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Laughing As They Chased Us
Over a long, hot summer in the south of France, six people's lives become tragically intertwined. each other both captivates and offends all who come into contact with them. always been his home; Cecillie a refugee from her overbearing English parents. Together they lead a charmed life, chaotic and free - until Frederique, the agent who discovers Luc's work, falls hopelessly, and disastrously, in love with him. of Luc and Cecillie; the more ordinary pain of their friends, Bryony and Blythe's, relationship; Frederique's futile adoration of a much younger man - and steeps it all in the heat and the sweat of the South of France.
320 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 9, 2013
For the strong majority of the plot line this is a real feel good book, the characters are likeable and it's written such a way that you will continually find yourself smiling at what you are reading regardless of where you are or what mood you are in. That's not to say that the book doesn't have dark passages because it does and when they come they really can be very dark indeed. However it's definitely a summer read that you will predominantly remember for the good bits and not the bad.
It's not the type of book I would normally read and is so little known that I would never have even considered picking it up had I have seen it in a shop, therefore a thank you to Emily Finn for recommending this book to me and providing me with a copy (which I still haven't returned). This book reminded me that books can always surprise you and certainly never to give up on something based on the blurb alone.
The books not perfect and there were things that I thought could have been done better but for a debut novel it was certainly a very good start. The following parts will contain some spoilers, I'll try not to give the plot away but inevitable need to mention some of the events.
One of the things that I found strange in the book was the hanged man, he was the only person to die during the entire book but not enough importance was placed on this scene at the time. He was only ever a character on the fringe of the story and when he died it just felt like an anti-climax, he wasn't important enough to warrant killing off as it produced no reaction from the reader and seemed to have little influence of the novel. There were reactions of the other characters but I think this could have been achieved without the need of a death or if there was going to be a death the character that died should have had more of a story in order to make the reader shocked by the death.
I also found at points that the characters seemed a little superficial and predictable, for the majority of the book the character development was really very good but there were a few times when I found myself thinking that the characters reactions were not being given enough depth or meaning. This was largely towards the beginning of the book when the story line is still relatively simple because at this time the characters seemed to be very separate and there was little choice on how the story could progress.
Generally speaking I really enjoyed reading this and am glad I got the chance, as I said above it's one to read in summer when your not too jealous of life on a beach in the south of france (clearly that didn't work for me though).
It's not the type of book I would normally read and is so little known that I would never have even considered picking it up had I have seen it in a shop, therefore a thank you to Emily Finn for recommending this book to me and providing me with a copy (which I still haven't returned). This book reminded me that books can always surprise you and certainly never to give up on something based on the blurb alone.
The books not perfect and there were things that I thought could have been done better but for a debut novel it was certainly a very good start. The following parts will contain some spoilers, I'll try not to give the plot away but inevitable need to mention some of the events.
One of the things that I found strange in the book was the hanged man, he was the only person to die during the entire book but not enough importance was placed on this scene at the time. He was only ever a character on the fringe of the story and when he died it just felt like an anti-climax, he wasn't important enough to warrant killing off as it produced no reaction from the reader and seemed to have little influence of the novel. There were reactions of the other characters but I think this could have been achieved without the need of a death or if there was going to be a death the character that died should have had more of a story in order to make the reader shocked by the death.
I also found at points that the characters seemed a little superficial and predictable, for the majority of the book the character development was really very good but there were a few times when I found myself thinking that the characters reactions were not being given enough depth or meaning. This was largely towards the beginning of the book when the story line is still relatively simple because at this time the characters seemed to be very separate and there was little choice on how the story could progress.
Generally speaking I really enjoyed reading this and am glad I got the chance, as I said above it's one to read in summer when your not too jealous of life on a beach in the south of france (clearly that didn't work for me though).
May 28, 2014
Firstly, this is a story about people and it's surprising how quickly the people become real, the situations become recognisable and the insecurities become familiar. The characters are ones you can sympathise and empathise with. Secondly, the narrative leads you easily on and you always find yourself wanting to have more time to read more. I liked the style and I enjoyed the book!
August 20, 2013
A good easy reading summer book, with all the problems a summer romance can have.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews