What do you think?
Rate this book
La Garçonnière
Buenos Aires, 1987. Lisandra Puig est retrouvée morte défenestrée, au pied de son immeuble. La police aussitôt suspecte son mari, le docteur Vittorio Puig. Il est psychanalyste. Dans son cabinet s'allongent sur le divan bourreaux et victimes de la dictature argentine. Eva Maria est l'une d'entre elles. Persuadée de l'innocence de Vittorio, elle décide de mener l'enquête. Pour elle, c'est certain : le meurtrier se trouve parmi les patients. Mais lequel ? Et pourquoi ?
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
23 people are currently reading
1426 people want to read
About the author
Hélène Grémillon
16 books99 followersHélène Grémillon was born in 1977. She has degrees in literature and history and was a broadcast and press journalist before becoming a full-time writer. The Confidant is her first novel. She lives in Paris with her partner, singer and songwriter Julien Clerc, and their child. She is working on her next novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
December 1, 2018
Why oh why oh why is this book being compared to The girl on the train & The silent wife?!
Its nothing like it.
Its very good though within its own rights.
A young woman the wife of a psychoanalyst is found at the foot of a six story building and her husband is accused of the murder.
His carer as psychoanalyst is interesting as it deals with the mind. Its a kind of combination of psychotherapy to cognetic therapy which seems to embrace a lot of the mental health therapy units in one. It was brought about by Sigmund Freud who was trying to use this to release the inner deep parts of the brain that tend to shut off in tragic shocking events. Use for depression. To help release what a patient has supressed due to an event that the brain doesn't want to remember or recall.
Understanding that bit of information helped me determined a lot of things along the way as regards her husband.
I found it quite fascinating.
Of course the husband says he is innocent and brings Eva into the equation for assistance. However, this is where it gets deeper. Eva has to face her demons, her inner sanctuary of thoughts, feelings and emotions.
We also learn a bit about Argentina. The political history. There are some horrific facts based in this book that you cringe at, awful, but it makes for compulsive reading.
It is said to be based upon a true story but its not filled in at the end or given anymore facts on that so a person can only assume.
I am very late reading this book due to an overflow or review material, but if you haven't taken a look at this yet, I hope I have whet your interest
Its nothing like it.
Its very good though within its own rights.
A young woman the wife of a psychoanalyst is found at the foot of a six story building and her husband is accused of the murder.
His carer as psychoanalyst is interesting as it deals with the mind. Its a kind of combination of psychotherapy to cognetic therapy which seems to embrace a lot of the mental health therapy units in one. It was brought about by Sigmund Freud who was trying to use this to release the inner deep parts of the brain that tend to shut off in tragic shocking events. Use for depression. To help release what a patient has supressed due to an event that the brain doesn't want to remember or recall.
Understanding that bit of information helped me determined a lot of things along the way as regards her husband.
I found it quite fascinating.
Of course the husband says he is innocent and brings Eva into the equation for assistance. However, this is where it gets deeper. Eva has to face her demons, her inner sanctuary of thoughts, feelings and emotions.
We also learn a bit about Argentina. The political history. There are some horrific facts based in this book that you cringe at, awful, but it makes for compulsive reading.
It is said to be based upon a true story but its not filled in at the end or given anymore facts on that so a person can only assume.
I am very late reading this book due to an overflow or review material, but if you haven't taken a look at this yet, I hope I have whet your interest
Read
January 31, 2021I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, although I am not a follower of the recommendations, especially when the author's name doesn't tell me anything.
Looks like I was lucky, I can't say I wasted my time.
Grémillon's book highlights the need for man to find himself telling and listening to stories, to clear his own dark story.
The novelty of the French writer consists in the connection she establishes between story, time, and humanity :
" I already told to myself, first in my mind, then out loud - I did this, I turned terror into a story, I imposed the obligatory forms on any narrative, I chose the right words for to express those images, and for to find a certain chronology - that was the hardest - to enter a temporal order in fear, to enter Time, this notion of humanity which disappears as soon as inhumanity comes into action. [...] I want to live telling all this, not to get stuck, but to free myself ".
The violent death of Lisandra, the absent character of the novel, and the accusation directed against her husband become a pretext nucleus around which a lot of other narrative threads stretch.
The French title " La garçonnière " - remains a mystery until the end of the novel, an impossible ending to intuit, though, which unravels the enigma of the absent character. ( this is one of the ingredients that I highly appreciate, along with writing - unpredictability of the end ) . And with the image at the end, the need for salvation through love is motivated too, also captured in the motto of Samuel Beckett :
" What does it matter if a scream is weak or strong ? All what is needed is that scream to cease. For years, I thought it would cease. I don't think anymore, that. I may have needed other loves.
But love is not commanded ".
Looks like I was lucky, I can't say I wasted my time.
Grémillon's book highlights the need for man to find himself telling and listening to stories, to clear his own dark story.
The novelty of the French writer consists in the connection she establishes between story, time, and humanity :
" I already told to myself, first in my mind, then out loud - I did this, I turned terror into a story, I imposed the obligatory forms on any narrative, I chose the right words for to express those images, and for to find a certain chronology - that was the hardest - to enter a temporal order in fear, to enter Time, this notion of humanity which disappears as soon as inhumanity comes into action. [...] I want to live telling all this, not to get stuck, but to free myself ".
The violent death of Lisandra, the absent character of the novel, and the accusation directed against her husband become a pretext nucleus around which a lot of other narrative threads stretch.
The French title " La garçonnière " - remains a mystery until the end of the novel, an impossible ending to intuit, though, which unravels the enigma of the absent character. ( this is one of the ingredients that I highly appreciate, along with writing - unpredictability of the end ) . And with the image at the end, the need for salvation through love is motivated too, also captured in the motto of Samuel Beckett :
" What does it matter if a scream is weak or strong ? All what is needed is that scream to cease. For years, I thought it would cease. I don't think anymore, that. I may have needed other loves.
But love is not commanded ".
September 29, 2019
this book was written in 2013 but it wasn't translated into english until 2016, most likely to feed the demand for ever-more psych suspense/marriage thrillers in the wake of gone girl on the train fever.
but like anything that comes at the end of a massive wave, it's more made up of leftover flotsam and jetsam than something that's gonna bowl you over with its impressive force.
and it's a shame, because this book is very close to being very good, but it ultimately ends up taking on too much and getting bogged down in itself. and maybe part of it is translation, which is something i always have to consider, but with psychological suspense, in order to provide the most successful narrative, the story needs to be sleek and taut and riveting, and this one was like a ball of tape being batted across a catfur-covered carpet picking up too much dead weight to maintain its forward momentum.
the premise is hot: the year is 1987 and lisandra, the beautiful young wife of successful psychoanalyst dr. vittorio puig, is found dead after falling six stories from the window of their buenos aires apartment. dr. puig is the primary suspect, and is quickly arrested and incarcerated for murrrrderrr. however, one of his patients, eva maria, is determined to prove his innocence, and she embarks on her own amateur investigation into lisandra, dr. puig, and a handful of his other patients, aided by the juicy recordings of their therapy sessions.
eva maria is a wonderfully unreliable narrator. her daughter was one of the desaparecidos who went missing during Argentina’s Dirty War, and she has been grieving for five years over her loss, emotionally abandoning estéban, the grown son who still lives with her and drinking heavily to prolong her mourning. she quickly becomes obsessed with her investigation into lisandra's death, using the thrill of voyeurism and her seemingly noble intentions to fill her daughter's absence and displace her grief temporarily.
the patient tapes uncover several likely suspects who may have wanted to see dr. puig framed for murder, but they also reveal crimes and secrets that hit eva maria close to her own emotional damage.
on the one hand, setting this story in such a tumultuous time and place is smart because it lends the darkness of these historical atrocities to the atmosphere of a smaller-scale tragedy while it explores the linked psychological aftermath of traumas both personal and national.
