Troje

by Valérie Perrin, Maja Ručević (Translator)

Nina Beau, Étienne Beaulieu i Adrien Bobin imaju deset godina kad se početkom rujna 1986. upoznaju u dvorištu osnovne škole u La Comelleu, gradiću u francuskoj provinciji. Povezuje ih podudarnost - početno slovo njihovih prezimena. No ubrzo postaju nerazdvojni. Zavjetuju se da će jednoga dana napustiti svoj gradić i zajedno otići na studij u Pariz, osnovati bend i nikada se ne razdvajati. No trideset jednu godinu poslije više se ne viđaju, ne razgovaraju, glazbena pratnja njihove priče iznenada je utihnula…

Godina je 2017. Iz jezera u La Comelleu izvučena je automobilska olupina u kojoj je tijelo. O tom događaju za lokalne novine izvještava Virginie, novinarka tajanstvene prošlosti. Ona malo-pomalo otkriva da postoji posebna veza između troje nerazdvojnih prijatelja iz djetinjstva. Što se u međuvremenu dogodilo s njima? Kako je olupina s dna jezera povezana s Ninom, Étienneom i Adrienom?

Suosjećajno, ali iskreno i neumoljivo, gradeći svojim prepoznatljivim stilom slojevitu priču o odrastanju, Valérie Perrin pripovijeda o troje prijatelja, o njihovim životnim izborima, prijateljstvu i ljubavi, boli i gubitku, nadama i obećanjima. Kao i u velikom svjetskom hitu Svježa voda za cvijeće, i u ovom romanu majstorski isprepleće sudbine svojih pomno razrađenih likova. Prenoseći nam njihove složene emocije, hrabro ponire u neslućene dubine životne stvarnosti otkrivajući nesmiljenu prolaznost vremena.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, France, Mystery, Audiobook, Roman, Contemporary

592 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2021

About the author

Valérie Perrin est une romancière française. Elle est aussi photographe de plateau et scénariste auprès de son compagnon Claude Lelouch.
Son premier roman, "Les oubliés du dimanche" (2015), a reçu de nombreux prix, dont celui de Lire Élire 2016 et de Poulet-Malassis 2016. Après son succès en France, il sort en Italie en septembre 2016 et en Allemagne début 2017.
En 2018, elle a reçu le prix Maison de la Presse pour son deuxième roman "Changer l'eau des fleurs" (Albin Michel, 2018).

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘They were three, or nothing.’

A good, long book is like a biscuit. It has lots of nooks and crannies to let the butter in. Three, the newest translation of Valérie Perrin since her much lauded Fresh Water for Flowers, is a book like this, taking its time to let the relationships and scope of the story breathe in order to craft a quiet epic on friendships tossed about the winds of change and tides of time. Three chronicles the lives of three friends, Nina, Adrien, and Étienne, from childhood through the tumultuous times of young adulthood that can dash dreams upon the rocks, all interwoven with a disappearance in their late teens that threatens to come to light two decades later. Perrin weaves a tale so full of tension as she teases out details, compounding secrets on top of secrets until even the secrets have secrets as the reader will undoubtedly be compulsively flipping pages. Beautifully written and well-translated by Hildegarde Serle, Three examines the fragile ecosystem of childhood friendships, how ‘time separates those who love each other,’ how the bad behaviors of men threaten the safety and sanity of others, but is ultimately a hopeful look at how some bonds can survive time and betrayals and despite it all still be a guiding light when someone needs it most.

‘We think we know everything about our friends, when really we know nothing.’

One of Perrin’s greatest strengths in Three is her balance of being completely absorbed in the lives of the characters yet knowing very little about them at the same time. This is not unlike the trio of friends, it turns out, who share their every waking moment together through school years but, with each new secret or betrayal, find those closest to them are still strangers in many ways. The novel weaves a present narrative set in 2017 with the characters' whole life history, going back and forth each chapter. ‘Étienne is the most rebellious, Adrien the touchiest, Nina the most sensitive,’ we quickly learn during their youth, yet in the scenes set in 2017 they appear even strangers to us, the reader. Perrin slowly reveals details with perfect precision, baiting us along without making anything confusing but making you crave answers. Such as, who is the narrator and how do they know the trio?

’ Today, out of the three, only Adrien still speaks to me. Nina despises me. As for Étienne, it’s me who can longer stand him. And yet, they’ve fascinated me since childhood. I’ve only ever become attached to those three. And to Louise.’

Where does this character fit in? Why? And This is a novel where even the secrets have secrets, and as a self-admitted gossip, I had to know all the answers. Every character seems to have something hidden within them—except for Emmanuel Damamme who is too busy hiding all the letter “M”s in his name and it is no secret he is an abusive husband—and while the novel may be a bit long, it is precisely because of that length we are able to have a feeling of intimacy with the characters in order to make each betrayal stab the reader’s hearts along with their friends. These are dynamic characters and react in ways that feel authentic, even when surprising.

‘In every life there are some befores and afters.’

