Rose

by Tatiana de Rosnay, Raymond Clarinard (Translator)

Paris, sous le Second Empire.
Les ambitieux travaux d’Haussmann réduisent des quartiers entiers en poussière et génèrent des milliers d’expropriations douloureuses. Loin du tumulte, Rose Bazelet mène une vie paisible, au rythme de sa lecture du Petit Journal et de ses promenades au Luxembourg. Jusqu’au jour où elle reçoit la fatidique lettre du préfet : sa maison, située sur le tracé du boulevard Saint-Germain, doit être démolie. Liée par une promesse faite à son mari, elle ne peut se résoudre à partir. Contre le baron, contre l’empereur, Rose va se battre pour sauver la demeure familiale qui renferme un secret jalousement gardé.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, France, Historical, Book Club, Audiobook, Adult Fiction

247 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

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TATIANA DE ROSNAY was born in the suburbs of Paris and is of English, French and Russian descent. She is the author of 8 French novels. Tatiana de Rosnay is married and has two children. She lives in Paris with her family.

She is the author of several novels, Sarah's Key, A Secret Kept (Boomerang) and The House I Loved (Rose) The Other Story (A L'Encre Russe) and "Manderley Forever', a biography of Daphne du Maurier.

Reviews

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing ... Sarah's Key haunted me after I read it, but I think de Rosnay may be a one-hit wonder. The themes of A Secret Kept don't interest me - keep your mouths shut people! This one sounded promising - love of houses, letter writing and old Paris - but fell flat in execution.

The main character is an extremely unlikable, weak-willed and whiny woman, and the story is told through her letters to her dead husband. Reading her letters was like fingernails on a chalkboard. She is a self-proclaimed beauty who doesn't work, but lives well (at least two house servants) off her adoring husband's money. Yet all she does is complain and act like Debby-downer. I know women like her and I'd rather get a root canal than spend any time with them! They suck the joy out of life.

I also didn't understand her motivations or those of the people around her. I understand a deep abiding love for certain physical places, but I don't understand her passivity and death-pack when things don't go her way. There are a thousand things she could have tried to save her house but instead she just passively accepts a doomed fate. She seemed really self-centered, silly and stupid to me.

It also really bothered me that she harshly criticizes and basically disowns her family and then recreates a family of her liking with strangers. She treats her family incredibly poorly while complaining about them constantly. Families aren't perfect, but you love them anyway. Her claims of familiar bonds with the self-selected people in her life rang hollow to me. I didn't understand why Alexandrine or Gilbert attached themselves to her. It seemed very unbelievable.

None of her relationships seemed to be what she thought they were - i.e. not asking Gilbert about himself was a sign of "respect", not asking the Baronness for help was also a sign of "respect", not sharing her secret with her husband during his lifetime because she "loved" him. I just didn't get it. Of course, we only get her perspective, so I kept trying to read between the lines to see what was really happening but I don't feel like the author ever provided any insight.

Oh, and the picture on the bookcover which totally drew me in doesn't really relate to the story! Hate that!

[April · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book in a word? POINTLESS! Could not believe the hours wasted when I got to the end.
The main character was foolish and selfish, clinging to the ridiculous notion of remaining loyal to a house (which was tainted by trauma and sorrow!) slotted for destruction rather than moving forward in life and making the best of loving her family and those who cared for her. AND to top it off, she brought about the death of the friend she loved best, a young woman, only 29 years old!
Lame, totally lame. The setting, time in history and local circumstances were interesting and could have made for a great story, but instead, it ended without hope, purpose or redemption. WHY would anyone want to read about that? You might as well just turn on the evening news!
Don't bother with this book!!!

[Steve Lindahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many of the other reviewers, I read The House I Loved because Sarah's Key was so powerful. This book is different. There can be no comparison between the story of the French government sending Jewish citizens to German death camps during World War II and the story of the hardship caused by eminent domain laws that were used as part of a massive renovation of Paris during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III. But every book does not have to be about genocide. The House I Loved is about memories and about the redemption brought about by recalling the bad as well as the good. In its own way it is a powerful story.

The plot is revealed through a series of letters being read and written by Rose Bazelet, a woman living in mid nineteenth century Paris who is determined to resist the razing of her home to make way for a wide boulevard. Most of the plot comes from Rose's writing to her deceased husband, Armand. In these she reflects on the early stages of their relationship and on both the wonderful and the tragic times they shared in their home. She has also kept a number of letters that have been written to her over the years. These give a different perspective on her life.