but this benefit is undermined by a series of strange structural choices that give a more gimmicky presentation to the book. some of them, like the inclusion of the sessions as transcripts, work well because they give a necessary immediacy to the revelations contained therein, but then there are eva maria's handwritten notes, some pictures, a chapter where eva maria's interior monologue is broken up by her counting the stairs as she climbs
and the final chapter is a stream-of-consciousness account of what is running through lisandra's head as she falls, story by story, broken into six segments, ending with GROUND.
all this does is add an awkward playfulness to the book, awkward because it's typographical levity juxtaposed against horrific war crimes; the stylistic equivalent of a squeaky toy at a funeral. and while i do appreciate the shape and content of that last chapter, there's not enough ephemera to make it seem worth it, but there's too much for it not to be jarring and feel half-assed. for example, there are only two pictures, but that makes the decision to have any pictures even more bizarre, as they contribute nothing to the story by being there.
why
bother?
with the short chapters and the transcripts, it reads a little screenplayish and while the individual transcripts make for solid introductory character studies, so few of them contribute to the linear narrative, that it's just a collection of stories of historical atrocities, troubled relationships both romantic and familial, affairs, political horror, and jealousy that bulks up the story without adding any nutritional value.
and the ending is just silly.
lots of readers liked this more then i did, so odds are good you will disagree with me. if it had just tried to be a straightforward psych suspense thriller, i'd have cut it more slack, but the fact that it brought more ambitious goals to the table and then not only failed to deliver on their promise but basically abandoned the attempt altogether to settle for some silly and messy conclusion - that bothers me more than a swing and a miss.
low three for me
come to my blog!
but like anything that comes at the end of a massive wave, it's more made up of leftover flotsam and jetsam than something that's gonna bowl you over with its impressive force.
and it's a shame, because this book is very close to being very good, but it ultimately ends up taking on too much and getting bogged down in itself. and maybe part of it is translation, which is something i always have to consider, but with psychological suspense, in order to provide the most successful narrative, the story needs to be sleek and taut and riveting, and this one was like a ball of tape being batted across a catfur-covered carpet picking up too much dead weight to maintain its forward momentum.
the premise is hot: the year is 1987 and lisandra, the beautiful young wife of successful psychoanalyst dr. vittorio puig, is found dead after falling six stories from the window of their buenos aires apartment. dr. puig is the primary suspect, and is quickly arrested and incarcerated for murrrrderrr. however, one of his patients, eva maria, is determined to prove his innocence, and she embarks on her own amateur investigation into lisandra, dr. puig, and a handful of his other patients, aided by the juicy recordings of their therapy sessions.
eva maria is a wonderfully unreliable narrator. her daughter was one of the desaparecidos who went missing during Argentina’s Dirty War, and she has been grieving for five years over her loss, emotionally abandoning estéban, the grown son who still lives with her and drinking heavily to prolong her mourning. she quickly becomes obsessed with her investigation into lisandra's death, using the thrill of voyeurism and her seemingly noble intentions to fill her daughter's absence and displace her grief temporarily.
the patient tapes uncover several likely suspects who may have wanted to see dr. puig framed for murder, but they also reveal crimes and secrets that hit eva maria close to her own emotional damage.
on the one hand, setting this story in such a tumultuous time and place is smart because it lends the darkness of these historical atrocities to the atmosphere of a smaller-scale tragedy while it explores the linked psychological aftermath of traumas both personal and national.
but this benefit is undermined by a series of strange structural choices that give a more gimmicky presentation to the book. some of them, like the inclusion of the sessions as transcripts, work well because they give a necessary immediacy to the revelations contained therein, but then there are eva maria's handwritten notes, some pictures, a chapter where eva maria's interior monologue is broken up by her counting the stairs as she climbs
and the final chapter is a stream-of-consciousness account of what is running through lisandra's head as she falls, story by story, broken into six segments, ending with GROUND.