Perrin so perfectly captures the bonds of youth, showing an intense friendship around making big dreams together (moving to Paris to become a band) and supporting each other along like way. Yet nothing is cast as golden era nostalgia, examining abusive teachers and the longings felt in their lives. Particularly for Nina and Adrienne, each growing up without full parents (Adrienne their father, Nina raised by her grandfather). The aspect of each character’s family functioning as extended family for the three friends brought back many good memories of my own childhood, and how many close friend’s parents I just referred to as Mom and Dad because I practically lived at their homes and they helped raise me. That aspect of the novel really hit home for me.

‘We’re all victims of “the departed” . . .’

In a novel that emphasizes how intertwined lives can become, it also shows how the removal of one member in this careful ecosystem can really upset everything. ‘Their youth, which he thought was a strength, has been jolted, shaken,’ we learn after a tragic accident changes their dynamics forever and threatens to shatter their goals. There are two primary deaths in the novel that change everything that follows, one of which being Clotilde who’s disappearance or possible murder is at the back of the reader’s mind the whole way. Who did it, and why? Through each turn and twist of the novel we see the darkness that lurks in the caverns of human hearts, often born of jealousy, and the book becomes a complex web of motivations and betrayals.

The saddest part, we see, is it is often that men wish to control women. Emmanuel is an opportunist who uses a tragedy in Nina’s life as an opportunity to separate her from her friends, tying her into a controlling relationship that sucks the life out of her. He sees her as his property and would rather see her dead than with another man. Even Étienne is characterized by his misogyny, viewing women as sexual playthings he thinks he can cast aside and takes a career path for the purpose of having power over others. ‘He’d become a cop, and apply the law to stop any other Clotildes, or cheats, from trapping men,’ Perrin tells us, the emphasis being that Étienne believes women’s primary goal is to trap men. This is juxtaposed with Emmauel who is quite literally trying to force Nina to be pregnant against her will to maintain his hold on her.

‘at least you’ve helped that particular life, which is no less important than any other life.’

This is a complex novel and one that is unafraid to create dynamic characters full of flaws. It is the stuff of life, which really works. While some of the situations presented might not be slightly unfortunate to be giving voice too, the message is clear that everyone makes mistakes, everyone has flaws, and we need to love each other despite them. What sort of world would we have if there wasn’t room for love in all the darkness? It is also a novel where people can change and grow, and that we should accept ourselves for who we are. And accept our friends even if we do not fully understand. It should also be noted that this is written through the eyes of a specific character, a writer in fact, which adds a nice layer of perspective and questioning of the narrative.

This is a long novel with a lot of room to breathe, but it races by and truly engulfs you in it’s complexities. Many of the revelations hit hard near the end, though I did find the novels attempt to satisfy every loose end to be, ultimately, a bit unsatisfying. It becomes almost too tightly knotted and convenient in ways that the rest of the novel had been able to avoid by showing that life is a messy endeavour. I was reminded of a review from James Wood in the New Yorker where he wrote about a similar ending:

‘Narrative secrets are not the same as human mysteries, a lesson that novelists seem fated to forget, again and again; the former quickly confess themselves, and fall silent, while the true mysteries go on speaking.’

While this may be a bit harsher than I’d put it, it also points at exactly what I felt about the tidy ending to the novel. Though this is also a very personal and subjective opinion, I just tend to like books that leave you not unlike a cut on the roof of your mouth, something you tongue away at and ponder for days to come, endings that chafe away at your soul a bit with the grit to stick by you. I do see this being a very satisfying ending for other readers though, and I do enjoy how hopeful it was.

‘Thank goodness that life, occasionally, perseveres.’

This book was a wild ride and I quite enjoyed the time spent in Perrin’s words along with her characters. Three will certainly keep you turning pages and will bring back nostalgia for the loved ones of your youth. I found it easy to care for these characters despite their flaws, even when they were such shits, because the dynamics worked so well. There is a wonderful attention to music, with a big playlist of all the characters favorite songs popping up through the pages, and it captures how song lyrics can be so meaningful to us in times of need. A big book with a big heart, Three is a fun read.

3.5/5

‘All that was left was the void of the present. Everything to build.’

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

French writer Valerie Perrin follows her superb Fresh Water for Flowers with this exploration of lifelong friendships, beautifully translated by Hildegarde Serle. In the town of La Comelle in the heart of Burgundy in 1986, 10 year old schoolchildren, Nina Beau, Etienne Beaulieu and Adrien Bobin become inseparable, a friendship that will define their lives and their families, Etienne is to be found on the left, Nina in the middle, the link between the 2 boys, and Adrien on the right. In 2017, more than 3 decades later, the past comes to haunt the present as a car is pulled up from the bottom of a lake with a body inside, a story closely followed by local journalist, Virginie. She simultaneously reflects on the nature of the relationships between the trio who are now no longer in touch, absences shaped into separations that became a habit.

In a story that goes back and forth in time, Perrin illustrates her talent in creating nuanced, flawed and compulsive characters and in subtly depicting intricate and intimate human relationships in all their complexities as the trio face the joys and the strains of life's challenges through the decades. There is the vicious and sadistic teacher, Mr Py, who targets Adrien, the reading of stolen letters, the love of music that led to the composing and writing of lyrics for songs, Etienne's cheating at school and his relationship with Clothilde Marais, and the plan for leaving their small town provincial lives by moving to Paris together. However, the occurrence of a shocking tragedy results in the burial of Nina's life as a young girl, with the serious repercussionsthat are to test the trio. Nina now devotes her life to the animal shelter she runs, she has nothing in the way of a private life.

