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Tous intouchables?
"Il est insupportable, vaniteux, orgueilleux, brutal., inconstant, humain. Sans lui, je serais mort de décomposition. Abdel m'a soigné sans discontinuité, comme si j'étais un nourrisson. Attentif au moindre signe, présent pendant toutes mes absences, il m'a délivré quand j'étais prisonnier, protégé quand j'étais faible. Il m'a fait rire quand je craquais. Il est mon diable gardien". L'histoire vraie de la rencontre improbable du riche privilégié tétraplégique et du jeune beur de banlieue a inspiré les réalisateurs Olivier Nakache et Eric Toledano pour leur nouveau film Intouchables, avec François Cluzet et Omar Sy.
107 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 212 reviews
December 29, 2012
I had such high hopes for this book, having picked it up in the airport before leaving for a holiday. I'd heard great things about the film and thought the book would be even better. Boy was I wrong!
While I did learn a lot about what it is like to be paralyzed it was not at all what I expected. The book had no flow and jumped from one time to another without the reader being able to follow. I found it incredibly interesting in the beginning, hearing about his condition and the relationship with his wife but then it got old, very very quickly. The constant lusting after every woman who crossed his path, the jumping back and forth in time, the sudden introduction of people you have never heard of (like when he starts discussing his second wife and you are left going "Huh? When did she come along? Wait a minute... ").
The entire book just left me feeling like I'd missed something. Mainly, the relationship between the writer and his caretaker, which was supposed to be what the whole thing was about! If you've read the back of the book or heard anything about the movie, I mean.
A huge, huge disappointment.
While I did learn a lot about what it is like to be paralyzed it was not at all what I expected. The book had no flow and jumped from one time to another without the reader being able to follow. I found it incredibly interesting in the beginning, hearing about his condition and the relationship with his wife but then it got old, very very quickly. The constant lusting after every woman who crossed his path, the jumping back and forth in time, the sudden introduction of people you have never heard of (like when he starts discussing his second wife and you are left going "Huh? When did she come along? Wait a minute... ").
The entire book just left me feeling like I'd missed something. Mainly, the relationship between the writer and his caretaker, which was supposed to be what the whole thing was about! If you've read the back of the book or heard anything about the movie, I mean.
A huge, huge disappointment.
August 16, 2018
4,5
Una novela realmente preciosa, escrita con una prosa poético muy bonita, este libro es bastante especial por la dosis de realidad y dramatismo que conlleva. Eso sí, no se parece en prácticamente nada a la película, la cual me gusto mucho, pero el libro ha sido mucho mejor.
Una novela realmente preciosa, escrita con una prosa poético muy bonita, este libro es bastante especial por la dosis de realidad y dramatismo que conlleva. Eso sí, no se parece en prácticamente nada a la película, la cual me gusto mucho, pero el libro ha sido mucho mejor.
December 16, 2022
Leider deutlich schwächer als die Verfilmung.
December 17, 2012
I really don't like giving a book a poor rating. I just could not follow this guy's train of thought. He was all over the place. I thought there would be more interaction between the author and his caretaker. To read the back cover, one would think that the focus would be on them. Instead i spent all my time trying to decide if he was talking about before the accident or after.........! So sorry, but this book is pretty bad, but i've heard the movie, The Intouchables" is good.
March 24, 2013
A couple weeks ago I watched a wonderful movie. "The Intouchables" is from France. it is based on the true story of two men who became friends. Each wrote a memoir. A Second Wind. { translated into English} was written by Phillippe Pozzo di Borgo. Pozzo was born to a wealthy family he became wealthy himself married young after his wife Beatrice miscarried five times, they adopted a girl than a boy. all was well until Phillipe was in a serious accident paragliding. he became a quadriplegic in 1993. Two years later his beloved wife Beatrice died from cancer. About a year after the accident he hires a young man named Abdel Sellou. Abdel came from Algeria and was raised by an aunt an uncle. he is of arab decent. and very different in personality. he grew up poor spent a few years in and out of jail.[ he was a small time thief} Abdel is hired as a personal caregiver to Phillippe.
Phillippe writes about his life from childhood, his wife, and now the accident that changed his life forever. Phillippe and Abdel form a friendship that is lifelong. Abdel worked for Phillippe for ten years. but they remained friends. I love books where someone can make a difference in someone's life. Phillippe and Abel come from different worlds, Phillippe or "Pozzo" comes from wealth eduacation. and Abdel is "rough around the edges" had run ins with the law, does not take any crap from anyone. yet these two men "found" each other and eventually formed a wonderful friendship.
I liked this book quite a book after watching the movie i wanted to learn more about each man. glad I got the chance to learn more.
Phillippe writes about his life from childhood, his wife, and now the accident that changed his life forever. Phillippe and Abdel form a friendship that is lifelong. Abdel worked for Phillippe for ten years. but they remained friends. I love books where someone can make a difference in someone's life. Phillippe and Abel come from different worlds, Phillippe or "Pozzo" comes from wealth eduacation. and Abdel is "rough around the edges" had run ins with the law, does not take any crap from anyone. yet these two men "found" each other and eventually formed a wonderful friendship.
I liked this book quite a book after watching the movie i wanted to learn more about each man. glad I got the chance to learn more.
September 9, 2024
DaZ-Klassenlektüre B1. Perfektes Beispiel für gutgemeinten Rassismus und nicht mal gut gemeinten Sexismus.
April 24, 2017
كنتُ قد سمعتُ عن الكتاب وبالأخص الفلم قبل سنوات عدة، خلال دراستي في الجامعة.. ولم احظى برؤية الفلم أو قراءة الكتاب إلا من فترة قريبة وبالألمانية !
الكتاب - وهو يروي قصة حقيقية- يتحدث عن علاقة تنشأ بين رجل غني جدًا أصيب بشلل كلي نتيجة حادث ورجل آخر تقدم لوظيفة "مساعد" لدى الأول .. تبدأ العلاقة بحاجة كل منهما إلى الآخر من ثم إلى علاقة فضول وأخيرًا لصداقة قوية .. في الكتاب يتحدث فيليب عن الحادث الذي الم به وكيف أدى إلى تغيير جذري في حياته بعد أن فقد قدرته على الحركة والاحساس بأطرافه كليا ومن ثم يروي تطور علاقته مع مساعده.
في الكتاب العديد من اللفتات إلى العلاقة الإنسانية التي من الممكن أن تتحول إلى علاقة ودية قوية ، وعن علاقة المريض بالمعالج، وصاحب العمل بالعامل، حيث تتبدل علاقة القوى بينهما كما هي في حياة كل منا .. كتاب مثير جدًا ... لا عجب أنه حظي بإعجاب كبير وترجم الفلم وعرض في بلدان عديدة.. قد تكون نهايته وفكرته مثالية ولكن بما أنه يروي قصة حقيقية فهو بالتأكيد قابل للتحقيق !
