic writer; the passion was exhilarating when the couple first met (and when it needed to be), and so selfish, dark and fierce when the relationship was coming to an end. Ms Becker is not subtle in her sex scene; there’s a great deal of it, it’s confronting and graphic, so I would think twice if you find these elements hard to handle. But what I really like most was being able to get into the mind set of Ellie; what a relationship like this can do to the sanity of a young woman’s mind and a woman who has fallen in love with a man that’s not good for her. The authors describes in a cruel and hard hitting way all the uncertainties that run through Ellie’s mind - Why the sudden departure? Will he be back? What have done? The desperation and the constant desire for Monsieur, when he’s not around, was driving her insane – it’s done so well you can feel the pain.
The only beef I had with this book was one incident. During sex an unexpected and embarrassing moment happen to Ellie’s body which wasn’t pleasant. I don’t know why she put in there. Was she planning to shock her readers? Hearing it being described in full detail turned out to be vile, and put a slight damper on the book. Ms Becker is such a brave and honest writer, and I admire her for that, but in this case she went a bit overboard. I think she need to learn what’s appropriate and when hold back but I’m sure that will come with experience.
I really like this book. I think Ms Becker is a gifted writer and will have a great future ahead of her, should she continue to write. I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.
January 16, 2013
French erotic fan fiction is better than Twilight fan fiction. But not by much.
April 1, 2017
"Monsieur" gives a different perspective on teenage love. Ellie's experience resonated deeply with me, and so did Monsieur's. Love, the sort of painful, all-consuming love Ellie experiences in the novel comes only once - it's never the same after that. Nothing will ever beat the high or the come down of your first trip. "Monsieur" reflected this well.
There are not many romantic taboos left, but one of them is desire between two people with a large age difference. Possibly because old age is a taboo in itself and because society views such relationships as inherently predatory. The story is an exploration of how such relationships can be wonderfully destructive, and how, despite their destructive nature, we cannot help but pursue them. In the end, is it so bad?
The intensity of feeling, Ellie's pain and desire really comes through. It's raw and unfiltered, the story was written during the experience, which makes it special. There's no retrospective filter placed onto it.
Ellie has many, many poignant insights about the sort of violent heartbreak that can be caused by a Monsieur. One thing which is clear though is that there are regular older guys, and there are guys like Monsieur. Most of this "monsieur-ness" is likely conjured up in the head of the lolita. Undoubtedly, physical beauty and style play an important role - so not all older men can be such simply on this criteria. However, other things, like the power of their imagination, also come into play. Ellie knows Monsieur fantasises about her, and that their fantasies are shared, since they connect over the same sort of erotic literature.
I'm not sure if I would have really enjoyed this book had I not identified so strongly with Ellie. But... if you've ever had a thing for guys like Monsieur, this book is worth a read.
There are not many romantic taboos left, but one of them is desire between two people with a large age difference. Possibly because old age is a taboo in itself and because society views such relationships as inherently predatory. The story is an exploration of how such relationships can be wonderfully destructive, and how, despite their destructive nature, we cannot help but pursue them. In the end, is it so bad?
The intensity of feeling, Ellie's pain and desire really comes through. It's raw and unfiltered, the story was written during the experience, which makes it special. There's no retrospective filter placed onto it.
Ellie has many, many poignant insights about the sort of violent heartbreak that can be caused by a Monsieur. One thing which is clear though is that there are regular older guys, and there are guys like Monsieur. Most of this "monsieur-ness" is likely conjured up in the head of the lolita. Undoubtedly, physical beauty and style play an important role - so not all older men can be such simply on this criteria. However, other things, like the power of their imagination, also come into play. Ellie knows Monsieur fantasises about her, and that their fantasies are shared, since they connect over the same sort of erotic literature.
I'm not sure if I would have really enjoyed this book had I not identified so strongly with Ellie. But... if you've ever had a thing for guys like Monsieur, this book is worth a read.
December 19, 2012
Un roman prétentieux, une histoire banale et scandaleusement conformiste.
(l'étudiante avec le riche docteur)
Malgré les références à la grande littérature érotique, le roman se limite à des questionnements post-ados pour un homme égoïste tout à fait banal.
Un livre surement surévalué, une opération commerciale voyeuriste.
(l'étudiante avec le riche docteur)
Malgré les références à la grande littérature érotique, le roman se limite à des questionnements post-ados pour un homme égoïste tout à fait banal.
Un livre surement surévalué, une opération commerciale voyeuriste.
January 12, 2026
La verdad es que la forma en que está narrado me hizo desconectar por completo.
November 13, 2012
When twenty year old Ellie finds out that a colleague of her uncle has an interest in and a collection of erotic literature the thought excites her and awakens her curiosity. It isn’t long before she has found this man on Facebook. When, soon after, she sends him a message, indicating both her own interest in erotica and subtle hints at where those might lead she sets in to motion a chain of events that will take her on an emotional roller-coaster and will, eventually, leave her devastated. Initially the two illicit lovers meet regularly, on Tuesdays, in a cheap hotel in Paris where their encounters and especially Monsieur’s needs and demands are of such intensity that they both intrigue and revolt the young woman. This state of affairs doesn’t last long though. After only a few weeks their encounters become less regular and contact between them fragmented and ever more one-sided. Torn between need and despair Ellie doesn’t know what she wants or needs anymore. Other lovers can’t distract her from the need she feels for Monsieur and neither can her girlfriends. She will have to make up her mind if an affair, conducted according to his schedule only, is something she can live with or whether her, ever more fragile, hold on her sanity requires her to make a clean break.
This was a book unlike anything I’ve read before and I’m not quite sure what I think of it. Exceptionally well written this story is both shocking and thought provoking. The reader finds themselves alternating between very graphic and often crude descriptions of sexual intercourse and philosophical thoughts about love, life, erotica and relationships. And because the story is told by a girl in her early twenties we are spectators as she slowly grows up, learns things about herself she might not want to know and discovers her boundaries.
As for Ellie, there were several occasions on which I felt like slapping some sense into her. I wanted her to make up her mind about what she wanted and needed. Either she enjoyed the way he was treating her – in which case continuing made sense – or she didn’t – which should have her walking away from this unpredictable and utterly selfish man. It was hard not to feel that the young woman was as addicted to this man as she was to the bad way in which he was treating her. The way she describes her despair had me thinking that those feelings were as important to her as her physical need for him was.
One issue I had early on in this book is that it wasn’t always clear who was saying what. The perspective could shift from one paragraph to the next and there were occasions when I would have finished reading a paragraph before realising that, apparently, the perspective had changed. I think this might be a language issue though. It’s been years since I last studied French in school but I do remember enough to know that if I were (able) to read this book in the original language the use of gender based words and word-endings would have made these shifts more instantly recognisable. I also find myself wondering if I made allowances for this story and the language used because it is, originally, a French story; as if the French are entitled to behave, think and talk in ways that I wouldn’t find acceptable coming from any other nationality. Even now that I’ve finished the book, I can’t answer that particular question.
This book is very sexually explicit and doesn’t mince its words. In fact at times the language in this book is crude. The author doesn’t shy away from using vulgar words, doesn’t try to make the sexual acts the characters indulge in look or sound polite. These two characters abandon themselves in each other and in the animal attraction between them; the words they use reflect their very basic needs. Any shame Ellie feels is there for the reader to share, and the words used make it easier for the reader to do just that.
Fascinating and disturbing, beautifully written and at times almost philosophical, vulgar and shocking; there are so many aspects to this book and it raised so many, conflicting, reactions in me that I’m at a loss to come up with a short description of my feelings about this work. What I will say is that this is not a book for those who find themselves easily shocked or offended. And it is also not a book for those who want a quick and easy erotic tale. This book provides the reader with both a shocking story and lots of food for thought. This is a story that, for a variety of reasons, will linger with the reader.