The house seems symbolic of Rose's life. There are reasons why she doesn't want to give up on her home, but there are also reasons why it would make sense for her to say “good riddance” to it. The same is true of the relationships she's had in her life. There isn't always logic behind the way things played out for her. Why does she love some people more than others, when in many cases it would make sense that she would feel the other way? I'm not sure what the answer to that question is and for that reason The House I Loved felt very real.

I felt Ms. De Rosnay gave a full picture of ordinary life in Paris in the nineteenth century, the shops, the relationships, the politics, the role of women, and much more. I listened to the audio version. It was read by Kate Reading, who brought the words to life in a marvelous way.

Steve Lindahl - Author of Motherless Soul

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Sarah's Key, I never thought that Tatiana de Rosnay could write another book like it. I was right. This book is nothing like Sarah's Key. I applaud Tatiana for coming up with a totally different story about her beloved country and city, Paris. It is the 1800's and the beautiful little streets and neighborhoods of old, are planning to be demolished in order to build the boulevards of today's Paris. While the Emperor and the Prefect are planning this new modern city with sewers, the people who were attached to their old neighborhoods were offered money for their homes and businesses to move out and leave their memories behind. Most people left to start new lives outside of Paris. And then there was Rose...

Tatiana brilliantly portrays Rose's story. Rose was an unloved girl who grew up in one neighborhood of Paris, who left that neighborhood to marry a wonderful man and live with him, along with a doting, loving mother-in-law. Rose's husband owned a lovely home that belonged to generations of his loving family. Rose bears a girl and a boy in this home, and witnesses the death of her mother-in-law. As her husband begins to wither away in the throws of dementia, Rose becomes obsessed with letter which informs her that her beloved home will soon be demolished.

This is Rose's story, through letters that she writes to her dead husband. She had promised him that she would never leave their beloved house and memories they had created. Rose explains herself in a letter to her dead husband, relating what she had told her daughter-like devoted flower girl who owned the flower shop near her home. "This house was all my life, that each room told a story, my story, your story. Since you left, I had never found a way to replace your absence. Your illness had not made my love for you any weaker, on the contrary. The house bore the story of our love in its inner structure, in its quaint beauty. The house was my link to you, forever. By losing the house, I would again lose you."

Rose remains faithful to her promise... for the reasons she explains in her letter, but for other "secret" reasons that are revealed later in the story. Rose's feelings and descriptions of the old and new Paris are written with much detail. I felt so strongly for Rose and several of the neighborhood characters who came to life under Tatiana's utmost care.

[Erika Robuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

At heart, The House I Loved is a love letter to a dead husband and old Paris, before Napoleon and Baron Haussmann completed their massive modernization efforts of the city in the 1860s. Writing from the basement of her empty house on Rue Childebert, widow Rose Bazelet prepares for its demolition by refusing to leave and penning a long confession reflecting on her upbringing, marriage, children, friendships, and tragedies.

From the moment I began The House I Loved, I was mesmerized by De Rosnay’s elegant, poetic style. I could almost hear Rose’s voice whispering in my ear from her candle lit hiding place in her beautiful old home. I could feel the encroaching machines rumbling toward the Rue Childebert while Rose struggled to get her confessions on paper.

Throughout the novel, Rose’s remembrances of relationships between lovers and friends are detailed in touching and surprising ways. An independent young florist, a persuasive book seller, a doting husband, a difficult daughter, a warm mother-in-law, and a selfless homeless wanderer are just a few of the characters so distinctly drawn they could walk off the page. Rose’s aching honesty is at times touching and others brutal, but it is always heartfelt.

If you enjoy beautifully written historical fiction full of secrets and nostalgia, you will devour The House I Loved. Tatiana De Rosnay remains one of my favorite contemporary novelists.

[Karen B · Rating 2 out of 5]

The House I Loved was a book I definitely did NOT love. I expected it to be a great book based on the story line, and what I'd read previously by the author. (I read Sarah's Key a few years ago - a book that I loved, and I've been VERY eager to read more from de Rosnay ever since).

The problem: the letters written to Armand were awful. There was much too much having to fill in plot details (such and such happened "as you already know...") which made them seem fake and stilted. Another narrative form was desperately needed.