*ملاحظة: قرأت الكتاب بنسخته الألمانية السهلة
هو مختصر ومبسط ولكنه مصدر جيد لتعلم اللغة :)
الكتاب - وهو يروي قصة حقيقية- يتحدث عن علاقة تنشأ بين رجل غني جدًا أصيب بشلل كلي نتيجة حادث ورجل آخر تقدم لوظيفة "مساعد" لدى الأول .. تبدأ العلاقة بحاجة كل منهما إلى الآخر من ثم إلى علاقة فضول وأخيرًا لصداقة قوية .. في الكتاب يتحدث فيليب عن الحادث الذي الم به وكيف أدى إلى تغيير جذري في حياته بعد أن فقد قدرته على الحركة والاحساس بأطرافه كليا ومن ثم يروي تطور علاقته مع مساعده.
في الكتاب العديد من اللفتات إلى العلاقة الإنسانية التي من الممكن أن تتحول إلى علاقة ودية قوية ، وعن علاقة المريض بالمعالج، وصاحب العمل بالعامل، حيث تتبدل علاقة القوى بينهما كما هي في حياة كل منا .. كتاب مثير جدًا ... لا عجب أنه حظي بإعجاب كبير وترجم الفلم وعرض في بلدان عديدة.. قد تكون نهايته وفكرته مثالية ولكن بما أنه يروي قصة حقيقية فهو بالتأكيد قابل للتحقيق !
*ملاحظة: قرأت الكتاب بنسخته الألمانية السهلة
هو مختصر ومبسط ولكنه مصدر جيد لتعلم اللغة :)
August 20, 2015
Li este livro numa tarde a beira da piscina. É uma leitura muito fácil e agradável se bem que com alguma poética pelo meio, coisa que não me entusiasma muito. Creio que será dos poucos livros em que o filme poderá ser melhor. (Ainda não vi!)
May 8, 2019
No se parece a la película, pero ambas están buenas para abordarlas.
Citas: http://hechaensilencio.blogspot.com/2...
Citas: http://hechaensilencio.blogspot.com/2...
February 1, 2022
“En este derrumbamiento, todavía me atrevo a creer. La distancia entre lo que vivo ahora y la dicha que preveo hace que en mí renazca la esperanza.”
Esperanza fue la palabra que más se repitió a lo largo del libro, una palabra que necesito mucho en mi vida en estos momentos… ¿cómo empezar?
Repito, la forma en que un libro llega a mí es una historia: Plena Feria del libro en Morelia, y veo esta joya en un remate de libros. Sabía que existía el libro aunque como muchos solo conocimos de Philippe y Abdel a través de la película “Amigos” “Intocable” o “Untouchable”.
La he visto tantas veces que nunca pensé que esa historia pasaría en mi vida (de forma similar) pero curiosa.
En 2018, mi mejor amigo sufrió una lesión que no le permitía caminar, eran dolores insufribles en la espalda y siempre siempre, su humor era de perros.
Para él, consuelo del que vive al otro lado de la frontera, era una tortura saberse vulnerable cuando su familia dependía de él, no poder jugar fútbol, o disfrutar a su familia por el largo tiempo que para él representó quedarse en nuestro pueblo (3 meses), más aún decirme por llamada que lo vería más pronto de lo que me imaginaba.
Esos 3 meses transcurrieron entre peleas, cuidados, películas, 1 libro que nos domesticó en muchos sentidos, terapia, 2 paseos muy largos, el rencor, el baile y su salsa, esas pláticas que nos hicieron tan cercanos; que dejara la universidad por primera vez sintiendo que abandonaba mi vida por la depresión sin querer verlo, porque yo era quien lo cuidaba a él, no él a mí.
Igual que Abdel, soy la orgullosa, enérgica, la “tengo mi modo de hacer las cosas” y tenía una masa a la que podía moldear si era para ayudarle a sobrepasar el dolor tan profundo, un fastidio que de 15 a 3 horas decía “mi trabajo está hecho”, la energía de los días, y muchas veces el ánimo que se escondía. Aveces el dolor llega para recordarnos de toda la purga que no hemos hecho, de la basura que no hemos desechado y las cosas que de tanto acumular, nos amargan la vida.
¿Cómo puedes cuidar a otros, sino permites que te cuiden? Debes permitirte ser vulnerable.
“Vulnerable” otra palabra que consagramos como única. En la que podíamos ser quiénes queríamos, soltar, tanto odio y rencor hacia la vida y viejas heridas, tanto por sanar y que el tiempo fue tan amable de prestarle tiempo para hacerlo, su problema nunca fue la pierna, ni su espalda: era su mentalidad. En ese modo, a Abdel no lo imagino aguantar recibir ayuda de Philippe sin sentir vergüenza y soltar unas lágrimas porque lo necesita pero no le gusta reconocerlo.
En ambos casos, nuestra amistad sobrevivió a tantas cosas, tanto así, que hoy estoy casada con él, con ese que antes no me podía decir “Te amo” sin sentir vergüenza, que aveces venía a mi casa por que siempre llegaba tarde aunque aguantara mi impuntualidad. Me da tanta risa recordar una vez que nos cruzamos en plena esquina, él hacía mí, yo hacia el, y ambos sabíamos a donde íbamos. En ese lugar, enfrente, ahora está un espejo que deja ver hacia el otro lado, y solo me imagino cómo se habría visto en ese entonces saber que íbamos a chocar.
Ese tipo de amistad, que sobrevive al paso del tiempo, de las circunstancias y de todo lo que le arrojen así sean fracturas de cuerpo entero es lo que significa este libro: adversidad y por supuesto, esperanza.
Esperanza fue la palabra que más se repitió a lo largo del libro, una palabra que necesito mucho en mi vida en estos momentos… ¿cómo empezar?
Repito, la forma en que un libro llega a mí es una historia: Plena Feria del libro en Morelia, y veo esta joya en un remate de libros. Sabía que existía el libro aunque como muchos solo conocimos de Philippe y Abdel a través de la película “Amigos” “Intocable” o “Untouchable”.
La he visto tantas veces que nunca pensé que esa historia pasaría en mi vida (de forma similar) pero curiosa.
En 2018, mi mejor amigo sufrió una lesión que no le permitía caminar, eran dolores insufribles en la espalda y siempre siempre, su humor era de perros.
