The Conversation

by David Brooks

Brimming with mystery, confessions, food, and philosophy, this novel tells the tale of two strangers who meet in a restaurant in the Italian city of Trieste. Stephen, an Australian engineer living in Paris, and Irena, an Italian translator, share a meal and exchange stories in an atmosphere of geniality and refinement. As the story gradually unfolds in conversation, the two reflect upon culture, language, history, art, love and desire, and share all of the thoughts and sensations that strike an Australian in Europe. Filled with whimsy and the romantic exotica of an Italian setting, this mysterious plot makes for a wonderfully entertaining read that effortlessly balances substance with style.

Genres: Fiction, Relationships

237 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

David Brooks has published several collections of poetry, short fiction and essays, and four novels, The House of Balthus (1995), The Fern Tattoo (2007), The Umbrella Club (2009) and The Conversation (2012). His work has been highly acclaimed, widely translated and anthologised, and shortlisted for the Miles Franklin, New South Wales Premier’s, Adelaide Festival and many other awards. In 2011 he published The Sons of Clovis: Ern Malley, Adoré Floupette, and a secret history of Australian poetry. He teaches Australian literature at the University of Sydney, is co-editor of the journal Southerly, lives in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, and spends a small part of each year in a village on the sea coast of Slovenia.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be warned! This book is bad for the waistline. It will send you rushing to your nearest Italian restaurant.

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a GR giveaway, this has not impacted on my ability to review this critically and honestly.

7/11 - First I would like to comment on the lovely hardcover edition I recieved. The book has a lovely dust jacket with a very European/cosmpolitan painting showing a traditional, ceramic water jug on what looks like a scarred wooden table or bench surrounded by apples and pears. Immediately it transports me to Italy or France and a house with a family living a more traditional life; making their own pasta, collecting eggs from chickens, milk from their own goats to make cheese, a life lived almost free of electronics. Before I even started reading I knew that it would be set in Europe.
In the description of the book at the top of this page it says something about it being a mystery, I would have to agree with this statement. So far, I don't really know what's going on. The book is written from the unnamed main character's point of view, but not in the first person (it's written as 'he' did this, and 'he' did that, not 'I'). The writing is quite abrupt and sharp, a lot of one or two word sentences. A number of characters have been named but there hasn't been a lot (or any) explanation of who they are - Marina and Genevieve for example. It's kind of like reading a diary written only for the eyes of the writer, and so there is no need to explain who anyone is, because the writer already knows. Can't say categorically whether I like/will like The Conversation or not yet. To be continued...

8/11 - The pages I read last night have added a star to my review. They were full of wonderful descriptions of some appetite stimulating Italian food - tagliatelle with squid in its own ink, hand rolled pasta with generously shaved white truffles, deep fried zucchini flowers and more. I LOVE deep fried zucchini flowers, although I've always had them stuffed with ricotta, which, I have now learnt, is considered a corruption of the delicate flavour of the zucchini flower. I also learnt that while I have always wanted to try squid ink pasta that due to the possibility of coming out of the restaurant looking like I'm wearing a nosferatu halloween mask, I don't think I'll be trying it whilst out in public. To be continued...

9/11 - Amazingly Brooks has given his main character a theory scarily close to my own regarding why I am more comfortable talking to people through email (although he's talking about letters) than I am in real life. It was like reading something straight out of my mind. While being scary, it was also cool because I had always been of the opinion that I am a bit weird for thinking this and that most normal people wouldn't agree with me or understand why I would be more comfortable hiding behind the annonymity of the internet. The same goes for his thoughts on why I've always found it far easier to tell a complete stranger the most intimate things while I would never even consider talking about the same things with my best, lifelong friends. The last 75 pages or so have been more focused on the philosophy of relationships and ideas like what I already noted above and an even more controversial idea - that we are all bisexual, most people just don't explore these feelings because society tells us it's wrong. To be continued...

10/11 - This last passage was heavily loaded with philosophising and asking questions about why society as a whole thinks the way it does. I found this a little difficult to read and close to being a bit boring. The story continued to move along, we learned more about the background, especially in the romantic sense, of both Stephen and his dining companion Irena. The more I learn about Irena the less I find I can like her. Every past relationship she reveals seems to revolve around her having an affair with a married man, something which I find almost impossible to sympathise with after being a child on the other side of the situation. To be continued...

12/11 - Well after a day to think about the book, I'm still not sure what I'm going to write to conclude this review. I would definitely say that I liked it, but I don't think I liked it for its main theme - the philosophy of relationships (at least that's what I saw as being the main theme), my main reason for enjoying it was the food. While I own a copy of it after winning it in a giveaway I'm not sure if I will ever pick it up again, and if I do my reasons will probably have more to do with the food than the story.

[Georgie Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunning account of older man and a younger woman being brought together by chance at a restaurant and then enjoying a deep and wandering philosophical conversation about life and love, what it means to love, the sometimes self destructive acts around love and how this all intertwined with life purpose.
The perfectly paced and rich text is so deeply satisfying. It is so visual. I could see the Irena and Steven sitting the table, the surroundings, the other patrons. I would be at the box office on opening day if this were made in to a film.

[Ceyrone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was recommended to me by a librarian, it’s not a book I would ever have picked up for myself. I am also not really familiar with this author. But I kind of liked this. It’s basically just a conversation between strangers in a town in Italy. And over the course of a meal, they just speak freely and openly. I found it nice the idea of connecting with someone, for a short amount of time, and parting ways, never to see that person again. Something romantic in that notion.

[Angelique Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read in a long time. A delicate conversation that tears into the flesh of human desire and sexual delusion. Fragments of the Stephen and Irena conversation will stay will me for a long time. A little pompous and elitist in parts.

[Andrew Grenfell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would give this 2.5 stars, if only I could. Moderately engaging, but lacking in X factor.

[David Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful book that also makes you very hungry. What a great meal they ate!

[Tjasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Morgan Laird · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can appreciate why someone would like this book but it wasn't really for me. Too philosophical.
The food had my mouth watering though.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Brooks became one of my must-read authors when his novel The Fern Tattoo (2008) was nominated for the Miles Franklin award, and I really enjoyed The Umbrella Club when it was released in 2009. (See my review). He’s also the author of The Sons of Clovis, (2011) which is an exploration of the infamous Ern Malley literary hoax, a subject that sounds very interesting to me.

The Conversation is a departure from the previous novels – it’s more of a meditation on life than anything else. It’s a beautifully presented book, with a sumptuous dustjacket with gilt lettering, expensive paper and gorgeous saffron coloured cover boards. It feels lovely to hold it in your hands, especially as Brooks conjures up a sensual meal enjoyed in the warmth of an Italian evening, far from everyday life. An older man and a young woman are dining alone in a restaurant in Trieste, and a gust of wind blows his papers on to her table. They end up dining together. From this unlikely premise, a long discursive conversation ensues, in which they share the most intimate of thoughts. The book is structured around the courses of the meal, affording the opportunity for the characters to share their opinions on culture, philosophy, history, and art, as well as on their personal experiences of love. These two seem like soulmates drawn together by the Fates because it’s the kind of conversation one would love to have with a Beloved.

It’s because they are strangers who will never meet again, that they feel able to talk so openly about all kinds of taboo subjects including suicide, sexual experience, and betrayal.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2012/11/12/t...

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book. The conversation that it contained were really thought provoking. I even started some of the conversations with my own children to get their spin on the them. Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for the chance of winning this book. The conversations that the book contained were interesting and not the usual conversation that people would have. But I do agree that sometimes it is easier talking to complete stranger than it is to your own family or friends. When talking to them sometimes you have to be careful on what you say, as you might accidently upset them. But talking to a stranger sometimes you are more free to say what you actually think. I really liked the book which is why I gave it a 4 star rating. Thank you again for this opportunity.

[Blue Mountains Library]

Stephen Mitchell, an engineer, has been posted to a job in Monfalcone, a city in Italy’s north-east, just north of the Gulf of Venice. He’s wandering about this particular afternoon, missing his wife and daughter, when he decides to dine at the Caffe Cosini. He is seated outside and is writing some postcards when a sudden gust of wind changes the nature of the evening he thought he was going to have. The novel is as its title suggests – a conversation, about the complex life experiences we all try to make sense of. Its ending may surprise you though.

Alison

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea is interesting but just didn't seem to be in the mood. A man and a woman meet while both eating on their own. End up having a very long conversation about relationships and adultery. The man is twice the age of the woman and he has married twice whereas she has never married though she has had several relationships. Interesting to heat a man's ideas about why he has affairs. I wonder if Brooks imagined the woman's responses or talked to a woman about them. Tended to skim a lot.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rarely do I finish a book and want to immediately go back to the beginning and read it again. For me, The Conversation is a perfect novel - big themes delicately woven into a conversation - about love, desire, politics, history, food and so much more - over the many courses of an intricately-described Italian meal. Beautifully written - so light and yet complex. Loved it.

[Krissy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this book but I am afraid it just did not rate. The conversation felt stilted and fairly insincere. Was hoping it would be a sensitive book that provoked thought, but just found it unnatural. The subject matter (love, sex, life etc...) may have been more sincere if written by a female.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would think someone could write a whole book about a conversation! This is so cleverly written, with little asides, deep thoughts, questions and answers that normally one would never share with a stranger. The waiter, the food and the wine are the background to what turns out to be a very special night. What a perfectly clever ending!

[Barbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book although I suspect the author was trying to impress us all with his intelligence. Interesting ending.....

[Corrinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different, not sure I enjoyed it. Not a book that had me thinking about it for days after. Struggling to recall any 'moments' even now. To sum up in a word 'nothing'.

[Shani Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Conversation by David Brooks

Like the characters in the book I didn't want it to end. I was scared the author would ruin it all with a stupid twist. He didn't.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really interesting idea, but for some reason it didn't quite engage me as much as I was expecting it to? It did grow on me as the novel went on, and I liked it much more by the end.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, great idea but it sort of runs out of steam. If only you could have dinner conversations like this though!