Een verzonnen leven

by Karine Tuil

Het lijkt Sam Tahar aan niets te ontbreken: hij heeft een glanzende carrière bij een prestigieus advocatenkantoor in New York, veel geld, aandacht van de media en een `goed huwelijk. Maar zijn succes berust op bedrog, dat ooit is begonnen met een leugentje. Om zijn kans op een goede baan te vergroten heeft de van oorsprong Arabische Samir twintig jaar geleden zijn naam in sollicitatiebrieven afgekort tot Sam. Maar toen die naamsverandering direct tot een mooie betrekking leidde, besloot hij zichzelf een compleet andere identiteit aan te meten en de joodse roots van zijn voormalige beste vriend Samuel te lenen.
Terwijl Samirs ster rees, leidde Samuel een marginaal bestaan in een roerige Parijse buitenwijk en probeerde hij vergeefs schrijver te worden. Wel woont hij nog altijd samen met Nina, die destijds voor hem heeft gekozen en niet voor Samir. Maar als het drietal elkaar na twintig jaar weer ontmoet, is er ruimte voor andere en ingrijpende keuzes. De levens van Samir, Samuel en Nina komen onder grote druk te staan, wat uiteindelijk leidt tot een dramatische ontknoping.


Karine Tuil schreef negen romans, waaronder Tout sur mon frère (2003), Quand jétais drôle(2005), Douce France (2007), La domination (2008) en Six mois, six jours (2010). Van Een verzonnen leven, genomineerd voor de Prix Goncourt, werden in Frankrijk bijna 70.000 exemplaren verkocht.

Genres: Fiction, France, Contemporary, Roman, Novels, French Literature, New York

504 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 21, 2013

About the author

Après des études de droit et un diplôme de l'Université Paris II, Karine Tuil est l'auteur de neuf romans, d'une pièce de théâtre et de plusieurs scénarios.
En septembre 2000 parait son premier roman Pour le Pire aux éditions Plon qui inaugure une collection "jeunes auteurs". Il relate la lente décomposition d'un couple. il est plébiscité par les libraires mais c'est son second roman, Interdit, (Plon 2001) - récit burlesque de la crise identitaire d'un vieux juif - qui connaît un succès critique et public. Sélectionné pour plusieurs prix dont le prix Goncourt, Interdit obtient le prix Wizo. Il est traduit en plusieurs langues. Le sens de l'ironie et de la tragi-comédie, l'humour juif se retrouvent encore dans 'Du sexe féminin' en 2002 - une comédie acerbe sur les relations mère-fille, ce troisième roman concluant sa trilogie sur la famille juive.
En 2003, elle rejoint les Éditions Grasset où elle publie son quatrième roman Tout sur mon frère qui explore les effets pervers de l'autofiction (nommé pour les Prix des libraires et finaliste du prix France Télévision).
En 2005, elle publie Quand j'étais drôle qui raconte les déboires d'un comique français à New-York.
En 2007, elle publie Douce France, un roman social qui dévoile le fonctionnement des centres de rétention administrative.
En 2008, sort son septième roman, pour lequel elle reçoit la Bourse Stendhal du ministère des Affaires étrangères. Il évoque les jeux de pouvoir dans le milieu de l'édition à travers les prismes de l'identité. Il a fait partie des premières sélections du prix Goncourt, prix Goncourt des lycéens et du prix de Flore.
En 2010, son roman Six mois, six jours fait partie de la première et deuxième sélection du prix Goncourt 2010, de la première sélection du prix Interalié et du prix Goncourt des lycéens. Il a obtenu en 2011, le prix littéraire du roman news organisé par le magazine styletto et le Drugstore publicis.
Son neuvième roman intitulé L'invention de nos vies paraît en septembre 2013 à l'occasion de la rentrée littéraire aux éditions Grasset. Il est en cours de traduction en Allemagne et aux Pays-Bas

Reviews

[Lynne King]

I cannot remember when I last disliked a character in a novel so much. In this case it is Sam Tahar. He is everything that I dislike in a man.

I do not care for the writing style at all. I wonder though if something has in fact got lost in the translation?

The story is pedestrian.

I feel that Sam Tahar is actually loosely based on Dominic Strauss Kahn, who is such a brilliant economist. If it hadn't been for his fall from grace, I'm sure that he would be heading the PS here in France, or even President of the country. Like Tahar he was rather partial to women.

Well a quick skim through this book to see if I had missed anything sparkling and as there was nothing, well I gave up on reading it.

[Adrian White · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many ideas buzzing around this book, specifically: the thin line between Judaism and Islam, friend and enemy, lover and abuser, success and failure, riches and poverty - all in a contemporary novel that touches on many of the key issues of our age.
Guess I liked it!

[Ron Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Age of Reinvention” appeared in France in 2013, quickly becoming a bestseller, scooping up rave reviews and almost grabbing the Prix Goncourt. But such is our demand for works in translation that it has taken more than two years for Karine Tuil’s sensational tale of Islamophobia to drift across the Atlantic. Now, though, in a horrific coincidence, her novel arrives as Paris is bleeding and the Republican presidential candidates are giddily stringing barbed wire along our borders. If I didn’t know better, I’d guess this story had been written in the past 24 hours.

Despite that eerie timeliness and its unmistakable esprit Français, “The Age of Reinvention” luxuriates in the oldest American dream. This is the tale of. . . .

To read the rest of this review, go to The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/entert...

[Marika_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Troje przyjaciół. Samir jest dzisiaj znanym nowojorskim prawnikiem, Samuel aspiruje do bycia pisarzem, a Nina pozuje do kampanii reklamowych supermarketów. Ostatnia dwójka wciąż mieszka w Paryżu i jest w związku. Od dawna nie mają kontaktu z dawnym przyjacielem, relacja się rozpadła kiedy Nina po próbie samobójczej Samuela, wybrała życie z nim, a nie z tym drugim. Po dwudziestu latach para przypadkiem dowiaduje się, że mieszkający teraz w Stanach Samir ukradł tożsamość Samuela. Nadążacie? Jak nie, to lepiej nie sięgajcie po tę książkę bo dynamika zmian i zawiłości jest tutaj potężna, a opowiedziałam wam samiutki początek.
Karine Tuil strasznie miesza nam w głowach opowiadając historie swoich postaci, co chwile stawiając ich przed życiową próbą. Nikogo z tej trójki nie da się jednoznacznie polubić, choć pewnie początkowo będziecie mieli inne wrażenie. Tutaj wszystko zmienia się jak w kalejdoskopie i pokazuje jak przewrotne mogą być losy. I jak niewiele trzeba by z przyjaciela stać się wrogiem, z biedaka bogaczem, sukces przemienić w porażkę, z pięknej stać się zaniedbaną, z miłości przejść do przemocy, a z Araba stać się Żydem.
Autorka pisze niezwykle dynamicznie, wyrywkowo, nie daje nam chwili na oddech, jednocześnie dość obszernie portretując nam bohaterów.
Jest o klasowości, przemocy społecznej, uprzedzeniach ze względu na pochodzenie czy religię i o poszukiwaniu swojej nowej tożsamości, by dopasować dię do tej lepszej połowy społeczeństwa.
Ta cienka granica pomiedzy przeciwieństwami, o których pisałam wyżej, ma też swoje odzwierciedlenie w samej formie i gatunku tej książki. Tuil balasuje pomiędzy literaturą piękna, a tanią książkowa telenowela - nie mam tu nic złego na myśli! Polecam bardzo szczególnie miłośniczkom literatury francuskiej i tym zgadzającym się z wyborami Akademii Goncourtów (książka była w finale Nagrody :))

[Michelle Only Wants to Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am almost speechless after reading this book. My head is spinning.
The plot intrigued me from the moment I read it. I don't think I was prepared for what I was about to experience. Everyone in this book is looking for something different in their lives. All of them look for a way to reinvent their lives.

This is a poignant book and it made me question my own choices in life to be where I am today. Have I changed at any point the narrative of my life to fit in? To belong or succeed?

During the first part, I struggled liking the main characters. To be honest, I don't think I ever did. They're selfish, arrogant, immature. A trio of unlikable people. At one point, I hated them all. My dislike for the characters did not prevent me to continue reading as the story progressed and became so intense I could not put the book down. I feel the translation may have something to do with my struggle during the first part of the story. Some of the words were repetitive or odd choices for the situation being described. That was a bit distracting. I have had similar experiences with other translated books. I would suggest a revision to the translation.