According to an interview with the author this is a semi-autobiographical story which makes me wonder if the man she calls Monsieur in this book has read it, how he feels about it and if they have had contact (in any way, shape or form) since the book was published. At the same time I’m not sure whether to admire the way in which the author described herself or be shocked by her apparent lack of shame. What I will say though is that if an award was given for brutal honesty in a novel, this book would be in with a good chance of winning.
This was a book unlike anything I’ve read before and I’m not quite sure what I think of it. Exceptionally well written this story is both shocking and thought provoking. The reader finds themselves alternating between very graphic and often crude descriptions of sexual intercourse and philosophical thoughts about love, life, erotica and relationships. And because the story is told by a girl in her early twenties we are spectators as she slowly grows up, learns things about herself she might not want to know and discovers her boundaries.
As for Ellie, there were several occasions on which I felt like slapping some sense into her. I wanted her to make up her mind about what she wanted and needed. Either she enjoyed the way he was treating her – in which case continuing made sense – or she didn’t – which should have her walking away from this unpredictable and utterly selfish man. It was hard not to feel that the young woman was as addicted to this man as she was to the bad way in which he was treating her. The way she describes her despair had me thinking that those feelings were as important to her as her physical need for him was.
One issue I had early on in this book is that it wasn’t always clear who was saying what. The perspective could shift from one paragraph to the next and there were occasions when I would have finished reading a paragraph before realising that, apparently, the perspective had changed. I think this might be a language issue though. It’s been years since I last studied French in school but I do remember enough to know that if I were (able) to read this book in the original language the use of gender based words and word-endings would have made these shifts more instantly recognisable. I also find myself wondering if I made allowances for this story and the language used because it is, originally, a French story; as if the French are entitled to behave, think and talk in ways that I wouldn’t find acceptable coming from any other nationality. Even now that I’ve finished the book, I can’t answer that particular question.
This book is very sexually explicit and doesn’t mince its words. In fact at times the language in this book is crude. The author doesn’t shy away from using vulgar words, doesn’t try to make the sexual acts the characters indulge in look or sound polite. These two characters abandon themselves in each other and in the animal attraction between them; the words they use reflect their very basic needs. Any shame Ellie feels is there for the reader to share, and the words used make it easier for the reader to do just that.
Fascinating and disturbing, beautifully written and at times almost philosophical, vulgar and shocking; there are so many aspects to this book and it raised so many, conflicting, reactions in me that I’m at a loss to come up with a short description of my feelings about this work. What I will say is that this is not a book for those who find themselves easily shocked or offended. And it is also not a book for those who want a quick and easy erotic tale. This book provides the reader with both a shocking story and lots of food for thought. This is a story that, for a variety of reasons, will linger with the reader.
According to an interview with the author this is a semi-autobiographical story which makes me wonder if the man she calls Monsieur in this book has read it, how he feels about it and if they have had contact (in any way, shape or form) since the book was published. At the same time I’m not sure whether to admire the way in which the author described herself or be shocked by her apparent lack of shame. What I will say though is that if an award was given for brutal honesty in a novel, this book would be in with a good chance of winning.
May 11, 2013
Review to come...
And no, that pun wasn't intended.
Things you will need to know about Monsieur before you pick it up:
1. This book is about sex
2. This book is about kinky sex (primarily anal sex)
3. This book is VERY descriptive and holds nothing back (and I do mean nothing!)
4. It also uses some very colourful language, so if you're not a fan of the C-bomb and various other words used to describe that part of the female anatomy, this book is NOT for you.
Things I'd like to say:
1. Emma Becker is a great writer. Some of the imagery was truly amazing. It flowed, it drew the reader in and it sucker-punched you in the guts after.
2. Emma Becker's brilliant writing was wasted on this book. A hefty claim I know, but she could have been writing a warm romance instead of this erotic (some wouldn't call it that at all) tale about a slightly over-the-hill lolita and her affair with Monsieur the much older, married-with-children Doctor.
3. Monsieur was an ASSHOLE!
4. Ellie was an idiot
5. I wanted to punch him in the twig and giggle-berries repeatedly, with extreme force.
What you should take away from this review:
I have a strong respect for Emma, her writing was amazing and she's brave to delve so far into this style for one so young. If you're a fan of erotic literature you may also enjoy this book as there is quite a lot of appreciation for the classics in here.
If you have a desire to read some lovely prose AND you can handle a lot of sex, gratuitous use of foul language and the raging torrent of emotional torment that is expressed, give Monsieur a try, you may just like what you see.
**NOTE: I won this book in a first reads competition***
And no, that pun wasn't intended.
Things you will need to know about Monsieur before you pick it up:
1. This book is about sex
2. This book is about kinky sex (primarily anal sex)
3. This book is VERY descriptive and holds nothing back (and I do mean nothing!)
4. It also uses some very colourful language, so if you're not a fan of the C-bomb and various other words used to describe that part of the female anatomy, this book is NOT for you.
Things I'd like to say:
1. Emma Becker is a great writer. Some of the imagery was truly amazing. It flowed, it drew the reader in and it sucker-punched you in the guts after.
2. Emma Becker's brilliant writing was wasted on this book. A hefty claim I know, but she could have been writing a warm romance instead of this erotic (some wouldn't call it that at all) tale about a slightly over-the-hill lolita and her affair with Monsieur the much older, married-with-children Doctor.
3. Monsieur was an ASSHOLE!
4. Ellie was an idiot
5. I wanted to punch him in the twig and giggle-berries repeatedly, with extreme force.
What you should take away from this review:
I have a strong respect for Emma, her writing was amazing and she's brave to delve so far into this style for one so young. If you're a fan of erotic literature you may also enjoy this book as there is quite a lot of appreciation for the classics in here.
If you have a desire to read some lovely prose AND you can handle a lot of sex, gratuitous use of foul language and the raging torrent of emotional torment that is expressed, give Monsieur a try, you may just like what you see.
**NOTE: I won this book in a first reads competition***
August 4, 2013
I enjoyed the opening of this book, with the introduction of the self-aware, sexually voracious narrator who has a taste for older men. The early sections are full of a sense of intense if non-specific longing, and lines that induced a wry smile, such as "there are men, and then there are men in their forties." The structuring of the book, however, was very odd. Rather than following the typical path of an affair, the story becomes mired, much like the affair itself, and large sections revolving around Ellie's obsessive doubts were far duller and less original than they needed to be. I did read this book quickly, and enjoyed a few parts of it very much indeed. But I found myself wanting to tear the story apart and restructure it more satisfyingly, or in a way more acutely and masochistically unsatisfying.
I would also like to note that the book is not as dirty or taboo as some of the things I've read about it led me to believe. 'Monsieur' likes anal sex, and talks dirty. I expected their physical relationship to become more extreme, increasing Ellie's emotional instability, but this is the level of 'perversion' introduced at the beginning, and it is not surpassed. (Reviews on here shocked by the anal or, heaven forbid, use of the word 'cunt' made me roll my eyes. Who knew readers of explicit fiction were such prudes...?)
I would also like to note that the book is not as dirty or taboo as some of the things I've read about it led me to believe. 'Monsieur' likes anal sex, and talks dirty. I expected their physical relationship to become more extreme, increasing Ellie's emotional instability, but this is the level of 'perversion' introduced at the beginning, and it is not surpassed. (Reviews on here shocked by the anal or, heaven forbid, use of the word 'cunt' made me roll my eyes. Who knew readers of explicit fiction were such prudes...?)
January 8, 2016
Non capisco il perché di così tante recensioni negative dal momento che questo è un libro erotico e io, quando decido di affrontare questo genere, so cosa aspettarmi.
Monsieur non è un romanzo d'amore, non è la classica storia di due persone che seppur con un trascorso burrascono alle spalle, sono disposte ad andare avanti e affrontare tutto insieme. La protagonista è Ellie, una ragazza ventenne e un uomo di quarantacinque anni, chirurgo, sposato e padre di cinque figli. Il finale viene svelato fin dalle prime pagine ed è chiaro che un legame così morboso può finire soltanto con la violenza.
Ho adorato e sottolineo adorato le scene di sesso. Sono quello che ho sempre desiderato di trovare scritte sulla carta: cariche di sensualità, intense, travolgenti e soprattutto caratterizzate dall'uso di un linguaggio crudo; a mio parere necessario.
Quattro o cinque stelline? Sono stato molto indeciso a riguardo. La trama e la narrazione mi hanno sempre coinvolto, ma non ci sarebbero dovuti essere così tanti pensieri inutili al proseguimento. Ancora nel dubbio, il voto perfetto è quattro e mezzo.
Monsieur non è un romanzo d'amore, non è la classica storia di due persone che seppur con un trascorso burrascono alle spalle, sono disposte ad andare avanti e affrontare tutto insieme. La protagonista è Ellie, una ragazza ventenne e un uomo di quarantacinque anni, chirurgo, sposato e padre di cinque figli. Il finale viene svelato fin dalle prime pagine ed è chiaro che un legame così morboso può finire soltanto con la violenza.
Ho adorato e sottolineo adorato le scene di sesso. Sono quello che ho sempre desiderato di trovare scritte sulla carta: cariche di sensualità, intense, travolgenti e soprattutto caratterizzate dall'uso di un linguaggio crudo; a mio parere necessario.
Quattro o cinque stelline? Sono stato molto indeciso a riguardo. La trama e la narrazione mi hanno sempre coinvolto, ma non ci sarebbero dovuti essere così tanti pensieri inutili al proseguimento. Ancora nel dubbio, il voto perfetto è quattro e mezzo.
March 28, 2013
Disappointing début, but we have been waiting a long time for the spawn of Marguerite Duras and Anaïs Nin, and so I will stay open-minded in anticipation of the next book by this erotic novelist writing in French, formerly living in France, and now apparently in Berlin.
I kept wondering, as I read: were my twenties really so shallow?
Makes you long for the days of Henry and June, My Blue Notebooks and Marguerite Duras's The Lover, eh? Or I'll even take Damage by Josephine Hart, as far as tales of sexual obsession and ruthless literary competitiveness go. This is no "reverse Lolita" and she's no Catherine Millet. Not yet, anyway. But then I wasn't ever truly gripped by one of Millet's books, either.
Hmm.
I kept wondering, as I read: were my twenties really so shallow?
Makes you long for the days of Henry and June, My Blue Notebooks and Marguerite Duras's The Lover, eh? Or I'll even take Damage by Josephine Hart, as far as tales of sexual obsession and ruthless literary competitiveness go. This is no "reverse Lolita" and she's no Catherine Millet. Not yet, anyway. But then I wasn't ever truly gripped by one of Millet's books, either.
Hmm.
April 4, 2013
It looks like just 5 people liked this book, and I'm one of them.
It is not a conventional romance at all, it doesn't have a happy ending, the narration is actually tricky but in a good way; it's not that tricky that doesn't make you understand pretty much anything, it just want to let you out of the story. I felt like I was a spectator, not like I was living the story, I know that usually it's a bad thing, but with this book, it just got me hooked. When Emma Becker will be publishing another book, I will sure buy it ;D
It is not a conventional romance at all, it doesn't have a happy ending, the narration is actually tricky but in a good way; it's not that tricky that doesn't make you understand pretty much anything, it just want to let you out of the story. I felt like I was a spectator, not like I was living the story, I know that usually it's a bad thing, but with this book, it just got me hooked. When Emma Becker will be publishing another book, I will sure buy it ;D
July 31, 2013
I really had to force myself to finish this one. I now have a new word I can put under "words I can't stand" and that is "arse". I know Monsieur loved Ellie's arse, but it was used so much that I don't even want to look at that word anymore... :)
January 20, 2015
Wat een saai boek!! Uit dit thema bestaan er duizend beter versies dan deze.. Toch uitgelezen omdat ik nieuwsgierig werd hoe dit ging aflopen. Einde was verspelbaar...
July 19, 2019
**spoiler alert**
When browsing the shelves, I found this book and the summary instantly caught my attention, as well as the cover. I liked the idea of reading a book where the age difference was wide since I usually read books where the characters are about the same age. This was also the first time I had picked up an erotic novel and I thought: why not? There was a first time for everything. I was rather excited to read this book (so I started to read as soon as I got it) but found that it really disappointed me. The beginning caught me instantly by having the main character seeing the son of Monsieur (the older man she was having an affair with) and I really wanted to find out what was going to happen and what had happened between them. I also wondered if anything would arise between the two or if Monsieur's son would only be the link or the trigger. (Who was he and why was he mentioned?)
The novel was split up into 3 books, the first book was the longest out of the three). I began to lose interest near the end of book 1 because nothing seemed to really be happening. I found no problem that was being put to the front, it was just the beginnings of an affair where both parties thought that things would be fine. I zoned out in book 2, which was when Ellie (MC) started to lose contact with Monsieur, she began to see other men so that she could forget Monsieur, and her depressive state begins. My attention was recaptured near the end of Book 3, which is where Ellie starts seeing Monsieur but their relationship isn't like it was before. There seems to be a rift and it's also where they part (in body). Because of my loss in interest, I began to read book 2 and 3 in parts, rather than in chunks like I did with book 1 (i.e. 10 pages one day, 15 another, 10 again).
I really enjoyed the beginning because of how their relationship was; there was interest on both sides, the way they could engage in conversations about literature, and their way of communicating. I enjoyed the formatting and how we read what they wrote as if we were the recipients. There seemed to be a lot of life and optimism in this part. I also don't feel like it was an obsession at that point. Then Ellie began to see less and less of Monsieur and I couldn't help but start disliking the characters. I didn't like Monsieur because of how he was with Ellie; not contacting her, only calling to see about the book, and only seeing her for a quick session and then leaving once again for an uncertain amount of time. Then there was Ellie who then couldn't get Monsieur out of her life (that's when I saw it as an obsession). Her life seemed to consist of smoking, having sex with any and all guys, contacting Monsieur, and writing the book about Monsieur. Her whole life seemed pretty much destroyed; the way she spoke was more in passing, not as poetic as before, a light seemed to be missing (I think this is why I lost interest). I felt like blaming Monsieur for messing up her life but then I couldn't help but think: she knew what she was getting into and she let it affect her too much.
I'm slightly conflicted about the ending because I felt that it could have been better. Monsieur's reaction to the book was also rather disconcerting. He had been pushing her to continue writing it and then she showed it to him and he seemed rather upset/displeased. At that point where Monsieur finally came back and she began meeting with him (having sex), it didn't feel as intense or special as their earlier encounters. It felt like she was with any other guy - a disconnect. When she finally broke things off with him and left the room, I couldn't help but wonder: how will she recover? She was without him for quite some time (the summer?) and in that time I felt like she just went through life automatically. Would she be like that for the rest of her life? Did she only need some time? To meet someone new? She seemed to realize this as she was crying and watching him go.
Another thing that bugged me was the mention of characters like Charles. He was at the beginning of the book and one of the reasons the book caught my interest instantly, the way Ellie and he were connected. There was no later mention of him or anything like that. I figured that by mentioning him, he might have been important but he was dropped after the introduction. For example, Ellie mentioned Monsieur's wife and writes about who she could possibly be and how Monsieur's relationship with her could be. I found that rather interesting. Also, there was Lucy who seemed to be quite a force and during the time she was out int he country, Ellie spoke much about her and how she was a temptation for her. When they returned to the city, there was no further mention about her. It left me with many questions about what her place could have been/became later on in the future.
Overall, I think this book was alright. It could have been better but I suppose that when someone goes into a depressive state there really isn't anything interesting. This was clearly put out but I felt that there could have probably been another way to go about it without loosing the readers.
When browsing the shelves, I found this book and the summary instantly caught my attention, as well as the cover. I liked the idea of reading a book where the age difference was wide since I usually read books where the characters are about the same age. This was also the first time I had picked up an erotic novel and I thought: why not? There was a first time for everything. I was rather excited to read this book (so I started to read as soon as I got it) but found that it really disappointed me. The beginning caught me instantly by having the main character seeing the son of Monsieur (the older man she was having an affair with) and I really wanted to find out what was going to happen and what had happened between them. I also wondered if anything would arise between the two or if Monsieur's son would only be the link or the trigger. (Who was he and why was he mentioned?)
The novel was split up into 3 books, the first book was the longest out of the three). I began to lose interest near the end of book 1 because nothing seemed to really be happening. I found no problem that was being put to the front, it was just the beginnings of an affair where both parties thought that things would be fine. I zoned out in book 2, which was when Ellie (MC) started to lose contact with Monsieur, she began to see other men so that she could forget Monsieur, and her depressive state begins. My attention was recaptured near the end of Book 3, which is where Ellie starts seeing Monsieur but their relationship isn't like it was before. There seems to be a rift and it's also where they part (in body). Because of my loss in interest, I began to read book 2 and 3 in parts, rather than in chunks like I did with book 1 (i.e. 10 pages one day, 15 another, 10 again).
I really enjoyed the beginning because of how their relationship was; there was interest on both sides, the way they could engage in conversations about literature, and their way of communicating. I enjoyed the formatting and how we read what they wrote as if we were the recipients. There seemed to be a lot of life and optimism in this part. I also don't feel like it was an obsession at that point. Then Ellie began to see less and less of Monsieur and I couldn't help but start disliking the characters. I didn't like Monsieur because of how he was with Ellie; not contacting her, only calling to see about the book, and only seeing her for a quick session and then leaving once again for an uncertain amount of time. Then there was Ellie who then couldn't get Monsieur out of her life (that's when I saw it as an obsession). Her life seemed to consist of smoking, having sex with any and all guys, contacting Monsieur, and writing the book about Monsieur. Her whole life seemed pretty much destroyed; the way she spoke was more in passing, not as poetic as before, a light seemed to be missing (I think this is why I lost interest). I felt like blaming Monsieur for messing up her life but then I couldn't help but think: she knew what she was getting into and she let it affect her too much.
I'm slightly conflicted about the ending because I felt that it could have been better. Monsieur's reaction to the book was also rather disconcerting. He had been pushing her to continue writing it and then she showed it to him and he seemed rather upset/displeased. At that point where Monsieur finally came back and she began meeting with him (having sex), it didn't feel as intense or special as their earlier encounters. It felt like she was with any other guy - a disconnect. When she finally broke things off with him and left the room, I couldn't help but wonder: how will she recover? She was without him for quite some time (the summer?) and in that time I felt like she just went through life automatically. Would she be like that for the rest of her life? Did she only need some time? To meet someone new? She seemed to realize this as she was crying and watching him go.
Another thing that bugged me was the mention of characters like Charles. He was at the beginning of the book and one of the reasons the book caught my interest instantly, the way Ellie and he were connected. There was no later mention of him or anything like that. I figured that by mentioning him, he might have been important but he was dropped after the introduction. For example, Ellie mentioned Monsieur's wife and writes about who she could possibly be and how Monsieur's relationship with her could be. I found that rather interesting. Also, there was Lucy who seemed to be quite a force and during the time she was out int he country, Ellie spoke much about her and how she was a temptation for her. When they returned to the city, there was no further mention about her. It left me with many questions about what her place could have been/became later on in the future.
Overall, I think this book was alright. It could have been better but I suppose that when someone goes into a depressive state there really isn't anything interesting. This was clearly put out but I felt that there could have probably been another way to go about it without loosing the readers.
November 18, 2020
La storia è semplice, e abbastanza scontata: una studentessa ventenne si accoppia con un maturo professionista, il quale, dopo essersi impadronito del suo corpo e del suo cuore, sparisce senza addurre spiegazioni plausibili, oppure appare e scompare a capriccio devastando sempre di più la giovane donna. Lei affida i suoi dolori ad un testo, che di fatto coincide ampiamente con questo libro. Libro che personalmente ho trovato un po’ noioso nonostante qualche spruzzo di sesso qua e là; in ogni caso non c’è la scanzonata sequenza di perversioni che ci si sarebbe potuti aspettare dalle prime pagine (il rispettabile medico, esperto di letteratura erotica, che educa la giovane allieva, vuoi mettere?!) In sostanza è la cronaca di un disagio da amore abbandonato, non molto di più. Alcune considerazioni in margine: 1) Momenti di gioia, di soddisfazione non solo sessuale, di allegria in questo libro ce ne sono pochi o nessuno. Al contrario, l’angoscia che nasce dall’incertezza di non sapere cosa sta succedendo, da una monomania che cancella qualsiasi altra realtà, quella la comunica molto bene (anche troppo). Unico sprazzo di luce, una giovane amica bisessuale, della quale la protagonista pare ad un certo punto invaghirsi, ma con la quale non combinerà comunque niente. 2) La protagonista-io narrante afferma ripetutamente che l’importante medico suo amante è di un livello sociale molto superiore al suo. E meno male, visto che lei dispone di una casa di famiglia su più piani a Parigi, di una camera d’albergo che usa come studio (e dove si incontra con lui), di una villa con piscina in Provenza e di un’altra casa di campagna in Normandia. E il medico chi era, il principe di Galles sotto mentite spoglie? Comunque, ribadisco una cosa che avevo già notato tempo fa: in questi romanzi erotici (o che vorrebbero esserlo) sempre medici, avvocati, ricchi professionisti. Fattorini, muratori e sciampiste non hanno diritto ad una vita sessuale libera e selvaggia, o possono al massimo aspirare al ruolo occasionale di stalloni reclutati al bisogno (come accade talvolta in certi libri tipo “Dolorosa soror” o "Diario di un dominatore”). 3) Il fatto di essere costantemente ripiegata sul suo dolore e il suo senso di mancanza non impedisce alla protagonista di questo libro di avere scambi sessuali con parecchi altri uomini, uno dei quali qualifica addirittura come suo fidanzato. Non sarò certo io a deprecare il multitasking sessuale in una donna - ce ne fossero - ma mi viene il dubbio che, come lei soffre per la latitanza del suo Monsieur, possa esserci qualcun altro, da qualche altra parte, che soffre per la sua di latitanza, magari non tanto fisica, quanto mentale ed affettiva. E in ogni caso leggo ben poca gioia in questi rapporti multipli, vissuti più con senso di scazzo che di partecipazione, come fossero atti dovuti (a sé stessa, beninteso, mica all'altro) . E’ un vecchio discorso: spesso siamo noi a prendercela con chi sparisce senza preavviso o si rifugia nel nulla dopo frenetici scambi di mail, chat o sms magari anche roventi, ma poi, se ci facciamo un esame di coscienza, scopriamo che in altre relazioni spesso è proprio toccata a noi la parte di superficialità e latitanza, spesso senza neanche accorgercene o, se si, assolvendoci molto in fretta (sono stanco, ho altro a cui pensare, magari uno di questi giorni, eccetera...) Il problema è che la stronzaggine - quella agita, intendo, non subita - tocca indifferentemente tutti, non lascia indenne nessuno. 4) Gli aspetti basilari di questo romanzo - lo scenario parigino, la relazione extraconiugale devastante, l’uomo (importante professionista) latitante ed egoista e la donna follemente e dispeatamente innamorata, l’ambiente sociale di alto profilo - sembrano tutti la fotocopia di un altro romanzo erotico di qualche anno fa, “Nelle sue mani” di Marthe Blau. Solo che quello, non certo un capolavoro peraltro, era molto più eccitante...
November 15, 2022
There's a French tradition of high-class erotic writing that this novel is clearly trying to position itself within. Bataille, Mandiargues, de Sade, and more, are all name checked within the first few pages. Also namechecked is Lolita: the narrator sees herself as a nymphet, seducing an older, more powerful man.