Perrin highlights how it might be possible to not really know someone, despite the fact that you have been as close as it might be possible to be through the decades. The pressures the trio face from others, the madness, jealousies, obsession, deception and machinations extract a heavy price as can be observed with Nina's marriage to the older, wealthy and handsome Emmanuel Dammamme. This is wonderful character driven storytelling to immerse yourself in, touching on the universal themes of what it is to be human, our connections and disconnections, identity, family, friendship, love, loss, grief, guilt, sexuality, judgements, bad decisions and betrayal. A stellar read that I highly recommend. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

[Sujoya - theoverbookedbibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

“They were three, or nothing.”

On the third of September, 1986, Nina Beau, Étienne Beaulieu and Adrien Bobin are placed together in the same fifth grade class of École Pasteur in La Comelle, Burgundy. Nina, abandoned by her mother as a baby, father unknown is being raised by her loving grandfather, a postal worker. Étienne belongs to an affluent family and lives with his parents, younger sister Louise and has an elder brother who is away pursuing higher studies. Adrien is being raised by his mother who was once the mistress of Adrien’s father who is a fleeting presence in Adrien’s life, paying support to Josephine and meeting Adrien infrequently.

“Étienne was the leader, Nina the heart, and Adrien followed with never a complaint.”

What follows is a wonderful childhood- inseparable friends sharing their joys, their sorrows, their families and their respective dreams - dreams beyond La Comelle - making plans and promises of a future spent supporting one another as they pursued their dreams.

“Adrien secretly dreams of recognition, he wants his compositions to be lauded to shut his father up, and never have to smell his chlorophyll breath ever again. Étienne dreams of what accompanies fame: the gilded existence, the easy life. Nina hopes to sing, draw, and fall passionately in love.”

But when Nina’s grandfather meets with a fatal accident in 1994 weeks before Nina is to leave for Paris with her friends, life changes for all three of them. Three friends embrace their new realities and their lives take them in different directions and away from one another. Nina stays back to marry her obsessive suitor which leads to an unhappy marriage. Adrian and Étienne leave and eventually, Adrien finds fame as a writer and Étienne becomes a police officer.

On the very same day, 17 August 1994, eighteen-year-old Clotilde Marais, known to all three of them, disappears without a trace. On 5 December 2017, a car reported stolen in 1994 is found after having been submerged in “Lac de la Forêt”. Human remains are found in the car and after years of being apart, the three of them are drawn together once again by “the secret that only the three think they know” and much more. After years of avoiding one another, the three are forced to confront their secrets, lies and betrayals and accept who they have become and reveal the same to one another.

"We think we know everything about our friends, when really we know nothing.”

It is rare to finish a 550+ page book and come out saying that you wish it hadn’t ended. That is how I feel about Valérie Perrin’s Three (brilliantly translated by Hildegarde Serle). From the moment I met these three characters, I felt invested in their stories- both as individuals and as friends. As we follow Nina, Étienne and Adrien from their childhood through their adolescence and adulthood we bear witness to their struggles, their resilience and their friendship. They triumph, they stumble, they hurt one another, they are hurt by one another and others, they make mistakes, they are weak, they are strong - in other words, they are real and relatable, simple in what they want from life yet complex in their emotions and their relationships with one other, with others in their lives and in how they perceive themselves.

While we not may always agree with what they say or do, these are characters that we want to stay with and be a part of their stories. The mystery surrounding Clotilde Marais’s disappearance and the discovery of the car found submerged in the lake is intriguing and serves as the bridge between the past and present. Virginie’s first-person narrative, which is interspersed throughout the main narrative, also lends a sense of mystery around her relationship with the 'Three', and her intimate knowledge of the three friends and their lives also keeps you guessing as to who she might be.

“My name is Virginie. I’m the same age as them. Today, out of the three, only Adrien still speaks to me. Nina despises me. As for Étienne, it’s me who can longer stand him. And yet, they’ve fascinated me since childhood. I’ve only ever become attached to those three. And to Louise.”

The author does an excellent job of transitioning between past and present-day events and never for a moment does the reader lose interest. The author touches upon many important and relevant themes in this novel such as abandonment, jealousy, obsession, sexual identity,spousal abuse, and grief- and does so with great emotional depth and the utmost sensitivity. I loved how the love for and protection of animals was woven into the narrative. The writing is exquisite, the narrative is engaging and flows seamlessly across different timelines and the characterizations are superb. The author does justice to not only the main characters in the novel but also every one of the supporting characters in their lives, Louise , in particular.

Having loved Valérie Perrin’s Fresh Water for Flowers, I could not wait to pick up this novel and I was not disappointed. I cannot thank Kristi Bontrager at Europa Editions enough for the digital review copy of this beautifully written, compelling and immersive novel.