The core of the story is eerie and intense. Especially with the recent events in Paris, and the global tension surrounding profiling, discriminating, and general assumptions about Muslims. I felt chills and deep sadness as the story progressed. Even though I didn't like Samir as a person, I understood why he chose to conceal his origins. Made me wonder how many others out there have had to make similar choices just to find fair opportunities and avoid being pray of stereotyping and discrimination.

The story is not just about Samir, Samuel and Nina. The story is about everyone else involved. Men and women from different backgrounds and social statuses intertwine in the story trying to cope with the cards they've been handled in life, making choices, and facing the consequences of it all. It's about learning from previous mistakes (for some), and for opportunities of redemption. Reinventing your identity may seem a good idea at first, but may not be the answer if one fails to address the real problem: We are who we are regardless of the version we may choose to show to others.

Certainly a page turner and worth the read.
Even though it's a work of fiction, the story felt very real.



*I received an ARC copy in exchange of an honest review.

[Book Riot Community]

Samuel and Samir are both in love with Nina, their closest friend. When Nina chooses Samuel, Samir leaves Paris and moves to Manhattan, where he starts a new life using Samuel's life story. A twisty, sophisticted story of college friends torn apart by a love triangle, identity theft, and complex family histories. It's delicious! This book is a finalist for the Prix Goncourt, France’s most prestigious literary award.


Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to all things new books, All The Books: http://bookriot.com/category/all-the-...

[Christine Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn about this book. I found the characters strong and well rounded, and the premise solid, but I felt like the rambling prose could sometimes be monotonous. Overall, a good book, but not a great one.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Natacha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Long, répétitif, mal écrit et bourré de clichés. Au secours.

[Wen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a thriller—full of twists and turns, but still easily readable. The story is around a love triangle, the gorgeous Nina and two law school classmates, Samir (muslin) and Samuel (Jewish)… 20 years after they left school, Nina and Samuel, who live a moderate existence together in Paris, saw on TV the astonishing success of Samir, now a celebrated New York lawyer. Samuel asked Nina to plan a reunion of the three; he wanted to see if Nina had truly been over Samir, her lover by choice 20 years ago.
This reunion set up a chain of incredible events, both in France and in New York. We will find out how Samir, a muslin kid raised by a poor single mother, became the son-in-law of a Jewish bourgeois with such opulent lifestyle. and how he ended up in jail of maximum security, being abandoned by most all the people he cared about. And how the social status of Samir and Samuel almost flipped toward the end of the book. And for Nina, which man is her ultimate choice?
Karine Tuil tried to weave some historical background into the plot, like national security in US after 911, and racial discrimination against muslins in France; to give the context behind the crucial choices in life the protagonists made, and to allow the readers to dole out sympathy and take sides. At the end, there is no perfect character in the book, and each of them and their actions are driven by different motives. And most of all, each of them first of foremost takes care of themselves before sparing concerns for their loved ones. Cynical is the overarching word for the book.
Yes, the plot is gripping, and one can hardly put the book down. The plentiful of surprises kept me entertained, but little drove me emotionally engaged. Not sure if it was because I read the translated version; the word “love” resembles no more than an electronic emoji dotting the pages.
Recommend the book for a little surreal excitement.

[Pia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

This book is amazing and more. No wonder it was a finalist for the Goncourt Prize. I'm still feeling emotional a few hours after I finished reading it. There are so many things I want to write about it that I don't know where to start

The story of 3 friends -Samir, Nina & Samuel- the lives they decide to lead, the paths they choose and the consequences of it all.
Nothing comes for free, be it love, wealth or success, especially if your life is based on a lie.

Samir, who reinvents himself as the opposite as who he really is. Arab, Muslim, poor becomes Sam, a Jewish, rich, successful, orphan lawyer.

Spineless, failed Samuel reinvents himself as a triumphant writer. And beautiful Nina, who has always lived if not in the shadow of both, certainly dependent on them, ends up losing her looks (and seemingly not caring about it)

This is not a light read, definitely, but one that makes me appreciate what a wonderful thing a good book is.