Para él, consuelo del que vive al otro lado de la frontera, era una tortura saberse vulnerable cuando su familia dependía de él, no poder jugar fútbol, o disfrutar a su familia por el largo tiempo que para él representó quedarse en nuestro pueblo (3 meses), más aún decirme por llamada que lo vería más pronto de lo que me imaginaba.
Esos 3 meses transcurrieron entre peleas, cuidados, películas, 1 libro que nos domesticó en muchos sentidos, terapia, 2 paseos muy largos, el rencor, el baile y su salsa, esas pláticas que nos hicieron tan cercanos; que dejara la universidad por primera vez sintiendo que abandonaba mi vida por la depresión sin querer verlo, porque yo era quien lo cuidaba a él, no él a mí.
Igual que Abdel, soy la orgullosa, enérgica, la “tengo mi modo de hacer las cosas” y tenía una masa a la que podía moldear si era para ayudarle a sobrepasar el dolor tan profundo, un fastidio que de 15 a 3 horas decía “mi trabajo está hecho”, la energía de los días, y muchas veces el ánimo que se escondía. Aveces el dolor llega para recordarnos de toda la purga que no hemos hecho, de la basura que no hemos desechado y las cosas que de tanto acumular, nos amargan la vida.
¿Cómo puedes cuidar a otros, sino permites que te cuiden? Debes permitirte ser vulnerable.
“Vulnerable” otra palabra que consagramos como única. En la que podíamos ser quiénes queríamos, soltar, tanto odio y rencor hacia la vida y viejas heridas, tanto por sanar y que el tiempo fue tan amable de prestarle tiempo para hacerlo, su problema nunca fue la pierna, ni su espalda: era su mentalidad. En ese modo, a Abdel no lo imagino aguantar recibir ayuda de Philippe sin sentir vergüenza y soltar unas lágrimas porque lo necesita pero no le gusta reconocerlo.
En ambos casos, nuestra amistad sobrevivió a tantas cosas, tanto así, que hoy estoy casada con él, con ese que antes no me podía decir “Te amo” sin sentir vergüenza, que aveces venía a mi casa por que siempre llegaba tarde aunque aguantara mi impuntualidad. Me da tanta risa recordar una vez que nos cruzamos en plena esquina, él hacía mí, yo hacia el, y ambos sabíamos a donde íbamos. En ese lugar, enfrente, ahora está un espejo que deja ver hacia el otro lado, y solo me imagino cómo se habría visto en ese entonces saber que íbamos a chocar.
Ese tipo de amistad, que sobrevive al paso del tiempo, de las circunstancias y de todo lo que le arrojen así sean fracturas de cuerpo entero es lo que significa este libro: adversidad y por supuesto, esperanza.
October 27, 2017
1.5 Sterne
Oh Mann, was ein Müll.
Das mit dem "autobiographischer Bericht" habe ich leider erst gesehen, nachdem ich schon 50 Seiten gelesen hatte. Ich habe das Buch auch nur gegriffen, weil ich spontan was für den Urlaub brauchte und anfangs nicht weiter drüber nachgedacht. Da das Buch nur 200 Seiten hat, dachte ich mir dann aber: "komm, machste trotzdem noch zuende"
Es war natürlich nicht so spannend wie der Film.
Im Gegenteil.
Es soll ja Leute geben, die auf sowas stehen, aber ich wurde nur nochmal darin bestätigt, dass Biographien absolut nicht meins sind.
Es ist noch nicht einmal interessant erzählt oder so. Stattdessen ist die Geschichte zeitlich und inhaltlich komplett wirr und man weiß gar nicht wo vorne und hinten ist. Am Ende habe ich gar nicht mehr durchgeblickt.
Kann natürlich auch daran gelegen haben, dass ich nach einer Weile mehr und mehr einfach nur noch überflogen habe.
Oh Mann, was ein Müll.
Das mit dem "autobiographischer Bericht" habe ich leider erst gesehen, nachdem ich schon 50 Seiten gelesen hatte. Ich habe das Buch auch nur gegriffen, weil ich spontan was für den Urlaub brauchte und anfangs nicht weiter drüber nachgedacht. Da das Buch nur 200 Seiten hat, dachte ich mir dann aber: "komm, machste trotzdem noch zuende"
Es war natürlich nicht so spannend wie der Film.
Im Gegenteil.
Es soll ja Leute geben, die auf sowas stehen, aber ich wurde nur nochmal darin bestätigt, dass Biographien absolut nicht meins sind.
Es ist noch nicht einmal interessant erzählt oder so. Stattdessen ist die Geschichte zeitlich und inhaltlich komplett wirr und man weiß gar nicht wo vorne und hinten ist. Am Ende habe ich gar nicht mehr durchgeblickt.
Kann natürlich auch daran gelegen haben, dass ich nach einer Weile mehr und mehr einfach nur noch überflogen habe.
February 16, 2017
Can Dostum, iki kitaptan oluşuyor en azından Türkiye'de iki kitap, tek kitap içinde toplanmış. Kitap yazarın yaşam öyküsünü anlatıyor, yazar yamaç paraşütü yaparken geçirdiği kaza sonucu engelli hale gelmiş ve bir süre sonra bu kitabı yazmış. Kitabın Fransa'da film uyarlaması yapılmış ve film çok sevilince de yazar ikinci kitabı yazmış.
Aslında kitabın arka kapağında lanse edildiği gibi kitap direk dostluk üzerine değil, hatta ilk yarı tamamen yazarın önceki yaşamını anlatıyor, ikinci yarıda da Abdel ile olan dostluğunu anlatıyor. Açıkçası ben ilk yarıyı daha çok sevdim, hem anlatılanlar hemde anlatma şekli bakımından daha tutarlı ve daha güzeldi. İkinci yarıda yazarın dili daha kopuktu, cümleler zaman zaman birbirinden bağımsız hissi veriyor. Ben bu durumu biraz da filmden sonra, başkalarının isteği üzerine yazılmasına bağlıyorum.
Genel olarak oldukça güzel ve çarpıcı bir kitaptı, okurken hiç farkında olmadığınız bir dünyaya bakma şansına sahip oluyorsunuz, sağlığımızın değerini bir kez daha anlamak için mükemmel bir fırsattı bence. Onun dışında aşk, sevgi ve dostluk kavramlarının da kitaptaki yeri bambaşkaydı. Kitabı sevsem de (özellikle ikinci kitabın) dilini sevemedim, zaman zaman diline adapte olamadım. Her şeye rağmen iyi ki okumuşum dediğim bir kitap.
http://yorumatolyesi.blogspot.com/201...
Aslında kitabın arka kapağında lanse edildiği gibi kitap direk dostluk üzerine değil, hatta ilk yarı tamamen yazarın önceki yaşamını anlatıyor, ikinci yarıda da Abdel ile olan dostluğunu anlatıyor. Açıkçası ben ilk yarıyı daha çok sevdim, hem anlatılanlar hemde anlatma şekli bakımından daha tutarlı ve daha güzeldi. İkinci yarıda yazarın dili daha kopuktu, cümleler zaman zaman birbirinden bağımsız hissi veriyor. Ben bu durumu biraz da filmden sonra, başkalarının isteği üzerine yazılmasına bağlıyorum.
Genel olarak oldukça güzel ve çarpıcı bir kitaptı, okurken hiç farkında olmadığınız bir dünyaya bakma şansına sahip oluyorsunuz, sağlığımızın değerini bir kez daha anlamak için mükemmel bir fırsattı bence. Onun dışında aşk, sevgi ve dostluk kavramlarının da kitaptaki yeri bambaşkaydı. Kitabı sevsem de (özellikle ikinci kitabın) dilini sevemedim, zaman zaman diline adapte olamadım. Her şeye rağmen iyi ki okumuşum dediğim bir kitap.
http://yorumatolyesi.blogspot.com/201...
September 18, 2012
I read this for my bookclub and found it very disappointing. It was disjointed, badly written and uninspiring. Written by a quadraplegic man, ostensibly about the bond he formed with his caregiver I assumed this would be an engrossing and moving memoir.
In it's favour I could definitely say that I learnt a lot about aspects of his condition and that it brought into focus the obstacles and issues that disabled people face in our society. But Philippe Pozzo Di Borga is such an ar*e that despite the above, I would rather scoop my own eyeballs out with a rusty spoon than have to wade through this book again.
His lustful ramblings about women are boring and offensive. Any women he comes into contact with are talked about in terms of their beauty primarily and any personality they may possess is sucked out of them in favour of raptures about their gentleness and angelic qualities.
You never understood how his relationship with his caregiver Abdel developed, and how this violent man who routinely crashed cars and got into fights with anyone who looked sideways at him could be such an inspiration and a support to him. It was just one long stream of distasteful, puerile anecodotes - organising a naked dancer to entertain at a party, ejecting long-term tenants from apartments to make the properties more lucrative and on one particularly hilarious occassion, taking a woman on a 'date' but dumping her on the side of the road after she had performed a sexual service but before he had to spend any money on dinner. Charming...
Pozzo Di Borga litters his pedestrian musings with hackneyed quotes and sayings all delivered in the complacent manner of someone who is gracing us with never-before-contemplated jewels of insight and wisdom.
This book earns itself one star because, mercifully, it is very short.
In it's favour I could definitely say that I learnt a lot about aspects of his condition and that it brought into focus the obstacles and issues that disabled people face in our society. But Philippe Pozzo Di Borga is such an ar*e that despite the above, I would rather scoop my own eyeballs out with a rusty spoon than have to wade through this book again.
His lustful ramblings about women are boring and offensive. Any women he comes into contact with are talked about in terms of their beauty primarily and any personality they may possess is sucked out of them in favour of raptures about their gentleness and angelic qualities.
You never understood how his relationship with his caregiver Abdel developed, and how this violent man who routinely crashed cars and got into fights with anyone who looked sideways at him could be such an inspiration and a support to him. It was just one long stream of distasteful, puerile anecodotes - organising a naked dancer to entertain at a party, ejecting long-term tenants from apartments to make the properties more lucrative and on one particularly hilarious occassion, taking a woman on a 'date' but dumping her on the side of the road after she had performed a sexual service but before he had to spend any money on dinner. Charming...
Pozzo Di Borga litters his pedestrian musings with hackneyed quotes and sayings all delivered in the complacent manner of someone who is gracing us with never-before-contemplated jewels of insight and wisdom.
This book earns itself one star because, mercifully, it is very short.
March 4, 2013
I saw the film first, and I think it does a better job capturing the relationship than the book. On the whole, the book was very sentimental - almost to a fault. While I really wanted to like the book, especially as the author wrote it dictating to a tape machine on his stomach, it was very hard to follow some of the sequences of events and relationships. For instance, he says that he would have "rotted" without Abdel, fine, but you barely get any sense of that from the memories. di Borgo also says that it's difficult to remember through the haze of pain, and while I'm sympathetic, then wouldn't it have made some sense to try and get Abdel's views recorded/woven into the story? And while he does pine for his wife throughout most of the book, of the other 3 women who impact his life, only the first is given any semblance of fullness of character - the other 2, which includes his second wife (!), are all but phantoms.
So while I hold nothing against the author for publishing his memoir (of a sort), the book suffered a lot from this very narrow point of view. I actually wanted to know much more, and the edition I read had a follow-up that was written after "The Intouchables" film was released - yet it didn't add much in the way of any insights. I was left feeling quite frustrated by the whole thing.
So while I hold nothing against the author for publishing his memoir (of a sort), the book suffered a lot from this very narrow point of view. I actually wanted to know much more, and the edition I read had a follow-up that was written after "The Intouchables" film was released - yet it didn't add much in the way of any insights. I was left feeling quite frustrated by the whole thing.
May 28, 2013
I found this book to be quite extraordinary. It opened my eyes to a whole new world in which people with a disability live. Philippe's emotions and memories allowed me to feel things from his perspective and understand (to an extent of course) what he has gone through. I actually enjoyed the disjointed paragraphs, it was like being exposed to someone's personal thoughts and the way he felt at different times. It was lovely the way Philippe described his love and relationship with his wife. It was absolutely beautiful how they helped each other and nice to see the strength of true love. I did find it hard to warm to the faithful Abdel, he was disrespectful to women (which I do not tolerate very well), violent and irresponsible. The faith that Philippe had in him was incredible, even though he seemed to make mistakes which were sometimes quite dangerous. I liked that Philippe did not try to change Abdel, he accepted him for who he was - and in return Abdel did the same. Overall I enjoyed this book, it was different but also very inspiring.
July 14, 2018
Ich fand's zum Kotzen.
Ich weiß nicht, wen von beiden ich unsympathischer finde, denn Philippe und Abdel sind frauenfeindliche, sexistische Typen, die Frauen wie Objekte betrachten, die man "nach Gebrauch an den anderen weitergibt".
Dadurch hält sich auch mein Mitleid für Philippes Situation in Grenzen.
Der Film ist viel besser als diese unorganisierte, zeitlich völlig durcheinander geratene Ansammlung von Gedanken. Man läuft dem Irrglauben auf, dass es in dem Buch um die Beziehung zwischen Philippe und Abdel geht, dem ist aber nicht so. Zwar werden einige Anekdoten erzählt und man erfährt, wie sie sich kennengelernt haben, aber das Buch dreht sich vielmehr um seine verstorbene Frau Béatrice (aka die Einzige, die sich nicht im Kreuzfeuer widerlicher, misogyner Bemerkungen befindet).
Den Film kann man sich geben, aber um das Buch würde ich an eurer Stelle einen großen Bogen machen.
Ich weiß nicht, wen von beiden ich unsympathischer finde, denn Philippe und Abdel sind frauenfeindliche, sexistische Typen, die Frauen wie Objekte betrachten, die man "nach Gebrauch an den anderen weitergibt".
Dadurch hält sich auch mein Mitleid für Philippes Situation in Grenzen.
Der Film ist viel besser als diese unorganisierte, zeitlich völlig durcheinander geratene Ansammlung von Gedanken. Man läuft dem Irrglauben auf, dass es in dem Buch um die Beziehung zwischen Philippe und Abdel geht, dem ist aber nicht so. Zwar werden einige Anekdoten erzählt und man erfährt, wie sie sich kennengelernt haben, aber das Buch dreht sich vielmehr um seine verstorbene Frau Béatrice (aka die Einzige, die sich nicht im Kreuzfeuer widerlicher, misogyner Bemerkungen befindet).
Den Film kann man sich geben, aber um das Buch würde ich an eurer Stelle einen großen Bogen machen.
November 18, 2020
Fascinating
I watched the movie The Up Side and loved it, so I immediately bought the book that inspired it. The reality is very different to the fiction.
Reading about the life of a man of such wealth and long standing family is like reading about life on Mars for me. It’s fascinating how different people live. His struggles with having children and his wife’s illness is heart breaking.
Writing about paragliding is truly beautiful and I can see why he loved it so much.
I’m afraid Abdel didn’t come across well to me in the book, so I look forward to reading his story and hearing it in his own words.
I watched the movie The Up Side and loved it, so I immediately bought the book that inspired it. The reality is very different to the fiction.
Reading about the life of a man of such wealth and long standing family is like reading about life on Mars for me. It’s fascinating how different people live. His struggles with having children and his wife’s illness is heart breaking.
Writing about paragliding is truly beautiful and I can see why he loved it so much.
I’m afraid Abdel didn’t come across well to me in the book, so I look forward to reading his story and hearing it in his own words.
January 12, 2018
I absolutely hated this book, hated!!
It's jumping from one time to another and since I wasn't able to follow I focused wat too much on this issue. One second his wife is dead, then she's alive, the dead, then alive.. The kids are young, then 15-18 years old, then kids again, then almost grown-ups..
Also.. the cover is a picture with Philippe and the caretake. But there is almost no paragraphs that tries to picture their relationship, which also was kinda disappointing.
It's jumping from one time to another and since I wasn't able to follow I focused wat too much on this issue. One second his wife is dead, then she's alive, the dead, then alive.. The kids are young, then 15-18 years old, then kids again, then almost grown-ups..
Also.. the cover is a picture with Philippe and the caretake. But there is almost no paragraphs that tries to picture their relationship, which also was kinda disappointing.
August 27, 2018
Es un 3,5. No tiene mucho que ver con la película, excepto algunas partes de la trama. Pero eso no supone un inconveniente si no que lo convierte en un libro rico en matices y preciosista. Un lenguaje muy cuidado para que el personaje principal nos cuente la evolución de su vida, su tetraplejia y lo que comparte con su "demonio de la guardia" Abdel. No es muy largo y es una lectura interesante.
February 1, 2013
O primeiro livro, "O segundo suspiro", não me agradou, acho que não peguei o espírito dele, só gostei das passagens mais elucidativas dos sentimentos dele em ralação à mulher. Já o livro que vêm de brinde, "O Diabo Guardião", eu achei melhor, de uma crueza gostosa de ler.
March 27, 2019
Je ne sais pas exactement ce qui m'a autant déplu dans cet ouvrage. L'écriture pompeuse ? L'étalage de la violence toujours excusée d'Abdel ? Ou peut-être la façon dont l'auteur considère les femmes...
Bref, j'ai trouvé cette lecture puante et j'en ai été très étonnée !
Bref, j'ai trouvé cette lecture puante et j'en ai été très étonnée !
August 2, 2017
Nul, nul, nul.
May 8, 2020
Nachdem ich vor Jahren den Film gesehen hatte, dachte ich, dieses Buch wäre eine schöne Ergänzung dazu. Leider lag ich mit dieser Einschätzung falsch.
Anders als das Cover vermuten lässt, beschäftigt sich das Buch nicht mit der Freundschaft zwischen Philippe und Abdel. Es ist Philippe's Lebensgeschichte. Dies hätte dennoch ein tolles Buch über ein erstaunlliches Leben sein können, wenn es von jemandem mit Schreibtalent und einem roten Faden verfasst worden wäre.
Die Geschichte springt wild in der Zeit hin und her. Dies erfordert oft große Konzentration, um zu verstehen, wann ein Abschnitt stattfindet. Zudem wirft der Autor oft mit Namen um sich, ohne zu erklären, wer diese Personen sind oder woher er sie kennt. Manchmal lässt es sich aus dem Zusammenhang erschlließen, manchmal leider nicht. Überhaupt hatte ich nie das Gefühl, irgendetwas Interessantes über irgendeine der Personen zu wissen. Sie bleiben alle distanziert, blass in der Lebensgeschichte des Autors. Über Gefühle und persönliche Beziehungen spricht das Buch selten. Die einzige Konstante ist die Sexualisierung aller Frauen. Offenbar ist Philippe äußerst fasziniert von Brüsten und dem wunderbaren Duft und Aussehen der zahlreichen Frauen. Dass er dabei unter anderem eine seiner jungen Pflegerinnen anbaggert, die sich aufgrund des Arbeitsverhältnisses nicht wirklich der Situation entziehen kann, scheint er als Teil seines "tragischen" Charmes zu begreifen. Daneben hält er Abdel aber Vorträge darüber, dass man Frauen respektieren müsse. Welche Ironie...
Das Buch bewegte sich für mich zwischen frustrierend pubertärem Geplänkel und gähnender Langeweile. Ich konnte der Geschichte leider wenig abgewinnen.
Anders als das Cover vermuten lässt, beschäftigt sich das Buch nicht mit der Freundschaft zwischen Philippe und Abdel. Es ist Philippe's Lebensgeschichte. Dies hätte dennoch ein tolles Buch über ein erstaunlliches Leben sein können, wenn es von jemandem mit Schreibtalent und einem roten Faden verfasst worden wäre.