The problem for me came very early, in the first Facebook messages that the characters send. They're both connoisseurs of erotica, and so they choose to write to each other in a formal, controlled style that made each message seem like something written on parchment with a goose quill. There was something irresistibly comic in imagining these words spilled into the diminutive and flattened frame of Facebook Messenger. It's not that a pretentious student and a dirty older man might not send such messages to each other, but the lack of ironic commentary from the narrator or author suggests that the book means us to take these messages seriously, even solemnly, as the beginning of une grande affaire - whereas I'd challenge the reader not to see the smallness of the narrator's imagination, the predictability of the man's response.
Then there's Lolita. Early in the book, the narrator asks us to think about the question of how Nabokov's novel might have been if written from Lolita's point of view. She seems to think that this is a seductive notion, dwelling on early passages when Lolita flirts with Humbert. I honestly wondered whether Becker had actually read the second half of that book, however, as we know exactly how Dolores Haze's experience was. Nabokov is honest enough, and a good enough writer, to do justice to the monstrousness of Humbert's actions, and he lets us see a Dolores who has been beaten, traumatized, and repeatedly raped. Emma Becker's narrator ("Ellie Becker" - another eye roll moment) calling herself a "nymphet" at twenty is just pretentious bad taste, especially as there is no moment in the novel that in any way lives up to Nabokov's brilliant use of an unreliable narrator to show both sides.
So, what is this novel? It's not autofiction, as the narrator is almost completely unwilling to ask any hard questions of herself. It's certainly not erotica, as it's too banal, even boring, for that. In the end, it's just smut. A one-handed read for onanists who like reading about - well, other reviews have gone into details of just what "Monsieur" prefers.
The problem for me came very early, in the first Facebook messages that the characters send. They're both connoisseurs of erotica, and so they choose to write to each other in a formal, controlled style that made each message seem like something written on parchment with a goose quill. There was something irresistibly comic in imagining these words spilled into the diminutive and flattened frame of Facebook Messenger. It's not that a pretentious student and a dirty older man might not send such messages to each other, but the lack of ironic commentary from the narrator or author suggests that the book means us to take these messages seriously, even solemnly, as the beginning of une grande affaire - whereas I'd challenge the reader not to see the smallness of the narrator's imagination, the predictability of the man's response.
Then there's Lolita. Early in the book, the narrator asks us to think about the question of how Nabokov's novel might have been if written from Lolita's point of view. She seems to think that this is a seductive notion, dwelling on early passages when Lolita flirts with Humbert. I honestly wondered whether Becker had actually read the second half of that book, however, as we know exactly how Dolores Haze's experience was. Nabokov is honest enough, and a good enough writer, to do justice to the monstrousness of Humbert's actions, and he lets us see a Dolores who has been beaten, traumatized, and repeatedly raped. Emma Becker's narrator ("Ellie Becker" - another eye roll moment) calling herself a "nymphet" at twenty is just pretentious bad taste, especially as there is no moment in the novel that in any way lives up to Nabokov's brilliant use of an unreliable narrator to show both sides.
So, what is this novel? It's not autofiction, as the narrator is almost completely unwilling to ask any hard questions of herself. It's certainly not erotica, as it's too banal, even boring, for that. In the end, it's just smut. A one-handed read for onanists who like reading about - well, other reviews have gone into details of just what "Monsieur" prefers.
Read
February 10, 2020Il est extrêmement rare que j'abandonne une lecture volontairement (et pas parce que j'ai perdu le fil, mais avec l'intention d'y revenir plus tard), mais ce livre a changé la donne. J'aimerais qu'il soit noté que j'ai tenu 100 pages alors que je souhaitais de toute mon âme le jeter par la fenêtre au bout de 10. Mais on ne jette pas les biens publics, par respect pour la bibliothèque.
Dans ce premier roman, Emma Becker raconte la passion d'Ellie avec Monsieur, chirurgien, homme marié, amateur de littérature érotique. Sur fond de grands quartiers parisiens, ils échangent des mails plus ou moins habilement érotiques, avant de copuler de façons diverses et variées tandis que notre narratrice insiste lourdement sur la beauté transcendante de cette relation née de la littérature érotique. Après, j'ai lâché l'affaire. Puisqu'elle pleure sa relation dans l'introduction, je suppose qu'à la suite d'insertions diverses et variées et de quelques gros mots (pardon, dirty talk fleurant le stupre), quelqu'un va dire quelque chose et leur relation va se fracasser contre des préoccupations bassement matérielles.
Pour un roman reposant soit disant sur la tension et le dur, c'est effroyablement mou et consensuel. Cette relation dépend quasi exclusivement du fait qu'Ellie est une jeune femme bien éduquée dans un milieu aisé qui recherche une perversion salvatrice. Un Bovarysme de la fesse, en somme. Ce qui ne remplit pas la case dédiée à la personnalité. Ellie est un personnage plat, servant de déversoir à banalités pour l'auteur et de réceptacle à... bref, pour Monsieur.
Plus encore, et c'est la raison pour laquelle j'ai eu du mal à garder ce livre entre les mains dès la dixième: cessez de faire de Lolita de Nabokov la base de vos perversions. Cessez d'utiliser une lecture erronée de Lolita pour transformer les jeunes filles en perverse. Et cessez de faire d'Humbert Humbert (le violeur Humbert Humbert, pour rappel) la victime d'une petite perverse. La comparaison d'Ellie, la chasseuse d'hommes mûrs de 20 ans avec Lolita, 12 ans est une aberration qui nourrit des idées dangereuses. Et même s'il ne s'agit que de deux pages du livre, cela me met hors de moi.
Dans ce premier roman, Emma Becker raconte la passion d'Ellie avec Monsieur, chirurgien, homme marié, amateur de littérature érotique. Sur fond de grands quartiers parisiens, ils échangent des mails plus ou moins habilement érotiques, avant de copuler de façons diverses et variées tandis que notre narratrice insiste lourdement sur la beauté transcendante de cette relation née de la littérature érotique. Après, j'ai lâché l'affaire. Puisqu'elle pleure sa relation dans l'introduction, je suppose qu'à la suite d'insertions diverses et variées et de quelques gros mots (pardon, dirty talk fleurant le stupre), quelqu'un va dire quelque chose et leur relation va se fracasser contre des préoccupations bassement matérielles.
Pour un roman reposant soit disant sur la tension et le dur, c'est effroyablement mou et consensuel. Cette relation dépend quasi exclusivement du fait qu'Ellie est une jeune femme bien éduquée dans un milieu aisé qui recherche une perversion salvatrice. Un Bovarysme de la fesse, en somme. Ce qui ne remplit pas la case dédiée à la personnalité. Ellie est un personnage plat, servant de déversoir à banalités pour l'auteur et de réceptacle à... bref, pour Monsieur.
Plus encore, et c'est la raison pour laquelle j'ai eu du mal à garder ce livre entre les mains dès la dixième: cessez de faire de Lolita de Nabokov la base de vos perversions. Cessez d'utiliser une lecture erronée de Lolita pour transformer les jeunes filles en perverse. Et cessez de faire d'Humbert Humbert (le violeur Humbert Humbert, pour rappel) la victime d'une petite perverse. La comparaison d'Ellie, la chasseuse d'hommes mûrs de 20 ans avec Lolita, 12 ans est une aberration qui nourrit des idées dangereuses. Et même s'il ne s'agit que de deux pages du livre, cela me met hors de moi.
October 18, 2025
Des claques. On a envie de la claquer. Lolita n’était pas une adolescente perverse, c’était la victime d’un prédateur.
Je ne peux pas comprendre comment une femme aussi jeune en arrive à recourir à des images pédophiles pour exciter un homme… et les lecteurs de son livre.
« Crispée comme une petite main de petite fille autour de votre queue ». Vraiment ? La répétition du mot « petite » était-elle absolument indispensable ? Au cas où on n’aurait pas compris l’idée ? Au cas où la petite fille ferait plus âgée ? Au cas où on pourrait se dire que cette répétition c’est de la littérature ?
Ça me fait penser au livre « Mineure » que j’avais trouvé désastreux mais je me consolais en me disant qu’il avait été écrit par un vieux dégueulasse.