Also, because Rose is writing to her husband who died 10 or 15 years prior to the opening of the story, we never get to know Armand in person, and the letters have no passion, life or interest. How totally unlike another epistolary novel I just finished and loved (the Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie society) where the correspondence was two way and really brought the characters alive. Sure a few letters to Rose are thrown in for variety, but even in those, the characters don't come alive.

By the end, I couldn't truly like, empathize or identify with Rose in any way. She seemed selfish and self-centered and the plot extremely implausible. So while the Parisian setting and history had tons of potential, the novel ultimately fails.

I bought it as plane reading for a recent trip, and returned it to the store (part of a 50% refund program for the return of used books) 2 days after I was done with it. This is not a book I will reread or recommend to others.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about a Parisian neighborhood, a woman and a house. But it is not just a house, it is a home that has seen much history by the mid 1880's, it has seen the riots, the end of the Bourbon monarchy and the glory of Napoleon Bonaparte, the crowning of his empress and the birth his son. Rose, isn't just a woman, she is a woman who has known love in this house, death in this house, tragedy and joy and she had promised her husband that she would take care of this house which was his childhood home. When I started reading this book I thought it was so melancholy, but I think that is the authors strength in her writing, she can make one feel as this woman does waiting to see her house destroyed, At 60, and keep in mind that in the 1800's, 60 was elderly, Rose is determined to not leave her house, her history just for the glory of a man who wants to change the face of Paris just for his glory. So no this is not another Sarah's Key but, it is a poignant, quiet, matter of fact story of a woman, faced with loosing the only thing left to her, can no longer see a future that she wants.

[1luvbooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

As the shelves tell, although I am "currently" reading (listening?) to this (though I stopped maybe 2 months ago) I most likely won't be finishing it.
I know, you're probably thinking (and I am too), "It's an audiobook, just finish it," but somethings are so bad that you can't even power through them to the end.
This is one of those things.
I'd like to discuss a category, now. A category that explains why I can't finish, and why I hate most things that I do.
This category is known as "Award Bait". Well, that's what I call it.
A definition:
I'm an avid movie watcher, and an avid reader. I do both, all the time, constantly in search of my next favourite book, or film. Most times, I find them. Sometimes, I even find them by accident. But every now and then, in the sea of films and novels, I find a book, or a movie. This book will be....well, it will have a premise, or a synopsis, or a title, just screaming for an award. This book tries and tries to be "deep" and "meaningful", and "tragic".
But what it is is contrived.
Contrived, and pretentious, the author seemingly saying, "look at how DEEP it is, look it! Don't I deserve an award, don't I?! Gimme!"
Tatianna de Rosnay is one of those authors.
Although, she is apparently skilled at writing synopses, because the description of this book had promise. However, basically as soon as I started listening, I realized I had just spent 10.99 on an award-baiting, pretentious, contrived novel.
I listened a little while longer, and then gave up.
The biggest problem was the epistolatory form. This can be done well, by a truly gifted author, although it's uncommon, but unfortunately Tatiana de Rosnay is not that author. The problem comes when you have a passage like this (although, understand, I'm paraphrasing, as it is an audiobook, and I can't exactly flick to the page and cite it)
"I must hurry and finish this my love-"
and then, 5 seconds later,
-she describes her surroundings for 6 minutes.
Does this sound like someone in a hurry to you?
It sounded like sloppy writing to me.
There were other contradictions like this, I'm sure, but I can't recall any off the top of my head at this moment.
Maybe, someday I'll give this another chance.
But don't count on it.h

[Deborah Maganza · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only reason I gave it 1 star is that I did finish it, which says something. I love Paris and as a character, Paris was the most likable. I didn't understand Rose at all. She loved her house, her dead husband and her dead son. Her very much alive daughter she never loved, nor did she love her own mother. This quote says it all about her mothering skills, "They say mothers prefer their sons, is this not the secret truth? Are we not born to bring sons into the world?" Well, glad no one let me on this little secret! This lady has feelings only for men and houses. The whole book just lacked depth and sense. The house itself that we were supposed to love was never really adequately described and so how could we love it.

I had the feeling throughout the book that it could be good. There is an opportunity here, but it is lost. The repetition, the undeveloped characters, the shallowness of a silly woman's love for bricks all stand front and center to what is a lovely backdrop. And as a lover of present day Paris I found myself at odds with Rose over the modernizing of the city to what it is today. She didn't give me a single reason to feel sorry for her.