“Imagine you’ve been unable to move for years because your fist is clenched inside a container, and to manage to pull your hand out, to free yourself, you just need to let go of what you’re clutching in your clenched fist…..You open up your hand, you lose what’s inside it, it falls to the bottom of the container, but you are free.”

[Canadian Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may have been"Three" but it's a 5!

Three is the story of 3 childhood friends. Bound together from grade 4. The bestest of friends. Adrienne, Etienne & Nina with the same dream: to escape their province outside of the city and together venture to Paris and never part.

But tragedy strikes one life, shattering their threesome and childhoods dreams. And like dominoes, the three fall. A car is dredged up in the local lake that reunites the 3 back again decades later.

Beautiful, intimate characterizations. This is a story about life. The choices we make; the relationships we have; the endurance of those relationships throughout long gaps and life events. The complexity and dynamics of friendships.

There is something magical and lyrical in Perrin’s writings. Nothing lost in the actual translation.

I have an affinity to France now having been there recently. But also an affinity to animal shelters. I adored Fresh Water for Flowers and this one also successfully yanked at my heart strings. Be still my heart ❤︎ Hands down - on my all time favourites and favourites for 2022!

[Lénia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faltam-me as palavras para falar sobre este livro.

Começo pelo fim: aplauso de pé para a tradução (fabulosa) e para a revisão (irrepreensível). Nunca senti que estivesse a ler um livro traduzido e este é o maior elogio que se pode fazer a uma tradução.

Sobre o livro: Valérie Perrin é uma exímia contadora de histórias. A forma como nos apresenta as narrativas despindo-as por camadas é qualquer coisa de fenomenal. O prato está ali, diante de nós, mas vamos demorar bastante até percebermos exatamente o que é isto que Perrin nos serve para jantar.

Esta história é um novelo muitíssimo bem enleado: detalhes, camadas, segredos, suspeitas... tudo chega à hora certa. E no fim... a boca aberta de espanto, voltar ao início e “como é que ela fez isto??”. E querer mais... e saber que não há.

Aconselho este livro sem reservas. A Breve Vida das Flores, também de Valérie Perrin, já tinha entrado para a minha lista de favoritos da vida. Este “Três” faz-lhe agora companhia. E anseio pelo. dia em que vou poder ler mais um livro de Valérie Perrin.

Bravo!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner for me from this author..as I loved her Fresh Water For Flowers!
The story of three friends in France, who meet at school on the first day of fifth grade. They become inseparable, it last throughout the decades through good times and bad and some very difficult situations .. although they had some intermittent separation after high school graduation.
Etienne, Nina, and Andre… I’ll remember them and I believe I will think about them often.
I love getting lost in a big novel.
This was a big one… but.. I still wanted more!

[Fedezux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il fatto che, nonostante la stanchezza, io sia rimasta sveglia a leggere finché non sono arrivata alla fine, è un ottimo segnale.

"Tre" è un romanzo decisamente estivo.
Sulle sue pagine quasi si sentono il profumo di salsedine e di crema solare.

Presenta diversi misteri da svelare e diversi piani temporali che non fanno altro che confondere le idee al lettore.

È un libro che si fa divorare.
Pieno zeppo di storie, colpi di scena e rivelazioni.

Andando però oltre all'aspetto da lettura da vacanza, se guardiamo sotto la superficie, troveremo una storia che parla di crescita e di legami di amicizia.

Una sorta di romanzo di formazione al cubo che ci trasporta nelle vite ingarbugliate dei protagonisti.

Tre persone che si sono perse di vista tante volte, ma che in un modo o nell'altro si ritrovano sempre.

Che alla fine è un po' quello che succede ad ogni grande amicizia, no?

Per me un super sì!

[Alex.andthebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ta książka jest absolutnie przepiękna

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Three friends, Adrien, Etienne and Nina are ten years old when they meet and form a tight friendship. They vowed to always be friends....

A car has been pulled from the body of a lake with a body inside. A local journalist begins investigating the case....

This is a book that takes it time. It has a lot to tell about their lives, the relationships, friendships, and families. This is another book that begs the question 'How well do you know someone’ What happens when life gets in the way, when you grow up together yet grow apart? What happens when you make a decision that changes everything?

I listened to the audiobook and at times I thought it was never going to end. Life takes time as does this book. Unfortunately, I struggle with slower books, but I kept listening as I wanted to know who things would end, the whole times wondering if I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read it. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it, but I struggled with it for most of the book. I did enjoy the back and forth between past and present but the I didn't quite have the patience for this one.

Many are enjoying this more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

This book also touches on some heavy subjects which might be difficult for some readers.

#Three #NetGalley

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like other readers, I was in awe over “Fresh Water For Flowers”, by the international French author Valerie Perrin.
I equally—(perhaps even more so)—thoroughly enjoyed reading THREE.
There are ‘good people’ in this novel. There was an idyllic period where three kids grew up together…..(blood-bonded-best-friends forever). Things began to change in puberty. … and continued changing into middle age.

THREE was emotionally and intellectually wonderful. The mysteries were intricate and absorbing and its characters unforgettable.
It’s not quite a thriller, not exactly a coming of age story…it’s ‘both’….
…..as well as something more.
It’s that something more that twirls around in the readers mind. In my mind!!! And I’m still living inside this novel.