[Buchdoktor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karine Tuil erzählt die zerstörerische Dreierbeziehung der in der Gegenwart rund 40 Jahre alten Franzosen Nina, Samir und Samuel. Vor 20 Jahren trennte sich Nina von Samir, um eine Beziehung mit Samuel aufzunehmen. Samir, als Sohn einer alleinerziehenden tunesischen Einwanderin in kargen Verhältnissen aufgewachsen, schließt höchst erfolgreich ein Jura-Studium ab. Doch als er sich um eine Stelle bewerben will, wird er als unbekannter Akademiker ohne Beziehungen aufgrund seines nordafrikanischen Familiennamens oder seiner Anschrift in einer Hochhaussiedlung nicht zu Bewerbungsgesprächen eingeladen. Als ihm ein jüdischer Rechtsanwalt praktisch in den Mund legt, Sam sei doch sicher die Abkürzung von Samuel, wirft Sam seine muslimische Herkunft spontan ab, mimt dem Anwalt gegenüber den wenig religiösen Juden und steigt unter dessen fördernden Hand zum erfolgreichen Anwalt auf. Eine New Yorker Niederlassung der Pariser Kanzlei führt Sam nach New York, wo er an seiner jüdischen Identität festhält und in eine der einflussreichsten jüdischen Familien der Stadt heiratet. Von diesem Punkt an scheint es für „Sam“ keinen Weg zurück zu geben. Er verleugnet gegenüber Frau und Kindern seine Mutter und seinen Halbbruder in Paris.

Wie Sam sich nach der Erfahrung von Diskriminierung in Frankreich neu erfindet, mag man als Leser noch nachvollziehen können. Schwerer wird es, für Sams Sex-Sucht und sein Verhalten gegenüber Frauen eine Erklärung zu finden. Obwohl er sich der Illusion hingibt, sich aus seiner beruflichen Position endlich an der Gesellschaft rächen zu können, die seine Mutter schlecht behandelt hat, tut er genau das Gegenteil. Er belügt Frau und Familie, benutzt Frauen für eilige Nummern und lässt sie bei nächster Gelegenheit fallen. Ermöglicht wird ihm sein pathologisches Sammelverhalten von Frauen, die bereitwillig eine Opferrolle einnehmen; denn Sam kann nur so lange den Starken geben, wie er andere in die Rolle des schwachen drängen kann. Die Schwäche vermeintlicher Opfer dient ihm innerhalb eines weltfremden Frauenbildes als Rechtfertigung seines amoralischen Handelns. 20 Jahre später ist Nina noch immer mit Samuel zusammen, der als Sozialarbeiter in einer Vorstadtsiedlung arbeitet und vom Dasein als Autor träumt. Eine Reportage über den erfolgreichen „Sam“ konfrontiert das Paar damit, dass Samir unter einer neuen Legende in New York lebt – indem er Samuels Geschichte als seine ausgibt. Die Handlung erhält einen unerwarteten wie dramatischen Twist, als Sams unauffällig nordeuropäisch aussehender jüngerer Halbbruder François in die Handlung tritt.

Samir/Sam, der vaterlos aufgewachsener Sohn nordafrikanischer Einwanderer, dessen Selbsttäuschung durch passive, farblose Frauenfiguren gestützt wird, agiert als äußerst unsympathischer Protagonist. Nicht nur Frankreich hat massive Probleme mit vaterlos aufgewachsenen Kindern der Vorstädte und verqueren Frauenbildern in Parallelgesellschaften. Empfehlenswert ist Tuils Gesellschaftsroman für Leser, die sich für die Rolle von Religionen bei der Neuerfindung von Identitäten interessieren oder für die gläserne Decke beim Aufstieg aus Problemvierteln. Wer sich von der Sympathie-Erwartung lösen kann, wird das Ausbreiten des roten Teppichs wahrnehmen können, an den Chamäleons wie Sam ihre Farbe anpassen.

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Age of Reinvention” by Karine Tuil, published by Atria Books.

Category – Fiction/Literature Publication Date – December 01, 2015.

It is not often book comes out that sweeps the reader away both by the story and the writing. “The Age of Reinvention” is such a book.