[Sarah Swann · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I appreciate the beautiful writing, this one didn't work for me. I didn't think the execution of the way this was written was necessary or done well. It's told in both letters among characters and our main character talking to her deceased husband. I felt that I was just there witnessing the story instead of getting to know the characters and being immersed in their experiences. There were also a lot of French language (obviously since this is set in Paris), but I found myself tripping over the words and the locations that are mentioned constantly in the book. This one just didn't hit the mark for me.

[Amie Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This moving story centers around an old woman (Rose) confronted with losing her family home during the modernization of Paris as envisioned by The Emperor and his Prefect. The book is written in beautiful little segments, mostly in the form of Rose writing a letter to her long dead husband, who extracted a promise from her not to allow the Prefect to destroy his ancestral home. Her letters to her husband flow along the lines of her memory from her own childhood, their courtship, raising their children, his death and her life after his passing. However, these are not written in a linear fashion, so we are given snippets of her life at different times, thus slowly unfolding the events and the whole of her character. Interspersed are other letters to Rose from other characters to illustrate different aspects of her life. I enjoyed this style of writing and found that I could read this almost as I would a short story, small chunks at a time. This drew out the pleasure of the novel.
The author's descriptions of the industry of the city, the dust, the noise, the feeling of the public after enduring fifteen plus years of this construction, are wonderfully vivid.

[Scarlett Readz and Runz....Through Novel Time & Distance · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ✨️
I thought I'd give this a try since I loved Sarah's Key by the author. It's a book that has stayed with me for years. Unfortunately, it didn't even come close for me, but I'm open to trying another of hers.

[booklady · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since I love houses and thoroughly enjoyed Tatiana de Rosnay’s other book, Sarah's Key, I thought I would like this next book as well.

There is much to recommend it. It is a retrospective period piece which paints nineteenth century Parisian city life and architecture with breathtaking precision. If the reader is imaginative, and patient, with a historically curious nature, she is sure to delight in the rich descriptions woven throughout Ms. De Rosnay’s novel. Readers who love all things French—especially the accent—are encouraged to get the audio version of the book. There is even a section of the book where the female protagonist, Rose, discovers books and we are introduced to all the “scandalous” authors of the day: Gustave Flaubert, Émile Zola, Honoré de Balzac, and Charles Baudelaire–to mention a few.

However, my objection to the story is Rose's decision to die in her house slated for destruction as Paris tears down the old to make way for the new. Rose loves the old Paris and everything about it; she protests, feels lost and alienated by the modern. Her memories are wrapped up in this house and having lost her beloved husband and favorite child already, she believes this is too much. She has no other alternative but to go down with the building.

Rosnay makes a very good case for Rose’s suicide but there comes this one point where Alexandrine, the young woman who Rose has befriended, comes to beg Rose to reconsider her intended demise. At that point I saw Rose in an entirely different light. In choosing to take her own life, in choosing death, and especially in refusing the passionate plea of her friend, Rose became just like the prefect who ‘sentenced’ her beloved house to death. Rose had yet another chance to relent, when her friend begged her. The tension in the story then was just like when Rose went to see the prefect and beg for his mercy for her home. In choosing to refuse Alexandrine, Rose's refusal revealed her to be no better than the prefect she hated so much.

The book is aptly named. In the future I need to remember to say to ‘I like houses’ and I LOVE LIFE!

[Jaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thoughts as I started this book: “Huh, I didn’t know Napoleon remodeled Paris in this way. This should be interesting!”

My thoughts as I finished this book: “Hmmm… well, that happened.”

I guess I was expecting more than I got from this story. What I wanted was a story of a woman fighting against progress to save her beloved home. What I got was a story of a woman repeating herself over and over, visiting one city official, and then refusing to leave her home. But not in a “chain herself to her front door” sort of way.

And Rose’s secret? Well, it’s blatantly telegraphed in the 3rd chapter, so nothing is a surprise. By the time Rose gets around to writing about it, all you can think is “yeah yeah yeah get on with it already!” And I had a very hard time buying her depth of feeling for her son, because she obviously didn’t care a lick about her daughter.

No one’s actions in this book really make any sense at all, and I think that’s what’s most frustrating. This could have been so much better.