It’s a breathtaking meditation on loss, love, intimate relationship ties, lies, trust, brokenness, differences, separation, anger, misunderstandings, hope, sex, death, …. with plot twists …..that by the end a resolution of sorts ties those plot twists together.

It’s the type of book that makes reading - an epic multifaceted character driven journey — 500+ pages —satisfying— deeply affecting — all encompassing……twisting our heart and thoughts with surprises—secrets, withholds, lies, mystery…..all so fragile, brittle, sharp and pulsing with voices so real — that it’s as if the characters hobbled off the page—to join you for tea and toast.

The prose with its complex drama is a novel of high caliber—- THESE CHARACTERS ARE VIVIDY ALIVE.

I didn’t even want to attempt writing a review — to be honest — because THE CHARACTERS FEEL THAT REAL…..and in the same way I’m not a fan of gossip — I don’t want to color other readers experience with what might ‘feel’ similar to gossip too.
I don’t want to dish out the dirt — give my ‘opinions’ of the trio …. (not too much)….unless someone has already read the book.
But…
I will say the author, Valerie Perrin, handles her characters with utter compassion — never shrinking away from the truth of their destructiveness— behaviors—and choices.

Anyone who relishes great literature with highly developed characters, should appreciate THREE.

A few excerpts and tidbit droplets…..(always out of context — to avoid spoilers)

…..”Clotilde Marias disappeared, vanished, in the summer when she was eighteen”.

…..”Until the day he met Nina and Etienne, Adrien felt like ink that didn’t print. An empty cartridge. He’d always had the feeling he’d been born colorless, totally transparent. Until Nina and Etienne, one could press all the buttons, but the paper remained blank. Nina and Etienne gave him back his five senses. His breath, too. and certainly hope. That’s why he’s so attached to them”.

…..2017
…..”A car is pulled up from the bottom of the lake, a body inside. Virginie, a local journalist with an enigmatic past, follows the case. Step by step she reveals the extraordinary bonds that unite these three childhood friends. How is the car wreck connected to their story? Why did their friendship fall apart?”

…..”Between La Comelle and Paris, Nina had been dreaming while watching the scenery pass by: why not go back to music? Now that he was famous and recognized, Adrien would write lyrics for her and she’d sing them. And if they pushed a little, Etienne would join them. Was he truly happy in Lyon?, in the police? Nina would know what to say to get him to join them. To be Three again. They were still young, and life, the real one, after a six-year delay, was about to start” . . .

An interesting supporting cast too…. (a dislikable villain of sorts too)…
…..but personally I find trio-lifetime friendships fascinating….
The loyalty, energy and complexity are unique.
Perhaps only people who are part of a trio (50+ years with Lisi and Renee and I) understands the depth of comfort, richness, and sometimes delicate perplexities.

5 splendorous — WONDERFUL NOVEL - stars

[Grazia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zucchine

Era tempo che non cedevo all'impulso di acquisto al supermercato, per di più del best seller del momento.
•
Sapevo, intanto che mettevo il libro nel carrello insieme alle zucchine, [zucchina preludio di ... ça va sans dire😁] che sarebbe stata una delusione. Così è stato.
•
In questo libro c'è troppo di tutto. Troppe pagine (che ho letto tutte per espiare l'errore iniziale) ma assolutamente troppi temi: amicizia sì ma anche gravi maltrattamenti femminili, amore, eutanasia, transessualità, morte, "orfanitudine", abbandono animali...Insomma qualunque tema possa balenare nella mente in "Tre" compare.
•
Meglio fermarsi a "Cambiare l'acqua ai fiori". Già.

[Debbie W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why I chose to read/listen to this book:
1. since I really enjoyed Valérie Perrin's book Fresh Water for Flowers, GR friends recommended this one to me; and,
2. August 2025 is my "O and P Authors" Month!

Praises:
1. characters - even though I didn't like Nina's troubling behavior and the stupid choices she made, nor did I like Étienne's selfishness and arrogance towards others (I DID empathize with his wife!), I had a soft spot in my heart for Adrien throughout the story. He just came across like the 3rd-wheel in this group. So even though many characters were unlikeable, they were believable;
2. plot - as the characters aged and "matured", various connections slowly became revealed. I had so many questions about the characters and events that were eventually (and sometimes surprisingly) answered; and,
3. narrator Elisabeth Lagelée was the best choice for this story!

Niggles:
1. the story felt repetitious at times, making this book longer than it needed to be; and,
2. the audiobook editing wasn't the best. While easy enough to follow in the hardcopy, not enough "pause time" was given between timeline changes, leaving me, at times, somewhat confused.

Overall Thoughts:
This moving story about friendship filled me with so many emotions! I loved how Perrin's "Three" are imperfect as they reflect on their past, present, and future lives with each other.

[Diane Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's no way to describe this one adequately without using spoilers, which I never do, but I'll do my best. This is the story of three friends who meet on the first day of fifth grade, and remain friends into their forties, with a few glitches along the way. That's it, it's the best I can give you. Instead let me tell you you how I loved this book, and why.