all this does is add an awkward playfulness to the book, awkward because it's typographical levity juxtaposed against horrific war crimes; the stylistic equivalent of a squeaky toy at a funeral. and while i do appreciate the shape and content of that last chapter, there's not enough ephemera to make it seem worth it, but there's too much for it not to be jarring and feel half-assed. for example, there are only two pictures, but that makes the decision to have any pictures even more bizarre, as they contribute nothing to the story by being there.
why
bother?
with the short chapters and the transcripts, it reads a little screenplayish and while the individual transcripts make for solid introductory character studies, so few of them contribute to the linear narrative, that it's just a collection of stories of historical atrocities, troubled relationships both romantic and familial, affairs, political horror, and jealousy that bulks up the story without adding any nutritional value.
and the ending is just silly.
lots of readers liked this more then i did, so odds are good you will disagree with me. if it had just tried to be a straightforward psych suspense thriller, i'd have cut it more slack, but the fact that it brought more ambitious goals to the table and then not only failed to deliver on their promise but basically abandoned the attempt altogether to settle for some silly and messy conclusion - that bothers me more than a swing and a miss.
low three for me
come to my blog!
December 15, 2015
This was an interesting book about a young woman found dead by her husband, Vittorio, outside of their 6-floor apartment window. Vittorio is arrested for her murder. Vittorio is a psychoanalyst and he convinces one of his patients, Eva Maria, to help him find the real murderer. Eva Maria was Vittorio’s patient due to the disappearance and murder of her daughter, Stella, which took place five years earlier.
At the beginning of the book, it states that the novel is based on a true story, yet after the book ends, it doesn’t say anything about the true events, other than that the character of Miguel is based on the testimony of Miguel Angel Estrella. Estrella is an Argentine pianist who was imprisoned and tortured by the Civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay in 1977. The chapter involving Miguel is one of the most powerful chapters of the book.
The novel is more than just a complex mystery to be solved. The author uses the book to give a detailed picture of the political history of Argentina. Eva Maria believes her daughter, Stella, was a victim of the country’s “dirty war”. During that time, death planes were used. Desaparecidos were drugged, dragged onto planes, stripped naked and thrown out of the planes into the Rio de la Plata to drown. The horror of the torture, both physical and psychological, of the prisoners is brutally brought to life. There were also children whose parents had been killed and who were stolen and adopted illegally.
The author does a wonderful job of plotting out this intricate mystery. There are plenty of suspenseful twists and turns. I’m surprised to see it compared to “The Girl on the Train” and “The Silent Wife”. I think this book is a much more multilevel literary achievement than either of those books. The only thing I didn’t like too much about the book was that at times it read like a journalistic account (the author has been a journalist). Also, the book is written mostly in conversation, which made it feel like reading a screen play. However, on the other hand, Ms. Gremillon does a great job of showing the tangled web of the human mind. I found it quite engrossing.
This book was given to me by the publisher through First to Read in return for an honest review.
At the beginning of the book, it states that the novel is based on a true story, yet after the book ends, it doesn’t say anything about the true events, other than that the character of Miguel is based on the testimony of Miguel Angel Estrella. Estrella is an Argentine pianist who was imprisoned and tortured by the Civic-military dictatorship of Uruguay in 1977. The chapter involving Miguel is one of the most powerful chapters of the book.
The novel is more than just a complex mystery to be solved. The author uses the book to give a detailed picture of the political history of Argentina. Eva Maria believes her daughter, Stella, was a victim of the country’s “dirty war”. During that time, death planes were used. Desaparecidos were drugged, dragged onto planes, stripped naked and thrown out of the planes into the Rio de la Plata to drown. The horror of the torture, both physical and psychological, of the prisoners is brutally brought to life. There were also children whose parents had been killed and who were stolen and adopted illegally.
The author does a wonderful job of plotting out this intricate mystery. There are plenty of suspenseful twists and turns. I’m surprised to see it compared to “The Girl on the Train” and “The Silent Wife”. I think this book is a much more multilevel literary achievement than either of those books. The only thing I didn’t like too much about the book was that at times it read like a journalistic account (the author has been a journalist). Also, the book is written mostly in conversation, which made it feel like reading a screen play. However, on the other hand, Ms. Gremillon does a great job of showing the tangled web of the human mind. I found it quite engrossing.
This book was given to me by the publisher through First to Read in return for an honest review.
March 23, 2016
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Apparently I have to disclose this for some reason.
I entered because I thought, "Hey, someone bothered to translate this. Maybe that means it's good." It is times like these when I need to remember that they probably also translated The Help.
The book is very readable as the cover claims; I'll give it that. But so much of it seemed like lazy writing that I found myself hoping that maybe it was just poor translation. I don't think that's the case. It was vaguely reminiscent of In The Time of Butterflies, in that political corruption serves as a backdrop for the story of a murder, only Argentinean instead of Dominican.
Unfortunately, it just had far too many faults to make it an enjoyable read. By the time Esteban ran his hand through his hair the third time, I'd chalked it up as a Vonnegut-esque indicator. Only when Vonnegut points out why, it's generally satirically, so when Grémillon does it earnestly (!), it's the literary equivalent of my 8 year old saying, "Look, Mommy! I'm going to do something cool!" and then sticking fingers in both nostrils instead of the pedestrian one.
It's also problematic that her favorite form of exposition is dialogue where one or both parties shares every. single. goddamn. thought to the point where they're having a discussion with themselves instead of each other. It's cheating to try to voice characters naturally, but have them ramble in a completely unnatural way. Either stylize it or don't, but don't be lazy just because you don't want to type more quotation marks.
Also, the characters are woefully flat and simple. I can't really convey this without spoilers, so:
But worst of all is a novel that markets itself as a thriller (more of a mystery, really) but introduces new elements - giant plot-changing elements - within the last 30 pages, including multiple reveals! They don't even do this in Scooby Doo, people!!
So yes, this book is readable, in the way that squeezy-cheese is edible: if you're in the mood for it and have the stomach for it, it might be vaguely satisfying, but there's much better stuff out there.
Bonus star for cool Argentinian things that I love, like yerba mate, and truco, and bandoneon. No pionono though :(
I entered because I thought, "Hey, someone bothered to translate this. Maybe that means it's good." It is times like these when I need to remember that they probably also translated The Help.
The book is very readable as the cover claims; I'll give it that. But so much of it seemed like lazy writing that I found myself hoping that maybe it was just poor translation. I don't think that's the case. It was vaguely reminiscent of In The Time of Butterflies, in that political corruption serves as a backdrop for the story of a murder, only Argentinean instead of Dominican.
Unfortunately, it just had far too many faults to make it an enjoyable read. By the time Esteban ran his hand through his hair the third time, I'd chalked it up as a Vonnegut-esque indicator. Only when Vonnegut points out why, it's generally satirically, so when Grémillon does it earnestly (!), it's the literary equivalent of my 8 year old saying, "Look, Mommy! I'm going to do something cool!" and then sticking fingers in both nostrils instead of the pedestrian one.
It's also problematic that her favorite form of exposition is dialogue where one or both parties shares every. single. goddamn. thought to the point where they're having a discussion with themselves instead of each other. It's cheating to try to voice characters naturally, but have them ramble in a completely unnatural way. Either stylize it or don't, but don't be lazy just because you don't want to type more quotation marks.
Also, the characters are woefully flat and simple. I can't really convey this without spoilers, so:
But worst of all is a novel that markets itself as a thriller (more of a mystery, really) but introduces new elements - giant plot-changing elements - within the last 30 pages, including multiple reveals! They don't even do this in Scooby Doo, people!!
So yes, this book is readable, in the way that squeezy-cheese is edible: if you're in the mood for it and have the stomach for it, it might be vaguely satisfying, but there's much better stuff out there.
Bonus star for cool Argentinian things that I love, like yerba mate, and truco, and bandoneon. No pionono though :(
May 23, 2025
A confusing book about the terrible things that happened in Argentina for the last 75 years or so, wrapped in a murder mystery.
September 22, 2024
Wow. just wow. crazy. a very unique read.
This could really be turned into a movie.
An intense murder mystery that has you guessing until the last few pages.
5 Stars
This could really be turned into a movie.
An intense murder mystery that has you guessing until the last few pages.
5 Stars
December 9, 2015
I was pretty excited to learn that I had won a digital advanced reading copy of this book from the First to Read program. I was in the mood to read a psychological suspense novel. I wanted something that would keep me on my toes and guessing through the whole thing.
Well, it did keep me guessing through the whole thing...
This story is a "who done it" kind of story. Lisandra P. is dead. She was found four stories down from one of her apartment windows dead on the street. Thrown. The police automatically suspected her husband Vittorio of the crime.
Vittorio was a shrink, a psychoanalyst. And one of he had recruited one of his patients, Eva Maria to help him figure out who really did kill his wife (as he denied that it was him).
So we follow Eva Maria as she tries to puzzle the whole mystery together to try to prove that Vittorio did not kill his wife.
Sounds like a great read right?
Well, it could have been. It had great potential. However, it dragged...a lot. There were some moments that I was completely pulled in, but the parts that were slow far exceeded the interesting bits.
I also never really found myself connected with any of the characters in the story. I wish I could have found some connection, but it just never happened.
I also kept finding myself running into bits of the story that I just didn't fully understand. I guess they were meant for building the character profiles, but I could have done without some of it.
I really wish I could have gotten to read this one in its original language. I think it would have been better as I am sure that some things were lost in translation.
All in all, I really wanted to like this book, but it fell very short for me. I finished it because curiosity and the hope that it would get better kept me going.
My Rating
2.5 Stars
This review is based on an eARC provided by the publishers via the First to Read program in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/
Well, it did keep me guessing through the whole thing...
This story is a "who done it" kind of story. Lisandra P. is dead. She was found four stories down from one of her apartment windows dead on the street. Thrown. The police automatically suspected her husband Vittorio of the crime.
Vittorio was a shrink, a psychoanalyst. And one of he had recruited one of his patients, Eva Maria to help him figure out who really did kill his wife (as he denied that it was him).
So we follow Eva Maria as she tries to puzzle the whole mystery together to try to prove that Vittorio did not kill his wife.
Sounds like a great read right?
Well, it could have been. It had great potential. However, it dragged...a lot. There were some moments that I was completely pulled in, but the parts that were slow far exceeded the interesting bits.
I also never really found myself connected with any of the characters in the story. I wish I could have found some connection, but it just never happened.
I also kept finding myself running into bits of the story that I just didn't fully understand. I guess they were meant for building the character profiles, but I could have done without some of it.
I really wish I could have gotten to read this one in its original language. I think it would have been better as I am sure that some things were lost in translation.
All in all, I really wanted to like this book, but it fell very short for me. I finished it because curiosity and the hope that it would get better kept me going.
My Rating
2.5 Stars
This review is based on an eARC provided by the publishers via the First to Read program in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/
September 6, 2017
The story was interesting and I enjoyed it, however, this book was translated. If I were able to read this book in its native language, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more. The translation caused choppy sentences & a couple of weird translations. Being bilingual myself, I know not everything translates perfectly, but it did start to get to me a bit.
November 22, 2020
I originally posted this view on my blog, Rachel Reading. For more reviews, find me there!
I came into this book expecting something like Gone Girl, and I got that, but I also got a little something else. My senior year of High School, our Spanish class was focused on border studies, and how the United States has interacted with Latin world in the past. Because this book took place in Argentina, in a time that is Post-Peron, it had a heavy impact on the characters, and it became less about what happened to Lisandra, but also, what happened to all of these characters on the side.
This book did keep me guessing as to whether or not her husband killed her, and the way it was written was very intriguing. Eva Marie is one of the most unreliable narrators I’ve come across, simply because you’re never sure of her state of mind when she’s talking to you. She’s an alcoholic, who has suffered a major loss in her life, so she seems to always be teetering on the brink of insanity.