I’ve heard great things about de Rosnay, even from others who have read this book and disliked it, so I’m sure I’ll read some of her other work. But if you skip over this one, you won’t be missing anything.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a prime example of when one takes a story they can tell in 50 pages or less and adds a bunch of mumbo jumbo to it till it hits 250 pages. The book too 84 pages alone just to inform me that the narrator is widowed, the French government is razing her house to make a new street, she refuses to leave, and pines away the last days writing to her dead husband. By page 84, I also knew that she met her husband in a flower shop, her MIL died in that house, she gave birth in the house to a bratty daughter, and her husband was afflicted with Alzheimers. The rest is just filler. Filler that put me to sleep. And this would work if the story and its characters were more interesting, but frankly, what I mentioned above... that's really it. That's just dull.

The narrative doesn't work for me either. The entire narrative is from the woman's POV blabbering to her dead husband.. excuse me, TELLING her dead husband this and that and reviling the past.. Key word there: TELLING. It's all telling, no showing.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book and was soooo disappointed because having had a house I loved, sold and watch torn down I thought I would be able to relate and enjoy this book. It was set in Paris and I love Paris ... but it was horrible! The main character is telling this story as she writes a letter to her dead husband. By the time I got to the last few pages I had read, "There is so much I need to tell you" at lease 50 times ... I just wanted to scream at her "THEN TELL IT ... TELL IT SO WE CAN FINALLY GET ON WITH THE STORY!" ... and when she did, it was not only disappointing but the end of the book came quickly and I hated the way it ended. A very unsatisfying, disappointing book; One that will haunt me, not because of the content but of my lost expectations of a book with a enchanting title and beautiful cover. Terribly disappointing! I doubt I will give this author another try.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet but sad story.

[Katrina Stonoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I LOVED Sarah's Key. Didn't everyone? It was an incredible book -- evocative, tragic and compelling. So I was hesitant to read a followup, terribly afraid I'd be disappointed. It's so hard to follow a success like Sarah's Key.

Sadly, I was more than disappointed by The House I Loved. I was annoyed. The ONLY reason I bothered to finish the book at all was because it was (thankfully!) very short and a quick read, so I knew I could finish it at one sitting. Had I set it down, even once, even for a moment, I would not have bothered to pick it up again.

Having said that ... the setting was fantastic. I don't know much about Paris and didn't know about the destructive facelift Baron Haussmann gave the city in the 1860s. I found the map on the inside cover fascinating, and poured over it every time de Rosnay mentioned a place.

Problem is ... there just wasn't a story. And no real conflict. Nothing really happened. The bulk of the tale is an old woman sitting in an empty house writing a letter to her dead husband. She writes of meeting him -- love at first sight! Of meeting his mother -- who immediately adored her! And all the other wonderful things they shared. It's an age-old quandary among writers: the life we all want (happy childhood, love and marriage, happy ever after) makes for a lousy story. The life nobody would want (think Dickens) -- now that is an interesting story! With a couple of hiccups, Rose Bazelet, the old woman, has the life we all want. Not the life we want to read about.

There is suspense of a sort created by a mysterious incident that Rose has hidden from her husband, but it's an artificial and ineffective suspense because I just didn't care. And I guessed what it was by the second time she referred to it.

As I said, I thought Sarah's Key was brilliant. I thought I'd be reading everything this author wrote. But unless someone can give me a pretty strong motivation for trying again, I think I'm done.

[MyChienneLit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have moved so many times in my life that I don't feel any real connection to any of the houses I have lived in, so I began this book with fairly low expectations and really only wanted to read it because of how much I enjoyed Sarah's Key. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only was the connection a person can have to a house more interesting than I thought it would be, but also that this novel was about so much more than just buildings. Modern life is so mobile that rootlessness where home is just a building where you keep your stuff is not uncommon, but at the time of the redesign of Paris, people led a much more grounded existence. Generation after generation lived their entire lives in the same home. The home really was the center of their world. People were born and died at home rather than in hospitals; social life centered around dinner parties and visits to people's homes rather than meeting at restaurants. People were educated in their own homes, and in the absence of modern technology even basic communication frequently occurred face-to-face in their homes. So many more memories were attached to the home that when many were razed in the redesign of Paris into a modern city, people's lives were thrown into turmoil that is difficult for today's reader to understand. This novel does an excellent job of delving into the topic in a very personal and interesting way. But as Rose talks about the destruction of her family home, we follow the major events in her life and the skeletons in the closet of a woman who seems perfect on the surface. For me, this was a riveting novel that touched upon a variety of topics about the human condition. Like Sarah's Key, I was unable to put this book down and stayed up late to finish it in one sitting and the surprising twists the ending takes made it completely worth losing a little sleep.