This story is told in alternating timelines, from several points of view. It is so seamless and elegantly done that you never notice, and is really the only way it can be told. The narrator is a mystery through most of the book and once it's revealed, you think, "Of course". There are secrets, there are mysteries, there are love triangles, there is death and tragedy and joy, mistakes are made, support is given and withdrawn. This is a literary novel that reads like suspense. Life throws everything it's got at these three and their families, the suspense comes in wondering how they will handle it.

I forgot to mention that there is also music, and dogs and cats, and an animal shelter that all have starring roles. The Academy Award goes to Louise for best supporting actress. We all need a Louise in our life. This book has everything: great characters, fantastic story, charming settings. It's an epic tale, beautifully written and translated from the French. It's a chunkster, but you owe it to yourself as a reader. It's worth the time it takes, but if you're like me, it won't take long. I couldn't put it down and am now in reading limbo while waiting for the effects to wear off.

Straight onto my favorites list, and a big thank you to Megan who begged/bullied me into reading it now rather than later. It was on my tbr, but who knows when I would have gotten around to it?

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book feels like a kick in the ass and a kiss on the forehead, at the same time.
It broke my heart and it owns my soul.

[podczytany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dajcie mi chwilę, bo nie wiem czy nie dać 5 gwiazdek😱

Ocena: 4,5.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immersing yourself in a 550-page saga of three friends that spans 30+ years and delves into secrets, betrayals, adversities, intimacies, loss, obsession and more is an all-encompassing and particularly rewarding experience. After a while, you become so invested that the outer world melts away as the characters completely demand your attention – and empathy.

Such was my reading experience of three best friends, starting in 1986 – young schoolmates Adrien and Etienne and the girl Nina – which is interspersed by chapters set in 2017, when they have grown up and grown apart.

With the passage of time comes a metamorphosis that tests the limits of friendship as all three are molded by their fate and their secrets. One of the characters will harbor a secret that is existential in nature and will change the very essence of self-identity and outward perception. Another character is on a quest to determine the responsibility for events that occurred in youth. And the third suffers a tragedy that forces a choice and a chain of events that leads to a feeling of suffocation.

I’ve teased out the scenarios because the discovery of what the three must individually face is a big part of the joy of reading a novel like this. Suffice to say that Valerie Perrin is a master at racketing up interest and suspense. We root for these characters, despite the fact that each of them is badly flawed and sometimes makes the wrong choices. There is so much humanity in each of them that we identify with their outsider positions and want them to break free. The dialogue set up between the past (1986 onward) to the present (2017) is particularly compelling, giving us information that the younger-self characters do not possess.

At the end of the day, this novel is a book about friendship: how it changes, evolves, mutates, and ultimately, endures despite the world and all its challenges. The ending is a bit too frenetic and wrapped up for my liking, but that doesn’t change the fact that Three is an totally consuming book that makes it hard to come up for air while reading it. A huge thanks to Europa Edition for the privilege of being an advance reader in exchange for an honest review.

[Magdalena Miękińska (getbooky) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,85

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Overall, Valerie Perrin's latest novel Three is an enjoyable read. Her prose is beautiful and expressive; the translation is brilliant. The themes of friendship, growing up, misunderstandings, loss, sexuality, and identity are all ones with which I can identify. Perrin captures the atmosphere of small-town France. Her three main characters are multilayered, vulnerable, and wounded. Perrin has the ability to look deeply into the human heart. However, that talent shines and dims in various places in the book. At times I am right there with the three in France, and at other times I am very aware that I am reading a good book.

What pulls me out of this story? Some of the characters' actions don't feel true to me, such as some of Clothilde's decisions and Marie-Castille's behavior towards the end of the book. The writing around Adrien and Virginie sometimes feels forced or contrived in my reading. And I find the mystery aspect distracting. Now I love a good mystery/thriller. This story, however, feels to me that it wants to be a character driven novel; and I feel that the storyline of the car in the lake is a detour. I want a direct route into the souls of these people that I begin to care about. Don't you want to know more about a character who can say "That's exactly it, I'm afraid. . . . Of happiness, of liberation, of becoming who I am. I don't know who I am." ?

What I love about this novel outweighs these criticisms. There are plenty of places to stop along the way to ponder the various themes I listed above. And I am glad to have spent thirty years in La Comelle.

[vvenika.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niesamowita historia, zupełnie inna niż Życie Violette! Nie mogę się zdecydować, która książka podobała mi się bardziej, obie są największymi ulubieńcami. ❤️

[Isa | Mil Histórias · Rating 3 out of 5]

É certo que esta autora sabe criar personagens como ninguém. Fortes e profundas. Escreve lindamente. Mas esta história não me cativou. A certa altura a história torna-se arrastada. No entanto, irei certamente ler mais livros da autora.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Oh la la la la la! What an overcooked French-fried disorganized mess of a soap opera.

[Olga Kowalska (WielkiBuk) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Przejmująca do szpiku kości, nostalgiczna opowieść o trójce przyjaciół, o przemijającej idylli dzieciństwa i najgłębszej tajemnicy.