Die Geschichte springt wild in der Zeit hin und her. Dies erfordert oft große Konzentration, um zu verstehen, wann ein Abschnitt stattfindet. Zudem wirft der Autor oft mit Namen um sich, ohne zu erklären, wer diese Personen sind oder woher er sie kennt. Manchmal lässt es sich aus dem Zusammenhang erschlließen, manchmal leider nicht. Überhaupt hatte ich nie das Gefühl, irgendetwas Interessantes über irgendeine der Personen zu wissen. Sie bleiben alle distanziert, blass in der Lebensgeschichte des Autors. Über Gefühle und persönliche Beziehungen spricht das Buch selten. Die einzige Konstante ist die Sexualisierung aller Frauen. Offenbar ist Philippe äußerst fasziniert von Brüsten und dem wunderbaren Duft und Aussehen der zahlreichen Frauen. Dass er dabei unter anderem eine seiner jungen Pflegerinnen anbaggert, die sich aufgrund des Arbeitsverhältnisses nicht wirklich der Situation entziehen kann, scheint er als Teil seines "tragischen" Charmes zu begreifen. Daneben hält er Abdel aber Vorträge darüber, dass man Frauen respektieren müsse. Welche Ironie...
Das Buch bewegte sich für mich zwischen frustrierend pubertärem Geplänkel und gähnender Langeweile. Ich konnte der Geschichte leider wenig abgewinnen.
March 3, 2018
Después de ver la película francesa del mismo título y el libro escrito por Abdel, quise leer el libro en el que se basó el film, reeditado con ocasión del estreno de este éxito cinematográfico.
Para entendernos, la película y el libro tienen en común sólo la base de la historia, es decir, el accidente y la relación paciente-cuidador, pero desde un punto de vista laxo, muy laxo. Mientras que en la película narra la relación Philippe-Abdel con grandes toques de humor, de una forma amable, el libro es un resumen autobiográfico de Philippe en el que el autor mediante una prosa casi poética y delirante, nos muestra los aspectos más duros de su historia, sus sentimientos.
El libro es de lectura algo complicada, alternando capítulos amenos, casi divertidos, con otros en los que sus alegorías y metáforas toman el mando, permitiendo ver más allá de la superficie.
En resumen, es un buen libro, pero no te esperes la historia que narra la película.
Para entendernos, la película y el libro tienen en común sólo la base de la historia, es decir, el accidente y la relación paciente-cuidador, pero desde un punto de vista laxo, muy laxo. Mientras que en la película narra la relación Philippe-Abdel con grandes toques de humor, de una forma amable, el libro es un resumen autobiográfico de Philippe en el que el autor mediante una prosa casi poética y delirante, nos muestra los aspectos más duros de su historia, sus sentimientos.
El libro es de lectura algo complicada, alternando capítulos amenos, casi divertidos, con otros en los que sus alegorías y metáforas toman el mando, permitiendo ver más allá de la superficie.
En resumen, es un buen libro, pero no te esperes la historia que narra la película.
October 18, 2018
Ksiazka nie ma wieke tresci stad recenzja krotka. Te rozliczenie bogatego arystokraty z zycia zupelnie nijak sie ma do filmu. Ksiazka ma.chaotyczna strukture trudna do zrozumienia. Sam autor nie wzbudza takiego szacunku badz zrozumienia jak glowny bohater filmu.
Nie polecam, bo ksiazka o ile troche przybliza nam.swiat osob majacych ciezko w zyciu to wiele bardziej obrzydza nas zycie niektorych ludzi.
Nie polecam, bo ksiazka o ile troche przybliza nam.swiat osob majacych ciezko w zyciu to wiele bardziej obrzydza nas zycie niektorych ludzi.
Read
December 3, 2014Notre P��re qui ��tes aux cieux
Restez-y
Et nous nous resterons sur la terre
Qui est quelquefois si jolie
Avec ses myst��res de New York
Et puis ses myst��res de Paris
Qui valent bien celui de la trinit��
Avec son petit canal de l'Ourcq
Sa grande muraille de Chine
Sa rivi��re de Morlaix
Ses b��tises de Cambrai
Avec son Oc��an Pacifique
Et ses deux bassins aux Tuileries
Avec ses bons enfants et ses mauvais sujets
Avec toutes les merveilles du monde
Qui sont l��
Simplement sur la terre
Offertes �� tout le monde
��parpill��es
��merveill��es elles-m��me d'��tre de telles merveilles
Et qui n'osent se l'avouer
Comme une jolie fille nue qui n'ose se montrer
Avec les ��pouvantables malheurs du monde
Qui sont l��gion
Avec leurs l��gionnaires
Avec leur tortionnaires
Avec les ma��tres de ce monde
Les ma��tres avec leurs pr��tres leurs tra��tres et leurs re��tres
Avec les saisons
Avec les ann��es
Avec les jolies filles et avec les vieux cons
Avec la paille de la mis��re pourrissant dans l'acier des canons.
(Pater noster - Jacques Pr��vert)
La vita di B��atrice, se possibile, mi ha fatto male ancor di pi�� di quella di Philippe.
Perch�� per alcuni la vita �� gioia e per altri solo dolore?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lettura in corso
Non so se ce la far�� a finirlo.
Ancor pi�� della paralisi di Philippe, alla quale giunta al 27% dell'ebook non sono ancora arrivata, quella che mi sta distruggendo �� la Via Crucis di B��atrice, la sua giovane moglie. Non star�� qui a fare l'elenco di quello che ha dovuto patire, gi�� solo due aborti al settimo mese di gravidanza mi sembrano eventi talmente tragici da rendere superfluo qualsiasi commento.
Mi viene da pensare che la paralisi di lui sia alla fine solo la punta dell'iceberg, ma non �� cos��, sono due vite in cui tutto �� stato tragedia, sin dall'inizio, ma che si sono nutrite l'una dell'amore dell'altra. Leggerle, per��, mi fa un gran male, anche se mi serve a riprendere le coordinate giuste per la mia di vita.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Il film, Quasi Amici, �� di quelli che non possono lasciare indifferenti, ci continuo a pensare da giorni, da quando l'ho visto, e cos�� quando ieri parlando con un'amica ho saputo che c'era un libro, scritto da uno dei due protagonisti reali della storia, Philippe Pozzo Di Borgo, come cita la quarta di copertina ��rampollo di nobile famiglia, ricco, colto, affascinante e amante delle cose belle e raffinate, paralizzar dal collo in gi�� a seguito di un incidente di parapendio��, ho provato subito il desiderio di leggerlo, di conoscere la "sua" storia, la sua versione degli stessi fatti raccontati dal film.
L'ho acquistato su Amazon un quarto d'ora fa, pi�� o meno, e adesso �� nel mio Kindle, e non posso fare a meno, mi dico, di leggere almeno l'introduzione. Solo quella penso, perch�� ho gi�� tante cose in lettura, GdL che partono, il desiderio di non sovrapporre parole ad altre parole; ma si sa come vanno queste cose, inizio e non riesco pi�� a fermarmi, ed inizio anche il primo capitolo.