[Mme Forte · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a novel, this would make a really good short story. Or novella. Or something shorter than the 222 pages I forced myself through.
There's nothing wrong with the writing. There's nothing wrong with the idea. But how the narrator forged her connections with some of her friends is left sketchy at best. Besties with a ragpicking street person? Totally out of character, as I read her, and totally out of her social class, which was important at that time...but okay, I can stomach it. She's a kind person and that comes across in the narration.
The twist that comes toward the end can be seen about a mile off, which kind of takes the twist out of the twist, if you get my meaning.
Finally, the language is awkward in some places, at least to me, an old French teacher. I looked through the publishing information to see if it was translated from French into English, but I didn't see that anyplace. If the book was translated, errors that should not be made by a competent translator crop up from time to time; if it was originally written in English by a non-native speaker, there are common errors made by English learners that should have been caught by an editor or proofreader. This is a very common gripe of mine: Who's editing this stuff? Anybody? Bueller? I feel like the voice crying in the wilderness for better close reading of material to be published. I truly believe that a) figuring people won't notice shoddy usage, poorly chosen words, etc. or b) assuming it just doesn't matter in the larger scheme of things is just plain insulting to the reader. and I, for one, do not take kindly to being disregarded in this manner by people whose job it really is to make sure that doesn't happen.

[Karen Schwind · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find it hard to explain why I'm giving the novel only 2 1/2 stars on GoodReads without giving away the end, but the best summary I can make is that, overall, I found the story to be wholly improbable. In the first place, I don't see the point of the central action, Rose's hiding in the basement of her home as wrecking crews work their way to her house. She doesn't tell anyone she's there and makes no public statement, so she's not protesting. Getting buried in her home won't save the home or her or Paris. Rose and her actions don't seem to be worth an entire novel.

To make a weak story weightier, Rosnay throws in a strangely literate rag picker who befriends Rose and tosses in a revelation about Rose's life that I found to be sensationalist and even a bit desperate on the author's part. While her prose is, as others have called it, poetic and Rose's voice is compelling, in the end, the improbability of the story left me feeling deflated.

For complete review, see
http://www.skoobpress.com/2012/09/25/...

[Judy Davies · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book renews my resolution to not force myself to finish every book, no matter how much I dislike it! A senile old woman, who loses her beloved son to cholera but can't bring herself to see that the improvements being made In Paris will stop these tragic plagues? And forsakes the daughter she has because of a difficult birth? Who clings to her love of a man for 10 years, and can't move on. The look of the book & the writing makes me yearn for another Sarah's Key....but it even close

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story Description:

St. Martin’s Press|February 14, 2012|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-1-250-01288-3

From the New York Times bestselling author of Sarah’s Key and A Secret Kept comes an absorbing new novel about one woman’s resistance during an époque that shook Paris to its very core.

Paris, France: 1860’s. Hundreds of houses are being razed, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussman has set into motion a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, moulding it into a “modern city.” The reforms will erase generations of history – but in the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand.

Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her family home until the very end; as others flee, she stakes her claim in the basement of the old house on rue Childebert, ignoring the sounds of change that come closer and closer each day. Attempting to overcome the loneliness of her daily life, she begins to write letters to Armand, her beloved late husband. And as she delves into the ritual of remembering, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for thirty years. Tatiana de Rosnay’s The House I Loved is both a poignant story of one woman’s indelible strength, and an ode to Paris, where houses harbor the joys and sorrows of their inhabitants, and secrets endure in the very walls…

My Review:

Rose writes letters to her deceased husband, Armand who has been gone 10 years. She is writing about the tearing down of the homes and shops on their street so the construction organization can widen the roads. This is going to change the face of Paris forever. Some of the neighbours and shop keepers are upset whilst others are not. Flower shops and bars can be moved to new establishments, but the doctor in the area isn’t happy and worries over losing all his patients.

Rose’s husband was born in the house she lives in as was his father and grandfather. The house was 150 years old and had seen several generations of Bazelets living there. “No one else but the Bazelet family had lived between these walls built in 1715, when the rue Childebert was created.” No siree, Rose had no plans whatsoever on leaving her beloved home. They could offer her all the money in the world, tear down around her, but she wasn’t budging! Rose continues to putter around her home, making tea, sewing embroidery all the while the men outside are hard at work demolishing.