C’est de pire en pire. Ce vieux bonhomme qui « appelle tout le monde chérie » de son propre aveu (et même « chouchou »). Sur son lieu de travail. Une clinique de chirurgie. Esthétique.
Quel paternalisme malsain. Il ne lui manque que le cigare dans la main droite et le verre de whisky dans la gauche et on est dans la caricature du mec pitoyable qui joue à être « un homme, un vrai ». Et elle de tomber en pâmoison devant un type qui a l’âge de son père et de son oncle dont elle parle sans arrêt d’ailleurs. A croire que ce qui lui plaît le plus c’est l’idée de coucher avec un ancien collègue de son oncle. Ohlala quelle transgression Emma! Quelle audace et originalité ! Une grande écrivaine assurément…
Ses personnages sont aussi imbuvables l’un que l’autre. On dirait qu’ils appartiennent à un roman de gare. Leurs échanges épistolaires sont insipides. La scène de sexe est un peu plus émoustillante, ouf, sinon comment se motiver à lire le reste? C’est mieux que de « scroller » sur son portable mais peut-on se contenter de si peu ?
Je poursuis difficilement les tribulations d’Ellie Becker pour découvrir avec stupéfaction qu’elle reconnaît elle même n’avoir jamais joui avec ce type. Donc on est censé comprendre qu’elle est folle de lui, qu’il lui fait découvrir une sexualité débridée qu’elle trouve incroyable mais qui ne lui procure aucun orgasme… ou comment ton cerveau te ment quand ton corps se désespère de te faire comprendre la vérité…
Ce type est un LOSER absolu. Qui doit se demander ce qu’une gamine de 20 ans lui trouve! Qui se doit de dire : quand va t elle s’apercevoir de l’imposture ? J’ai 46 ans, 5 enfants, une femme, des dizaines de maîtresses à mon actif et je ne suis pas capable de faire jouir une jeune femme qui m’adule, m’idéalise et ne rêve que de moi. Hum hum… et en plus je la laisse payer sa petite chambre d’hôtel où je ne passe que 30 min, et c’est déjà énorme, pour « l’embrocher » alors qu’elle n’est « même pas mouillée ».
Et elle d’expliquer qu’elle « s’enfile une brosse à cheveux » à la perspective de le revoir. Je rêve ou c’est une manière de se punir ?
Personne pour la secouer et lui dire : vas voir un psychiatre ? Tu as dû être victime d’inceste pour surinvestir la sexualité de la sorte ?
L’échange qu’elle a avec son amie un soir - amie qui lui assène ses 4 vérités - est de loin le passage le moins pénible à lire. Au moins, quelqu’un pour lui dire qu’elle fait fausse route, que c’est une histoire minable avec un type minable et qu’elle vaut forcément mieux que ça. Mais dans mon souvenir (de ses autres bouquins) elle garde contact avec ce vieux dégoûtant donc elle va continuer à lui accorder une importance démesurée. Que rejoue t elle avec ce connard insipide ?
« Tous mes amants en ce moment sont feujs ». Elle fait vraiment pitié.
Et ça se termine quand elle décide, après 8 mois de pas grand chose, à mettre un terme à cette relation asymétrique. Elle lui donne sa culotte en satin noir et, quelques minutes plus tard, alors qu’il la retrouve en train de pleurer dans la rue, il lui file son mouchoir en soie blanche portant ses initiales. La bonne, bonne blague.
Je ne peux pas comprendre comment une femme aussi jeune en arrive à recourir à des images pédophiles pour exciter un homme… et les lecteurs de son livre.
« Crispée comme une petite main de petite fille autour de votre queue ». Vraiment ? La répétition du mot « petite » était-elle absolument indispensable ? Au cas où on n’aurait pas compris l’idée ? Au cas où la petite fille ferait plus âgée ? Au cas où on pourrait se dire que cette répétition c’est de la littérature ?
Ça me fait penser au livre « Mineure » que j’avais trouvé désastreux mais je me consolais en me disant qu’il avait été écrit par un vieux dégueulasse.
C’est de pire en pire. Ce vieux bonhomme qui « appelle tout le monde chérie » de son propre aveu (et même « chouchou »). Sur son lieu de travail. Une clinique de chirurgie. Esthétique.
Quel paternalisme malsain. Il ne lui manque que le cigare dans la main droite et le verre de whisky dans la gauche et on est dans la caricature du mec pitoyable qui joue à être « un homme, un vrai ». Et elle de tomber en pâmoison devant un type qui a l’âge de son père et de son oncle dont elle parle sans arrêt d’ailleurs. A croire que ce qui lui plaît le plus c’est l’idée de coucher avec un ancien collègue de son oncle. Ohlala quelle transgression Emma! Quelle audace et originalité ! Une grande écrivaine assurément…
Ses personnages sont aussi imbuvables l’un que l’autre. On dirait qu’ils appartiennent à un roman de gare. Leurs échanges épistolaires sont insipides. La scène de sexe est un peu plus émoustillante, ouf, sinon comment se motiver à lire le reste? C’est mieux que de « scroller » sur son portable mais peut-on se contenter de si peu ?
Je poursuis difficilement les tribulations d’Ellie Becker pour découvrir avec stupéfaction qu’elle reconnaît elle même n’avoir jamais joui avec ce type. Donc on est censé comprendre qu’elle est folle de lui, qu’il lui fait découvrir une sexualité débridée qu’elle trouve incroyable mais qui ne lui procure aucun orgasme… ou comment ton cerveau te ment quand ton corps se désespère de te faire comprendre la vérité…
Ce type est un LOSER absolu. Qui doit se demander ce qu’une gamine de 20 ans lui trouve! Qui se doit de dire : quand va t elle s’apercevoir de l’imposture ? J’ai 46 ans, 5 enfants, une femme, des dizaines de maîtresses à mon actif et je ne suis pas capable de faire jouir une jeune femme qui m’adule, m’idéalise et ne rêve que de moi. Hum hum… et en plus je la laisse payer sa petite chambre d’hôtel où je ne passe que 30 min, et c’est déjà énorme, pour « l’embrocher » alors qu’elle n’est « même pas mouillée ».
Et elle d’expliquer qu’elle « s’enfile une brosse à cheveux » à la perspective de le revoir. Je rêve ou c’est une manière de se punir ?
Personne pour la secouer et lui dire : vas voir un psychiatre ? Tu as dû être victime d’inceste pour surinvestir la sexualité de la sorte ?
L’échange qu’elle a avec son amie un soir - amie qui lui assène ses 4 vérités - est de loin le passage le moins pénible à lire. Au moins, quelqu’un pour lui dire qu’elle fait fausse route, que c’est une histoire minable avec un type minable et qu’elle vaut forcément mieux que ça. Mais dans mon souvenir (de ses autres bouquins) elle garde contact avec ce vieux dégoûtant donc elle va continuer à lui accorder une importance démesurée. Que rejoue t elle avec ce connard insipide ?
« Tous mes amants en ce moment sont feujs ». Elle fait vraiment pitié.
Et ça se termine quand elle décide, après 8 mois de pas grand chose, à mettre un terme à cette relation asymétrique. Elle lui donne sa culotte en satin noir et, quelques minutes plus tard, alors qu’il la retrouve en train de pleurer dans la rue, il lui file son mouchoir en soie blanche portant ses initiales. La bonne, bonne blague.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2018
Ellie is 22, her University professors are on strike and she is bored at home. She enjoys reading erotic literature, and becomes acquainted with a 46 year old man (Monsieur) who shares her passion. She comes to this knowledge through her mother and her uncle, Monsieur is a surgeon, an ex-colleague of her uncle's.
She first looks for him on Facebook, they start chatting in what seems a very harmless manner, about literature. Soon, their conversations turn erotic in nature and they decide to meet. To me, the beginning was great, the writing was quite good for such a young writer, it flowed quite beautifully in certain parts.