Dice Philippe, gi�� nell'introduzione a questa nuova edizione di una prima autobiografia che nella prima versione aveva il bellissimo titolo ��Le second souffle��, il secondo soffio, ��il film Quasi Amici scorre leggero tra scoppi di risa; io non posso rinunciare a una certa seriet��, percepibile nell'interpretazione che del mio personaggio d�� Francoise Cluzet��.
E la storia si fa subito seria, perch�� non si pu�� non pensare alla realt�� drammatica in cui l'autore di queste parole si trova sin dall'immediata convalescenza successiva all'incidente, quando racconta: ��Un amico mi aveva installato un dispositivo sulla testa, collegandolo allo schermo di un computer. L'alfabeto sfilava sullo schermo; io fermavo il cursore, e veniva visualizzata una lettera. A poco a poco queste lettere formavano parole, mezze frasi, pagine�� ed io leggendo, quasi tra le lacrime, inizio a ricordare un'altra storia, altrettanto drammatica, una storia che mi ha tolto il fiato, alla quale non riesco pi�� a pensare senza sentire una fitta al cuore, quella di ��Lo scafandro e la farfalla��, di quel giornalista francese imprigionato nel suo stesso corpo dopo un ictus, che scrisse il suo libro con il battito delle ciglia, parola dopo parola, mezza frase dopo mezza frase. Vado avanti, ��Il meglio erano la scelta dei vocaboli e quello sforzo estenuante: sbagliare non mi era concesso. Il peso di ogni lettera ancorava la frase sempre pi�� in profondit��, io ne assaporavo la precisione.
Per un mio compagno di lotta, che purtroppo �� mancato, la penna erano i battiti di una palpebra*��.
Ed io lo seguo, quell'asterisco, anche se gi�� so dove mi porter��.
(*) J.-D. Bauby, Lo scafandro e la farfalla
http://www.anobii.com/books/Lo_scafan...
Restez-y
Et nous nous resterons sur la terre
Qui est quelquefois si jolie
Avec ses myst��res de New York
Et puis ses myst��res de Paris
Qui valent bien celui de la trinit��
Avec son petit canal de l'Ourcq
Sa grande muraille de Chine
Sa rivi��re de Morlaix
Ses b��tises de Cambrai
Avec son Oc��an Pacifique
Et ses deux bassins aux Tuileries
Avec ses bons enfants et ses mauvais sujets
Avec toutes les merveilles du monde
Qui sont l��
Simplement sur la terre
Offertes �� tout le monde
��parpill��es
��merveill��es elles-m��me d'��tre de telles merveilles
Et qui n'osent se l'avouer
Comme une jolie fille nue qui n'ose se montrer
Avec les ��pouvantables malheurs du monde
Qui sont l��gion
Avec leurs l��gionnaires
Avec leur tortionnaires
Avec les ma��tres de ce monde
Les ma��tres avec leurs pr��tres leurs tra��tres et leurs re��tres
Avec les saisons
Avec les ann��es
Avec les jolies filles et avec les vieux cons
Avec la paille de la mis��re pourrissant dans l'acier des canons.
(Pater noster - Jacques Pr��vert)
La vita di B��atrice, se possibile, mi ha fatto male ancor di pi�� di quella di Philippe.
Perch�� per alcuni la vita �� gioia e per altri solo dolore?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lettura in corso
Non so se ce la far�� a finirlo.
Ancor pi�� della paralisi di Philippe, alla quale giunta al 27% dell'ebook non sono ancora arrivata, quella che mi sta distruggendo �� la Via Crucis di B��atrice, la sua giovane moglie. Non star�� qui a fare l'elenco di quello che ha dovuto patire, gi�� solo due aborti al settimo mese di gravidanza mi sembrano eventi talmente tragici da rendere superfluo qualsiasi commento.
Mi viene da pensare che la paralisi di lui sia alla fine solo la punta dell'iceberg, ma non �� cos��, sono due vite in cui tutto �� stato tragedia, sin dall'inizio, ma che si sono nutrite l'una dell'amore dell'altra. Leggerle, per��, mi fa un gran male, anche se mi serve a riprendere le coordinate giuste per la mia di vita.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Il film, Quasi Amici, �� di quelli che non possono lasciare indifferenti, ci continuo a pensare da giorni, da quando l'ho visto, e cos�� quando ieri parlando con un'amica ho saputo che c'era un libro, scritto da uno dei due protagonisti reali della storia, Philippe Pozzo Di Borgo, come cita la quarta di copertina ��rampollo di nobile famiglia, ricco, colto, affascinante e amante delle cose belle e raffinate, paralizzar dal collo in gi�� a seguito di un incidente di parapendio��, ho provato subito il desiderio di leggerlo, di conoscere la "sua" storia, la sua versione degli stessi fatti raccontati dal film.
L'ho acquistato su Amazon un quarto d'ora fa, pi�� o meno, e adesso �� nel mio Kindle, e non posso fare a meno, mi dico, di leggere almeno l'introduzione. Solo quella penso, perch�� ho gi�� tante cose in lettura, GdL che partono, il desiderio di non sovrapporre parole ad altre parole; ma si sa come vanno queste cose, inizio e non riesco pi�� a fermarmi, ed inizio anche il primo capitolo.
Dice Philippe, gi�� nell'introduzione a questa nuova edizione di una prima autobiografia che nella prima versione aveva il bellissimo titolo ��Le second souffle��, il secondo soffio, ��il film Quasi Amici scorre leggero tra scoppi di risa; io non posso rinunciare a una certa seriet��, percepibile nell'interpretazione che del mio personaggio d�� Francoise Cluzet��.
E la storia si fa subito seria, perch�� non si pu�� non pensare alla realt�� drammatica in cui l'autore di queste parole si trova sin dall'immediata convalescenza successiva all'incidente, quando racconta: ��Un amico mi aveva installato un dispositivo sulla testa, collegandolo allo schermo di un computer. L'alfabeto sfilava sullo schermo; io fermavo il cursore, e veniva visualizzata una lettera. A poco a poco queste lettere formavano parole, mezze frasi, pagine�� ed io leggendo, quasi tra le lacrime, inizio a ricordare un'altra storia, altrettanto drammatica, una storia che mi ha tolto il fiato, alla quale non riesco pi�� a pensare senza sentire una fitta al cuore, quella di ��Lo scafandro e la farfalla��, di quel giornalista francese imprigionato nel suo stesso corpo dopo un ictus, che scrisse il suo libro con il battito delle ciglia, parola dopo parola, mezza frase dopo mezza frase. Vado avanti, ��Il meglio erano la scelta dei vocaboli e quello sforzo estenuante: sbagliare non mi era concesso. Il peso di ogni lettera ancorava la frase sempre pi�� in profondit��, io ne assaporavo la precisione.