Skończyłam lekturę „Cudownych lat” z gulą w gardle, z poczuciem kolejnej straty, końca pewnej epoki. Bolało! To niby opowieść o trójce przyjaciół. Nierozłącznych, oddanych, kochających… O ich tak zwykłych chwilach codzienności i przełomów. O bliskości, jaką dzielą. O cierpieniu, w którym się wspierają. O żalu, który pozostaje nieukojony. I tajemnicy, w której tkwią, nie zdając sobie nawet z tego sprawy. I to mogłoby być tylko tyle, ale Valérie Perrin ma talent, i magią swojego pióra sprawia, że my, czytelnicy, dzielimy to wszystko z bohaterami. Każdy moment uchwycony jak w kropli bursztynu. Zatrzymany w czasie. I chcemy czy nie – powracamy do swoich przeszłości, do minionych czasów. A te powroty wcale nie przynoszą ukojenia.

I tym różnią się dla mnie „Cudowne lata” od „Życia Violette”. Chociaż dzielą tyle wspólnych motywów, chociaż można odnaleźć podobne nawiązania, to jednak najnowsza powieść Perrin nie działa kojąco. Nostalgia ma dla mnie słodko-gorzki posmak i taka jest właśnie ta powieść. Miejscami słodka i beztroska, miejscami (częściej) gorzka, bolesna, druzgocząca. Piękna i niezapomniana, ale zupełnie w inny sposób. Całkiem nie tak, jak byśmy się tego spodziewali. Co pozostaje niezmienne? Poczucie, że obcujemy z prozą poruszającą do głębi, jedną z opowieści, która zostawia swój ślad. I takie blizny mogę na sercu nosić.

[Aude Bouquine Lagandre · Rating 5 out of 5]

En littérature contemporaine, j’ai une affection toute particulière pour les écrivains qui osent cet exercice si difficile de créer des personnages que le lecteur va suivre dans le temps. Témoins d’une époque et de son évolution, plongés dans un environnement qui marque les esprits et les âmes, faits historiques, musique, odeurs, apprentissages, premiers émois, ces protagonistes ont le pouvoir d’ouvrir les portes de nos propres souvenirs et faire renaître la magie d’émotions éprouvées. En 1987, j’avais 13 ans. J’étais donc à peine plus âgée que Nina, Étienne et Adrien qui rentraient alors en classe de CM2. Nés en 1976, leurs années de jeunesse et d’adolescence sont quasiment les miennes. Leurs émotions, leurs peurs, leurs joies proches de celles que j’ai pu ressentir. Sans doute est-ce là un facteur majeur de la tendresse infinie ressentie pour eux et du coup de cœur phénoménal eu pour ce roman. Je crois que cela fait extrêmement longtemps que je n’ai pas ressenti un tel bien-être dans une lecture, des émotions si fortes et un dilemme aussi intense entre le terminer pour connaître le fin mot de l’histoire et le faire durer. « Des trois, Étienne est le plus frondeur, Adrien le plus susceptible, Nina la plus sensible. »

Valérie Perrin nous emmène en voyage sur une période de 30 années durant lesquelles les « Trois » vont construire leur amitié sur le tempo « à la vie, à la mort ». Inséparable, uni, soudé, leur trio deviendra plus fort encore durant les années de collège et de lycée… jusqu’à ce qu’un drame vienne bouleverser leurs vies et fragiliser cet équilibre si parfait. Oscillant entre le passé et le récit de leurs aventures et le présent qui va leur imposer de se réapprivoiser, Valérie Perrin nous plonge au cœur des âmes qui ne vieillissent pas, là où les rires et la vie jubilatoire ont toute leur place. Elle parvient, avec maestria, à nous faire aimer ces deux garçons et cette fille comme s’ils étaient nos meilleurs amis et à tirer d’eux de merveilleux souvenirs de jeunesse que nous avons nous aussi vécus et parfois oubliés. Agrémentées par la musique, des mélodies que nous avons tous fredonnées symbolisant souvent les premières fois, sous la houlette du groupe Indochine et de son album éponyme « 3 », les émotions associées aux sensations remontent à la surface. En 2017, nous sommes de retour dans leur village de Bourgogne où une voiture vient d’être retrouvée au fond d’un lac. Cet évènement rouvre des plaies, oblige à révéler des secrets enfouis, à formuler des non-dits. Que savait les « Trois » de cette voiture et de son éventuel passager ? Virginie, la narratrice raconte… Elle les a bien connus ces « Trois » -là, les a observé, et connaît leurs mystères. C’est adulte qu’elle les retrouve, mais c’est adolescent dont elle se souvient d’eux.

Valérie Perrin explore les époques pour raconter ces 30 ans de vie et décrypter ce qui sépare tout en racontant ces années à la façon d’un polar en suivant un fil rouge qui nous rattache à cette mystérieuse voiture tombée au fond du lac. Pourquoi se perd-on de vue ? Quelles sont les causes de l’effritement des liens lorsqu’on a été si unis ? Jusqu’à quel point la vie peut-elle nous séparer ?