They start meeting at a cheap hotel every Tuesday morning for sex... This is where it all starts going downhill. I understand, and expected a raunchy relationship, complete with dirty talking and what some would call offensive language and behavior, but given the beginning I was expecting a more classy approach, a sensual atmosphere, instead it went "50 shades down the drain very quickly" (I have read 50 shades and enjoyed it, but I knew it for what it was and had no expectations).
Monsieur has a love for anal sex, the word arse was used countless times, it became boring rather quickly, he also thought very highly of himself, to the point he convinced Ellie to write a novel about their relationship and what a great lover he was. The author, probably wanting to shock readers threw in a scene containing poop (yup... that kind of poop, but is it really that shocking if anal sex is part of your routine? No..., it's bound to happen. I'll let you read about it and figure it out for yourselves).There was also a scene with a tampon (50 shades again anyone), and the word cunt was also overused in my opinion.
You get some insight on how sick this relationship turned out to be for Ellie. She would desperately seek a quick fix (any other man would do), when Monsieur would go months without calling her.All in all an ok read, I just wish she had stuck to the writing style of the beginning of the book.
She first looks for him on Facebook, they start chatting in what seems a very harmless manner, about literature. Soon, their conversations turn erotic in nature and they decide to meet. To me, the beginning was great, the writing was quite good for such a young writer, it flowed quite beautifully in certain parts.
They start meeting at a cheap hotel every Tuesday morning for sex... This is where it all starts going downhill. I understand, and expected a raunchy relationship, complete with dirty talking and what some would call offensive language and behavior, but given the beginning I was expecting a more classy approach, a sensual atmosphere, instead it went "50 shades down the drain very quickly" (I have read 50 shades and enjoyed it, but I knew it for what it was and had no expectations).
Monsieur has a love for anal sex, the word arse was used countless times, it became boring rather quickly, he also thought very highly of himself, to the point he convinced Ellie to write a novel about their relationship and what a great lover he was. The author, probably wanting to shock readers threw in a scene containing poop (yup... that kind of poop, but is it really that shocking if anal sex is part of your routine? No..., it's bound to happen. I'll let you read about it and figure it out for yourselves).There was also a scene with a tampon (50 shades again anyone), and the word cunt was also overused in my opinion.
You get some insight on how sick this relationship turned out to be for Ellie. She would desperately seek a quick fix (any other man would do), when Monsieur would go months without calling her.All in all an ok read, I just wish she had stuck to the writing style of the beginning of the book.
September 13, 2024
Uma das melhores leituras que fiz no ano passado foi o surpreendente "La Maison", da escritora francesa Emma Becker, uma obra que considero, possivelmente, o melhor romance sobre prostituição escrito no século 21. Como consequência, fiquei interessado em conhecer outras obras da autora e, dentre todas, a que mais me interessou foi este romance de estreia, "Monsieur", lançado em 2011. Infelizmente, não foi publicado no Brasil, mas consegui encontrar uma cópia em inglês (embora eu tenha uma noção básica de francês, não é o suficiente para me dar coragem de encarar um livro inteiro).
Trata-se de uma autoficção narrada por um alter-ego da autora, Ellie, uma estudante parisiense de 20 anos que embarca, durante 10 meses, em um relacionamento com um cirurgião plástico de 46 anos, casado e pai de 5 (!) filhos, cujo nome não é revelado - Ellie refere-se a ele apenas como "Monsieur". Atraídos por um interesse em comum por literatura erótica (refiro-me aos clássicos: Sade, Bataille, Louis Aragon), a relação entre os dois logo migra de conversas provocantes no Facebook para encontros semanais em quartos de hotel.
Embora o teor da obra por vezes perigosamente se aproxime de coisas como "50 Tons", na maior parte do tempo o talento de Emma Becker se impõe. Sim, há bastantes passagens cruas/picantes, mas é possível ver a pretensão literária da autora se sobressaindo. Há diversas passagens interessantes, como as descrições de um verão em que a protagonista flerta com sentimentos bissexuais em relação a uma amiga, ou quando Ellie tece toda uma conversa imaginária de Monsieur a sua esposa, a respeito de sua infidelidade. E, no geral, as passagens de s3xo são muito boas.
O pecado da obra é se alongar demais (são mais de 360 páginas) sem sair muito do lugar: quase um terço do livro é apenas um jogo de gato e rato, com Ellie reclamando que seu amante nunca tem tempo para ela, e Monsieur se justificando com evasivas.
Trata-se de uma autoficção narrada por um alter-ego da autora, Ellie, uma estudante parisiense de 20 anos que embarca, durante 10 meses, em um relacionamento com um cirurgião plástico de 46 anos, casado e pai de 5 (!) filhos, cujo nome não é revelado - Ellie refere-se a ele apenas como "Monsieur". Atraídos por um interesse em comum por literatura erótica (refiro-me aos clássicos: Sade, Bataille, Louis Aragon), a relação entre os dois logo migra de conversas provocantes no Facebook para encontros semanais em quartos de hotel.
Embora o teor da obra por vezes perigosamente se aproxime de coisas como "50 Tons", na maior parte do tempo o talento de Emma Becker se impõe. Sim, há bastantes passagens cruas/picantes, mas é possível ver a pretensão literária da autora se sobressaindo. Há diversas passagens interessantes, como as descrições de um verão em que a protagonista flerta com sentimentos bissexuais em relação a uma amiga, ou quando Ellie tece toda uma conversa imaginária de Monsieur a sua esposa, a respeito de sua infidelidade. E, no geral, as passagens de s3xo são muito boas.
O pecado da obra é se alongar demais (são mais de 360 páginas) sem sair muito do lugar: quase um terço do livro é apenas um jogo de gato e rato, com Ellie reclamando que seu amante nunca tem tempo para ela, e Monsieur se justificando com evasivas.
August 11, 2021
Oui, Monsieur est un livre érotique, mais derrière ces passages salaces (assez long et nombreux, je vous l’accorde, mais oh combien délicieux) se cache une trame de fond, une ode à la jeunesse et à ses sentiments, sans fin, que l’on ressent, que l’on vit durant les premiers amours. Les frissons, l’anticipation, l’impression d’évoluer dans un monde au dessus du monde. Tout vas bien.
Les deuxième et troisième parties du livre sont empreintes d’un désespoir que nous avons toutes et tous déjà vécu. Cette attente de l’autre nous a déjà tous pris à la gorge. Incapable de se débattre, de redevenir nous-mêmes, avec cet aplomb qui nous caractérise. On est mous. On ferait n’importe quoi, on dirait n’importe quoi pour que l’autre revienne.
Par son écriture, Emma Becker m’a fait revivre mes premiers amours, mais aussi mes premières peines de coeur. En Ellie, je me suis retrouvée, non pas dans son histoire de cul avec un homme plus âgé, mais plutôt dans son histoire d’amour avec quelqu’un qui a pris une place démesurée dans sa vie. Et c’est le talent d’Emma Becker; Nous faire vivre chaque émotion, nous faire resentir chaque description comme si on y était. Alors oui, je recommande ce livre.
Les deuxième et troisième parties du livre sont empreintes d’un désespoir que nous avons toutes et tous déjà vécu. Cette attente de l’autre nous a déjà tous pris à la gorge. Incapable de se débattre, de redevenir nous-mêmes, avec cet aplomb qui nous caractérise. On est mous. On ferait n’importe quoi, on dirait n’importe quoi pour que l’autre revienne.
Par son écriture, Emma Becker m’a fait revivre mes premiers amours, mais aussi mes premières peines de coeur. En Ellie, je me suis retrouvée, non pas dans son histoire de cul avec un homme plus âgé, mais plutôt dans son histoire d’amour avec quelqu’un qui a pris une place démesurée dans sa vie. Et c’est le talent d’Emma Becker; Nous faire vivre chaque émotion, nous faire resentir chaque description comme si on y était. Alors oui, je recommande ce livre.
July 14, 2022
Very banal story but written in a exquisite manner!
Indeed, it is an erotic novel that describes a relationship between a young 20-years old woman and a 46-years old married man. Nothing extraordinary with very presumable ending.