When things get too close to her home, she takes to the basement and lives in the cold, drab dark where no one knows where she is except a lonely tramp of a man who brings her food and warm beverages. Rose, by candle light, pens her story to her husband Armand and reveals to him a secret that she’s kept her entire life.

Rose is a woman who possesses great strength and courage and is loved by everyone. She reminds me of the quintessential grandmother, one I’d love to have myself.

The House I Loved was beautifully written and was a gorgeous, loving, testament to the type of woman Rose was. I loved this book so thoroughly that I want to read it again.

[Au Fil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mon avis: Oui, en ce moment, je lis beaucoup Tatiana de Rosnay. Il faut dire que j'ai complètement été conquise par Le Voisin donc pourquoi ne pas continuer l'aventure avec cette auteure.

Ce roman nous plonge en plein Second Empire et en pleine rénovation de Paris. Rose voit sa vie basculer lorsqu'elle reçoit une lettre du préfet lui précisant que sa maison va être détruite, remplacée par un boulevard. Mais Rose ne compte pas laisser sa maison...

L'intrigue en soit un peu simple, se révèle palpitante. Au fur et à mesure du roman, on découvre un pan de l'histoire du personnage principal et on sent qu'un secret est renfermé entre les murs de cette demeure, mais lequel? Bien que contenant très peu de rebondissements, l'intrigue avance à son rythme dévoilant des aspects que l'on n'aurait jamais soupçonné.

Le personnage principal de Rose est une pure merveille. Vieille dame sensible, veuve et romantique, elle incarne à elle seule tout l'esprit du roman. Le personnage recèle un certain mystère et éprouve du remord ce qui n'a pas été sans me mettre la puce à l'oreille. Elle tisse des relations bizarres avec sa fille, préférant Alexandrine, la fleuriste de dessous. Ayant vécu une relation fusionnelle avec son mari Armand, c'est avant tout pour lui qu'elle désire conserver cette maison. Personnage aux apparences douces, Rose s'avère être pleines de reliefs et sait se montrer déterminée. Tatiana de Rosnay nous offre donc une protagoniste toute en nuancse et aux aspects divers qui arrive à nous surprendre et à nous émouvoir.

Décidemment, j'adhère totalement au style de cette auteure. J'ai trouvé le style raffiné, poétique et délicat. Tatiana de Rosnay a réellement réussi à me transporter dans une atmosphère du Second Empire, me faisant voyager dans le temps. Le choix de la narration à la première personne est très judicieux car cela rajoute un côté intime à ce livre et à l'histoire. J'ai eu l'impression de me glisser discrètement dans la vie de Rose. En effet, cette dernière, écrit ces derniers instants et sa bataille à son mari mort, si bien que nous avons l'impression de lire un journal intime. Toutefois, ce journal intime est entrecoupé de lettres adressées à Rose, si bien que ce roman se situerait, selon moi, entre le journal et l'épistolaire.

J'ai apprécié la référence à différents auteurs de l'époque que découvre Rose notamment Flaubert avec Madame Bovary ou encore Baudelaire et son Spleen. Par ces références, l'encrage dans le temps se fait d'autant mieux et surtout, cela m'a donné envie de relire mes bons vieux classiques.

La fin est tout simplement magique. J'ai été très touchée et émue par les dernières pages qui m'ont laissé un noeud dans la gorge.

Pour résumer, Rose s'avère un livre emplie de sensibilié et de poésie dont je vous conseille la lecture.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An epistolary novel written from the point of view of Rose Bazelet, a 60 year old women, determined to oppose the modernization, or destruction, depending on your point of view, of old Paris. The Emperor and his Prefect have crafted a plan to tear down much of the city to make way for the broad boulevards and buildings that now define Paris. While many were in agreement with their plans, the longer it wore on, the larger and more vocal the opposition became. Rose is a fictious example of this minority living on one of those very real streets, the Rue Childert. She tells the story of her life through a series of letters written to her husband who died a number of years prior.