Per un mio compagno di lotta, che purtroppo �� mancato, la penna erano i battiti di una palpebra*��.
Ed io lo seguo, quell'asterisco, anche se gi�� so dove mi porter��.
(*) J.-D. Bauby, Lo scafandro e la farfalla
http://www.anobii.com/books/Lo_scafan...
November 30, 2024
I love the part about the French Revolution. The musicals were also bangers!
Read
January 22, 2025Nederlandse versie 🇳🇱
(De extra makkelijke editie, A2 boek)
Het is een mooi verhaal over vriendschap, en het terugvinden van de passie voor het leven ♥️
(De extra makkelijke editie, A2 boek)
Het is een mooi verhaal over vriendschap, en het terugvinden van de passie voor het leven ♥️
July 20, 2020
Dit zou het verhaal zijn van een vriendschap. Dat is het niet. Abdel wordt slechts in flarden beschreven als een kwajongen met wie je af en toe kan lachen, maar 90% gaat over Pozzo zelf - die duidelijk denkt dat hij een groot schrijver is, het tegendeel is echter waar. Ongetwijfeld heel erg wat de man heeft meegemaakt, maar herejezus wat. een. egotripper. Teleurgesteld.
July 29, 2017
Wealthy aristocrat, Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, descendent of two wealthy French families, likes to live life on the edge. However, in 1993, at a time when his wife was diagnosed with cancer, he breaks his neck in a reckless paragliding adventure and becomes unable to feel anything below the level of his neck; he is a quadriplegic. From that point onward his well-being, his happiness, his ability to stay alive depends totally upon the care of others and no amount of money or power can change that. So, he hires an Algerian immigrant, a violent man who argues with his fists and has done time in prison for theft, to be his carer.
I truly expected to enjoy A Second Wind by Philippe Pozzo di Borgo after having bought the Bluray and watched the movie Untouchable, based on the book, several times. But it didn't take me more than a few pages to realise that the book's very different. It's very depressing, full of illness, death, doom, dark thoughts. It's understandable given the author's plight but such darkness wasn't what I had expected after the jollity of the movie and it came as quite a shock. In fairness though, the book came first, published originally in French in 2001, and it was the makers of the movie that changed the nature of the story, bending the facts to suit a wider audience.
Such darkness in the book wasn't limited only to personal experience but the misery of others, and we read about the several miscarriages of his wife and how she was then diagnosed with cancer just before her husband goes and breaks his neck. That poor woman had so much to deal with.
I found much of A Second Wind jaw-droppingly horrific.
"I'd turn into the core of the thermal repeatedly until it ejected me, usually at the base of a cloud. I knew it wasn't allowed, but I still loved going up as far as I could. No one would follow me that high." p.74
Even after the accident, PPdB goes paragliding again, taking a less keen Abdel with him this time, and later paragliding with a young daughter.
"...my little girl is hooked onto my paragliding harness. The wing—the same one I had twenty years ago...is spread out behind me on the parvis of the Chateau de la Punta." p.249
There's a paragraph where he drives his car, encouraged by the passenger, a little girl, another daughter.
"The faster I went, the broader the smile on her face. We'd play a game: no braking on corners until the last minute, go over a hundred miles per hour on even a hint of straight road, always overtake dawdlers." pg 68
While Omar Sy's character Driss (Abdel) was cheeky with an edge, Philippe Pozzo di Borgo's numerous anecdotes about Abdel's violence, attitude towards women, are less than favourable, far less still amusing.
" '...I ran into some jerk-off parking attendant who called me a dirty Algerian...' ...the attendant had laid hands on Abdel and received a violent uppercut for his pains. His face was covered in blood and several teeth had exploded out of his mouth." p.234
Abdel plays a minor role in the accounts in the book but appears towards the end of this 255 page biography. There are times when Abdel is cast in a caring light and it's clear that Philippe Pozzo di Borgo owes Abdel his life, several times over.
The book has received great praise and high ratings so obviously it appeals to some but I cannot recommend it. Watch the movie instead if you want to feel uplifted while appreciating the plight of the leading character.
I truly expected to enjoy A Second Wind by Philippe Pozzo di Borgo after having bought the Bluray and watched the movie Untouchable, based on the book, several times. But it didn't take me more than a few pages to realise that the book's very different. It's very depressing, full of illness, death, doom, dark thoughts. It's understandable given the author's plight but such darkness wasn't what I had expected after the jollity of the movie and it came as quite a shock. In fairness though, the book came first, published originally in French in 2001, and it was the makers of the movie that changed the nature of the story, bending the facts to suit a wider audience.
Such darkness in the book wasn't limited only to personal experience but the misery of others, and we read about the several miscarriages of his wife and how she was then diagnosed with cancer just before her husband goes and breaks his neck. That poor woman had so much to deal with.
I found much of A Second Wind jaw-droppingly horrific.
"I'd turn into the core of the thermal repeatedly until it ejected me, usually at the base of a cloud. I knew it wasn't allowed, but I still loved going up as far as I could. No one would follow me that high." p.74
Even after the accident, PPdB goes paragliding again, taking a less keen Abdel with him this time, and later paragliding with a young daughter.
"...my little girl is hooked onto my paragliding harness. The wing—the same one I had twenty years ago...is spread out behind me on the parvis of the Chateau de la Punta." p.249
There's a paragraph where he drives his car, encouraged by the passenger, a little girl, another daughter.
"The faster I went, the broader the smile on her face. We'd play a game: no braking on corners until the last minute, go over a hundred miles per hour on even a hint of straight road, always overtake dawdlers." pg 68
While Omar Sy's character Driss (Abdel) was cheeky with an edge, Philippe Pozzo di Borgo's numerous anecdotes about Abdel's violence, attitude towards women, are less than favourable, far less still amusing.
" '...I ran into some jerk-off parking attendant who called me a dirty Algerian...' ...the attendant had laid hands on Abdel and received a violent uppercut for his pains. His face was covered in blood and several teeth had exploded out of his mouth." p.234
Abdel plays a minor role in the accounts in the book but appears towards the end of this 255 page biography. There are times when Abdel is cast in a caring light and it's clear that Philippe Pozzo di Borgo owes Abdel his life, several times over.
The book has received great praise and high ratings so obviously it appeals to some but I cannot recommend it. Watch the movie instead if you want to feel uplifted while appreciating the plight of the leading character.
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