However, this book is written in the first person, from the point of view of a young woman (called Ellie Becker - sounds familiar?) who is wtitting an erotic novel called “Monsieur” about her relationship (sounds familair too?). She uses very simple language, which is deeply moving and the reader has the impression to somehow know the writer, feel for her, even to have an impression that we possibly experienced same thoughts and fears when we were in our early twentees. I’ve discussed this book with a friend, who had the simillar feeling that he also identified with a parts of this book, even though neither him nor did I have such romantic relationship as described in this book. This is due to the mastepiece of writing of Emma Becker (or Ellie?) that we are able to identify ourselves with her story.
I saw a lot of negative comments on this book, usually in English, maybe all the beauty of the language was lost in translation? If you have a possibility, try it in French.
Indeed, it is an erotic novel that describes a relationship between a young 20-years old woman and a 46-years old married man. Nothing extraordinary with very presumable ending.
However, this book is written in the first person, from the point of view of a young woman (called Ellie Becker - sounds familiar?) who is wtitting an erotic novel called “Monsieur” about her relationship (sounds familair too?). She uses very simple language, which is deeply moving and the reader has the impression to somehow know the writer, feel for her, even to have an impression that we possibly experienced same thoughts and fears when we were in our early twentees. I’ve discussed this book with a friend, who had the simillar feeling that he also identified with a parts of this book, even though neither him nor did I have such romantic relationship as described in this book. This is due to the mastepiece of writing of Emma Becker (or Ellie?) that we are able to identify ourselves with her story.
I saw a lot of negative comments on this book, usually in English, maybe all the beauty of the language was lost in translation? If you have a possibility, try it in French.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2025
Je n’ai pas aimé du tout ce premier roman / auto-fiction d’Emma Becker. On y trouve déjà ce qui occupera La Maison : du sexe, des mots crus, un peu de copro, et l’écriture du livre qui s’invite dans le livre lui-même. Sauf que dans celui-ci, c’est rapidement très chiant.
Ellie a 20 ans, vit à Paris chez ses parents probablement très friqués, j’ai oublié si elle est étudiante ou juste glandeuse. Elle aime le sexe et collectionne les amants, avec une préférence pour les trentenaires, qui, dit-elle, baisent mieux que ceux de son âge. Elle contacte sur Facebook (on est à la fin des années 2000, on a encore des Blackberry) un chirurgien, dont son oncle fut un proche collègue, et qui a la réputation d’aimer la littérature érotique, genre Calaferte. Ellie décide de faire de Monsieur son amant.
S’ensuit une passion féroce, ultra sexuelle, chargée de mots vulgaires, de sodomie, de messages fiévreux. Il faut attendre d’avoir passé la page 100 pour qu’ils baisent la première fois, un mardi matin dans une chambre d’hôtel. Puis 200 pages de passion dévorante, puis 150 pages d’éloignement rempli d’autres mecs, puis un rapide final genre dernière baise et mots d’adieu mais je ne t’oublierai jamais.
Ellie a 20 ans, vit à Paris chez ses parents probablement très friqués, j’ai oublié si elle est étudiante ou juste glandeuse. Elle aime le sexe et collectionne les amants, avec une préférence pour les trentenaires, qui, dit-elle, baisent mieux que ceux de son âge. Elle contacte sur Facebook (on est à la fin des années 2000, on a encore des Blackberry) un chirurgien, dont son oncle fut un proche collègue, et qui a la réputation d’aimer la littérature érotique, genre Calaferte. Ellie décide de faire de Monsieur son amant.
S’ensuit une passion féroce, ultra sexuelle, chargée de mots vulgaires, de sodomie, de messages fiévreux. Il faut attendre d’avoir passé la page 100 pour qu’ils baisent la première fois, un mardi matin dans une chambre d’hôtel. Puis 200 pages de passion dévorante, puis 150 pages d’éloignement rempli d’autres mecs, puis un rapide final genre dernière baise et mots d’adieu mais je ne t’oublierai jamais.
January 4, 2026
Je suis assez partagée sur cette lecture. J'apprécie le naturel et la sincérité avec laquelle Emma Becker écrit ce qui traverse Ellie, son personnage: son désir, mais aussi ses moments d'angoisse, de préparation aux rendez-vous, ses obsessions plus ou moins saines, sa tristesse. Ses émotions sont sans pudeur, ce qui fait d'Ellie un personnage loin d'être parfait mais attachante, et surtout très crédible.
Par contre, la persistance de ce fantasme de la Lolita, c'est vraiment pas possible. Il va sans dire que l'imaginaire sexuel de ce livre ne me parle absolument pas.
Heureusement, l'écriture d'Emma Becker a su m'embarquer jusqu'à la fin du livre (non sans souffler des naseaux d'agacement par moment). Elle m'a notamment eu lorsqu' Ellie compare son état émotionnel à une chanson de Pulp : je ne peux qu'avoir de la tendresse envers quelqu'un qui reconnaît la beauté de l'écriture de Jarvis Cocker.
PS: Ellie explique à un moment qu'elle écrit un roman pour exprimer la complexité de sa relation avec Monsieur, et que si elle avait voulu faire simple elle aurait "fait de la bd". LA BD C'EST PAS SIMPLE À FAIRE, ELLIE, ESPÈCE DE SNOB.
Par contre, la persistance de ce fantasme de la Lolita, c'est vraiment pas possible. Il va sans dire que l'imaginaire sexuel de ce livre ne me parle absolument pas.
Heureusement, l'écriture d'Emma Becker a su m'embarquer jusqu'à la fin du livre (non sans souffler des naseaux d'agacement par moment). Elle m'a notamment eu lorsqu' Ellie compare son état émotionnel à une chanson de Pulp : je ne peux qu'avoir de la tendresse envers quelqu'un qui reconnaît la beauté de l'écriture de Jarvis Cocker.
PS: Ellie explique à un moment qu'elle écrit un roman pour exprimer la complexité de sa relation avec Monsieur, et que si elle avait voulu faire simple elle aurait "fait de la bd". LA BD C'EST PAS SIMPLE À FAIRE, ELLIE, ESPÈCE DE SNOB.
August 29, 2018
At one point, the narrator says that she is "sick to the bone of writing about all these hypothetical situations" and I, for one, am sick of reading about them. Monsieur is pornography trying to pass off as great literature, it's simply boring and pretentious. Now, I'm not a prude at all and I'm sure some people will find the sex scenes exciting but I thought that most of them were disgusting. The dialogues are ludicrous (it may be the translation but I didn't know whether to laugh or cry). I see that the experts are calling this a masterpiece, and it may be that I forget how I love Kubrick's Lolita, but not Nabokov's, so I may be wrong but, like bad sex, I just wanted it to end. I never thought I (or anyone) would say this but Monsieur made me long for that climax of erotic literature that is Fifty Shades of Grey. At least something happens there.
October 6, 2017
Interestingly, the central character Ellie and her older lover the 'mister' of the title come together through a shared interest in erotic literature. This novel starts out with much promise in the passionate carnal madness of a new affair. Ellie's sanity and sense of her developing self are challenged as she submits to her lover's dominant will. The erotic description is frank, raw and dark at times. The relationship between the lovers is well drawn in its complexity and the storytelling effective, making the reader fear for Ellie's sanity.
Unfortunately, for me, the novel was overlong and became repetitive, making me think it would have been better as a novella.
Unfortunately, for me, the novel was overlong and became repetitive, making me think it would have been better as a novella.
December 23, 2017
Ha sido una historia que ha dejado mucho que desear. Ok, es de una tématica erotica pero en lo personal los personajes me exasperaban, Ellie es una chica que siente que su vida gira en torno del hombre que conoció, eso está bien, es algo que gira en torno a lo típico en las historias, pero de ahí que está en una constante búsqueda, que literal, no pueda vivir sin él, hace que la historia pierda su sentido o al menos eso me pareció. El final no parece malo, pero realmente no es amena y por momentos me aburrió. Aunque a las personas a las que le guste está tématica puedes parecerles lo contrario.
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