There are three principal characters in the book.
Samir Tahar a Tunisian immigrant is living in a run down area of Paris, France. He pulls himself out of squalor and earns a law degree. He finds himself unable to get a job and believes it is due to his ethnicity. Samir changes his name to Samuel and presents himself as a Jew. He not only finds work but is transferred to New York to head its firm in the Big Apple. He marries into a prominent Jewish family and the world is his oyster – until his life is ruined, primarily due to the false life he has invented for himself.
Samuel Baron is a roommate of Samir and has failed out of law school but has ambitions of being a novelist. He also, unfortunately, fails at being an author. His identity is used by Samir, but Samuel thinks little of it because, at the time, it has no bearing on his life. It is only after years later when he finally pens a best selling book and must come to Samir’s rescue that his identity comes into play.
Nina, who is irresistible to both men, chooses Samir over Samuel, but finds that even though Samir provides everything that she could possibly want, discovers that there is something her life is lacking.

A magnificent read that contains all the elements of a great book, deceit, romance, mystery, and great writing.

[Booklunatic · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 Sterne

Zu dem Buch fällt mir vor allem ein Adjektiv ein: intensiv. Die Ereignisse steigern sich in einen Rausch, die Charaktere katapultieren sich durch ihre Lebenslügen und ihre Gier nach einem anderen Leben, einer anderen Identität, in einen zerstörerischen Strudel, aus dem es bald kein Entrinnen mehr gibt. Auch der Leser kann sich dem Sog bald nicht mehr entziehen, die Geschichte ist ungemein packend. Zu Beginn hatte ich etwas Startschwierigkeiten mit dem ungewöhnlichen,sehr getrieben wirkenden (und damit aber auch genau zu den Figuren passenden!), aber auch ziemlich großartigen Schreibstil. Das Dranbleiben hat sich definitiv gelohnt.

[David V. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Received as an ARC from the publisher. Started 9-18-15. Finished 9-30-15. Did not like any of these three characters--shallow, self-centered, and questionable morals. The most interesting section was the last 50 pages, but not enough to change my opinion about these three. The author's style was also strange--almost like a stream of consciousness. Sometimes she'd write 2-3 pages with no new paragraphs, very few periods, just lots of commas,dashes, and semi-colons. Not only would I not like these people as my friends, I wouldn't even like to know them.

[J.S. Dunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

An inherently incredible ( as in, lacking credibility) premise. The premise slows, falters, stops, sinks, and drowns. In words. Buckets of words, waterfalls of reams of words, oceans of pages and chapters of words. Galaxies. Universes. Words. Damn few of them having anything to do with our own existence.

Self-conscious. Navel-gazing. Footnoted. Boring. Hyper-realistic. Unrealistic.

Is this the future of literature? Hope not.

[Liviu · Rating 4 out of 5]

compelling and intense but considerably way over the top in plotting as it features the usual in the contemporary literature about the "best, brightest and most handsome or beautiful" - irresistible man with secrets that would become his undoing, perfect suffering wife from a super rich family etc etc; irony, sarcasm and smart footnotes add to the novel but ultimately it is tabloid fare written in a literary style

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was truly disappointing: needlessly dramatic yet trite, peppered with paper-thin characters and a serious helping of misogyny and racism. All the men in this novel are obsessed with sex and power, and the women are all obsessed with men. Jews are rich, Arabs wish they could assimilate, women wish they were younger. What is going on with all the hype? Something was definitely lost in translation. Read the review in the Guardian before reading this book.

[NG Yabili · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would gladly give this book 5 stars. It took some time to wrap my head around it but once I did, my oh my was i blown away!
It may not be to everybody's liking but for me it's one those books that make you pause to reflect on the message behind a particular scene.
I'm not only enjoying this book, I'm also learning from it!
I'm done yet tho, so the final review is still yet to come

[Tuti · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent novel, intelligent & accomplished in every respect

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave this book my best shot, but I just couldn't stick with it. First, it breaks my number one rule for reading and has an entire cast of despicable, horrible, selfish characters. There has to be a really dynamite storyline to keep me interested if there's no one I can root for, and this just wasn't interesting enough. I also got really sick of the sex. I am not a prude when it comes to reading sex scenes- I made it through two 50 Shades of Gray books and I was more offended by the awful writing than the content- but the sex in this book is everywhere. It's in every character's thoughts, and worse, it objectifies women to a degree that I've never seen in a book. I read one review that suggested it was the author's intent to portray every male character as a sexist pig, that this is what all men are like, but I find this distasteful, too. I would like to think that most men see women for their other virtues, and I find it unfair to assume that all men are like this. My last complaint is the author's use of footnotes. They were everywhere, and it made the writing feel pretentious. Footnotes are for non-fiction texts, not novels. Ugh! Good riddance on this one!

[Parisienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel offered an engrossing plot and fascinating, although largely not likable, central characters. I initially found the author's style hard to take, but pretty quickly came to enjoy it. I very much liked the footnotes she used to provide tidbits of background on characters putting in the briefest of appearances.

What I liked least about this book was the character of Nina. What, other than her beauty and sensuality, caused two men to be so enamored of her? (OK, that might be enough). And even when Nina lets her looks go, it is looks that continue to define her. And, beautiful or not, she appears to define herself exclusively through others, whether the men who found her beautiful, or the women in her new milieu. I realize that all this is likely part of the author's commentary on our society. But I still didn't like it.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a theme of consequence, justice, and the turning of a tide, The Age of Reinvention is thought-provoking and sensitive but is not without its problems. While I might not be fangirling over the structure of this novel, the writing is good. Poverty, riches, prejudice, political unrest, and social conscience are powerful in this story in which all three main characters reinvent themselves. Overall, The Age of Reinvention will certainly open a dialogue among readers, provoke thought and possibly compassion or opposing viewpoints, and either validate or eradicate stereotypes that are prevalent in current society.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Jellybooks as part of a study.

[Flo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un livre qui m'a tout de suite captivée ! Même si les personnages ne sont pas sympathiques en soi, leur lutte pour se conformer à un idéal de vie, basé sur les exigences de la société et le regard des autres fait qu'on éprouve de l'empathie. Chacun, à un moment ou à un autre peut se reconnaître dans Samir, Samuel ou Nina.

En plus du thème, criant d'actualité, le style m'a beaucoup plu, moderne et subtile. Les états d'âme des personnages y sont décrits avec une précision délicate, avec de belles métaphores à l'appui. Un régal !

[Marina Mir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Сильная книга. Сначала кажется скучноватой, но по мере перелистывания страниц понимаешь, что история набирает обороты, ее уже не остановить, не задержать, не изменить. Нет хороших героев, нет плохих, все - серые. И точки выхода тоже нет, такой, чтобы всех устроила. Во всем есть хорошая и плохая сторона.

[Bill · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got maybe 50+ pages through and had to stop. It was like each "section" was a continuous, long, rambling paragraph that didn't end. A difficult and confusing read that really never seemed to come to a real point. I was not ready to dedicate my time to finishing this. Don't waste your time.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Tahar’s whole life is based on a lie he told to get a job as lawyer. Passing as Jewish and stealing his best friend Samuel Baron’s life story, he is no longer Samir Tahar a poor Muslin, but rich, Jewish lawyer, Sam Tahar. Twenty years later the truth is threatening to come out and now Sam has to figure out what he must do to set the record straight. This novel started off slow and very confusing. The format was also different with long bits of dialogue all bunched together in paragraphs; it was something to get used to. It took time to break this novel in, and woah what a story; the twists and turns are incredible, the plot as a whole was ingenious. The characters were phenomenal; they had so much depth and felt absolutely real. This novel dives into religion and brings to light prejudices from France that North Americans would never know existed. This novel proves that if you think North America is bad, Europe is no better, making this novel very eye opening and worth reading.

[Femke De · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prachtig verhaal over levens van twee vrienden, die van identiteit wisselen. Jammer dat ik dit niet in het Frans heb kunnen lezen.. mooie verhaalstijl! De succesvolle wordt de paria en omgekeerd. Het belang van trouw in de liefde zegeviert, hoe lang het ook duurt voor de waarheid boven komt.

[CreativelyRed · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story that was well written based upon a misunderstanding that shaped the course of one man and the world around him. A story of trust, lies and infatuations. It's also about the ways we reinvent ourselves and the power that gives us to start and restart our lives.

[Keith Landry · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my opinion, all of the central characters possessed qualities that were distasteful. They made decisions and took actions that I found to be unlikely. The ending would have left me hanging if I cared about any of these characters.

[Fabienne Quennet · Rating 5 out of 5]

grossartiges Buch