Nina Beau, Étienne Beaulieu, Adrien Bobin resteront longtemps dans mes souvenirs, icônes d’une époque, symbole d’une madeleine de Proust qui rouvre les vannes des souvenirs de ces années où nous dansions « Trois nuits par semaine ». « Trois » est un énorme coup de cœur que je vous recommande de lire sans tarder. Alors, vous comprendrez…

[Eduardo Teles · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,7*

[Tonkica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meni je bilo pretjerivanja s obzirom na letargično i nepostojeće događanje ičega više od pola knjige, a onda zakucavanje svega na zadnjih 50-ak stranica s krajem koji... Mah... :-/

Sve nam je davano skoro pa nepostojećom brzinom pa je za zaključiti da je knjiga mogla bez problema biti kraća za 250 stranica i ništa se ne bi izgubilo. Plus bi tada bio što bi se knjiga stvarno lijepo, lagano i brzo pročitala!

Ako je sve istog ritma, ako autorica stvara lik kroz cijelu knjigu na jedan način, neka se drži toga. Promijene se u nekom trenutku svi u životu, ali rijetko do neprepoznatljivosti. Neki su se pokazali točno takvi i iz tog razloga stvarni, ostalo mi nije držalo vodu.

Melankolija i depresija kroz svaku stranicu nije me uspjela ponijeti, nisam se povezala s likovima, gdje mi je na kraju bilo svejedno tko će, gdje i kako završiti.

Dobro, ništa više.

„Jednostavno ne znamo komunicirati s onima u koje ne vjerujemo.“

[Lia Valenti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ancora una volta Valerie Perrin dimostra di saper scrivere non bene, ma benissimo.
Tre è un romanzo che si legge in un fiato, i capitoli si alternano tra passato e presente
senza mai far confondere o annoiare il lettore.
Tre è la storia di 3 ragazzi che, si conoscono a 10 anni e nel bene e nel male resteranno uniti.
E' un inno all'amicizia, quella con la A maiuscola.
Il resto leggetelo, ne vale la pena.

[Gabrielle Cunha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Difícil colocar em palavras a descarga de emoções que esse livro me proporcionou.

Tantos acontecimentos - completamente inesperados. Me tirou o fôlego e a vontade de fazer qualquer coisa que não fosse ler.

Amo romances de formação e esse já entrou pra lista dos favoritos, inesquecíveis. Três amigos e os desdobramentos da vida de cada um. Sensível, dramático, real, lindo.

Gostei ainda mais do que o “Água fresca para as flores”.

[Rita Tomás · Rating 5 out of 5]

Não tenho palavras para este livro. É um daqueles que fica connosco durante muito tempo. Inesquecível.

[Sara. [Mares de Páginas] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Começo por dizer que foi o meu primeiro livro da Valérie, por isso fui "às cegas", "armada" apenas com o imenso feedback positivo que tinha da autora.
É impossível não dar 5 estrelas a este livro, pela forma sublime como a autora nos conta esta história. Mesmo que nem sempre empatizemos com as personagens, a forma como ela nos são apresentadas, aos poucos e poucos, deixa-nos sempre a querer saber mais e mais sobre elas. É uma história feita por personagens reais, muito bem construídas e, no fim, tudo faz sentido - até o pequeno bocadinho que a autora confia à nossa imaginação.
O último capítulo foi a cereja no topo do bolo - fui dormir com um quentinho no coração, sabendo que vou levar os Três comigo durante muito tempo.

[Giorgia Legge Tanto · Rating 5 out of 5]

1986. Adrien, Etienne e Nina si conoscono in quinta elementare. Molto rapidamente diventano inseparabili e uniti da una promessa: lasciare la provincia in cui vivono, trasferirsi a Parigi e non separarsi mai.
2017. Un'automobile viene ripescata dal fondo di un lago nel piccolo paese in cui sono cresciuti. Il caso viene seguito da Virginie, giornalista dal passato enigmatico. Poco a poco Virginie rivela gli straordinari legami che uniscono quei tre amici di infanzia. Che ne è stato di loro? Che rapporto c'è tra la carcassa di macchina e la loro storia di amicizia?
Partiamo da una semplice constatazione: non leggete questo libro pensando a Cambiare l'acqua ai fiori. È un libro diverso, una storia diversa, solo la scrittura è quella chiara dell'autrice. Questo romanzo appare, già dalle prima pagine, un romanzo che può definirsi "circolare". Ogni capitolo racconta pezzi del passato e del presente, dando voce a tutti i protagonisti, per arrivare ad un finale che ricollega tutti i punti lasciati fra le pagine dall'autrice. Questo è un romanzo che parla di radici famigliari, di abbandono da parte dei genitori, di malattia, di sessualità adolescenziale, di violenza. E l'autrice è molto abile nel mettere insieme tutte queste problematiche, dando la possibilità al lettore, di scorrere le pagine con l'immagine vivida dei personaggi senza stancarsi. È un libro che non delude, che emoziona e commuove. Soprattutto è un libro che conferma la bravura di questa autrice. È un libro che potrebbe essere una seconda possibilità per chi non ha amato Cambiare l'acqua ai fiori.
Io ve lo stra-consiglio!