I love de Rosnay's descriptions of Paris, of the house, and life at this pivitol time in French history. I felt that telling the story through letters was well-chosen and enjoyed reading Rose's ramblings and reminences as she spoke to her husband. The love between the two was palpable, as was the connection between Rose and the young flower girl Alexandrine. Yet I never felt emotionally invested in Rose's story, despite how both likable and sympathetic a character she was. I think that if I had felt a stronger connection to her this book would have been clear four star material, instead of leading to my waffling back and forth for a long time before coming up with a rating. Ms. de Rosnay continues to intrigue me with her storylines and how she tells the story of little talked about French history. Though this book left me wanting in the end, I can definitely say that I will be recommending it to others.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, I was disappointed. I heard all this great stuff about "Sarah's Key," so when I saw that this book was by the same author and the blurb sounded interesting, I picked it up. It was just okay. I wouldn't give it any higher accolade than that. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't horrible either, and there were definitely some nice turns of phrase, but altogether it just left me dissatisfied. Actually, I found the narrator sort of annoying. Even though I know this kind of stuff happens, I found her relationship with her daughter unappealing and irritating (especially when she so doted on her second child -- a boy). The blurb said it was mostly a love story, but I found the majority of the descriptions of relationships concerned people other than the one I most wanted to hear about -- her husband. Additionally, while I sympathized with her perspective on her home and feel the same about so-called "progress," she sounded like the crabby people who complain about everything. You all know exactly who I'm talking about -- the people where nothing is ever quite right, and they're always talking about "the good ol' days". That's how she came off -- drowning in the past. Like I said, I get it. I am a historian and am very familiar with the importance of the past and the role it plays in our current and future lives. At the same time, the whole thing could have been presented in a better way. If this sort of thing doesn't bother you, read away! If it does, perhaps stay away.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected gem. This novel doesn't have the same high drama as Sarah's Key. This is a quiet tale of peaceful resistance.

The heroine's life was simple and quiet, made up by her love for her husband and the quiet life they shared. After losing her family, she finds a new fulfillment through her friendships with the neighbors and the new interests they introduce her to. Throughout the tale, we are provided glimpses of Paris, a small and intimate community, transforming and growing into a modern city at the cost of community, charm, and character.

The heroine mourns the slow demise of her beloved city. When her home and neighborhood are taken away, as well, and she sees there is nothing she can do to stop it, she realizes she has only two options: allow everything to be taken from her or to "go down with the ship."

This is a story of quiet heroism. iIt reminds us that progress for the sake of progess is not without cost, and that memories and community cannot be purchased.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed by this book. I thought some of the writing was beautiful, and I thought that the historical perspective and ideas behind the book were very interesting. The book really made me think about how it would feel to have my own street razed for the sake of "progress." However, I found the plot disturbing (especially the end), and the way the author built suspense very novice: "I have a secret, but I'm not going to tell you yet; I have a secret, but I'm not going to tell you yet." This mantra was repeated over and over, and it became very irritating to me. Also, I found the protagonist unlikeable and self-absorbed, and her lack of insight into her disconnection from and disdain for her daughter made her less sympathetic to me. This book felt lazy to me with its short chapters and lack of tight plot development: I thought it could have been a much better book if the author had really taken the time to make it more complex.

[Jolene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some books just do not need to be written.

I guess the argument could be made that no book really needs to be written. But gosh, this one more than any other.

The narrator? Whiny. Weak. Pointless. Boring. Inexplicably adored by everyone around her.

The twist? Out of place. Poorly executed. A cheap writing ploy that made me angry more than anything else.

The entire novel is written in letters to the narrator's deceased husband who she continues to adore to this very day despite really any explanation to that affect. What she does mention about him is lackluster. He was quiet, loved his house, and liked to read. Huh.

The story builds toward some shocking reveal with de Rosnay frequently using this fun little trick:

"I can never forget the sound of him coming closer. But no. My courage wanes. I cannot speak of this now, my love." This happens a dozen times. I wish that were a joke.

This story had no meat, no importance, and was poorly written. Absolutely tripe.

[Britany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fell completely in love with Sarah's Key, so naturally I wanted to read more books by Tatiana de Rosnay. The House I Loved takes us back to Paris in the 1840's. I have to say that I loved how this book was composed. It was a series of letters and stories from the narrator, Madame Rose Bazelet. The stories are all being written to her deceased husband and love of her life, Armand. Paris, during this time, is being completely razed and rebuilt to keep up with modern times, and as part of these renovations, the streets, houses, and businesses are to be torn down. We follow Rose as she stands her ground and doesn't evacuate her house, all the while eloquently writing her story to her husband and taking us all along with her on this journey.