One of the things that I really loved about this book was the writing style. I’m trying to read more writings in translation because of that, and this book was a great one to read. The writing was beautiful, and yet so different than what I’m accustomed to. The way Gremillion handles her characters, and the way we dive into their minds is something I haven’t seen in things I’ve read before and comes highly recommended. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the ending, I wasn’t super satisfied with it, but other than that, this book was a treasure. I would absolutely encourage people to read it.
I came into this book expecting something like Gone Girl, and I got that, but I also got a little something else. My senior year of High School, our Spanish class was focused on border studies, and how the United States has interacted with Latin world in the past. Because this book took place in Argentina, in a time that is Post-Peron, it had a heavy impact on the characters, and it became less about what happened to Lisandra, but also, what happened to all of these characters on the side.
This book did keep me guessing as to whether or not her husband killed her, and the way it was written was very intriguing. Eva Marie is one of the most unreliable narrators I’ve come across, simply because you’re never sure of her state of mind when she’s talking to you. She’s an alcoholic, who has suffered a major loss in her life, so she seems to always be teetering on the brink of insanity.
One of the things that I really loved about this book was the writing style. I’m trying to read more writings in translation because of that, and this book was a great one to read. The writing was beautiful, and yet so different than what I’m accustomed to. The way Gremillion handles her characters, and the way we dive into their minds is something I haven’t seen in things I’ve read before and comes highly recommended. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the ending, I wasn’t super satisfied with it, but other than that, this book was a treasure. I would absolutely encourage people to read it.
March 24, 2015
Un homme est accusé d'avoir poussé sa femme du haut de leur appartement. C'est l'une de ses patientes qui mène l'enquête pour le disculper. Elle est convaincue que l'auteur du crime suivait une psychanalyse avec Vittorio et passe au crible tous les enregistrements des dernières séances.
L'histoire réserve de nombreux tours de passe-passe où se mêlent des hommes et des femmes aux parcours traumatisants. Nous sommes à Buenos Aires, en 1987. Le pays se sent encore lourd des séquelles laissées par la dictature militaire, les familles pleurent leurs disparus, bourreaux et victimes n'ont pas tourné la page. C'est assez tendu comme ambiance.
Et l'auteur de jongler entre cet héritage historique et le mystère de Lisandra, supputant les théories les plus folles. Héroïne tragique ou maîtresse de son sort ? L'histoire ne dit pas tout et cultive les zones d'ombre à la façon d'un polar. Suspense à foison, pistes multiples et compliquées, embrouillamini de versions pour une seule et même vérité (et encore ?). On gobe tout.
J'émets, toutefois, une petite réserve sur la révélation finale, assez perturbante et plutôt mal venue... mais ceci n'altère en rien mon enthousiasme général. ☺
L'histoire réserve de nombreux tours de passe-passe où se mêlent des hommes et des femmes aux parcours traumatisants. Nous sommes à Buenos Aires, en 1987. Le pays se sent encore lourd des séquelles laissées par la dictature militaire, les familles pleurent leurs disparus, bourreaux et victimes n'ont pas tourné la page. C'est assez tendu comme ambiance.
Et l'auteur de jongler entre cet héritage historique et le mystère de Lisandra, supputant les théories les plus folles. Héroïne tragique ou maîtresse de son sort ? L'histoire ne dit pas tout et cultive les zones d'ombre à la façon d'un polar. Suspense à foison, pistes multiples et compliquées, embrouillamini de versions pour une seule et même vérité (et encore ?). On gobe tout.
J'émets, toutefois, une petite réserve sur la révélation finale, assez perturbante et plutôt mal venue... mais ceci n'altère en rien mon enthousiasme général. ☺
December 18, 2013
Après un début un peu énervant au style artificiel, les choses se mettent en place. La fin m'a touché.
September 1, 2015
A somewhat disappointing finale after a very gripping story.
November 6, 2015
2.5 stars. An interesting book with many unexpected twists, but the end fell apart for me completely.
March 20, 2017
It’s not just loud noises that accompany disasters, little sounds do, too, and even silence.An intriguing, multi-layered mystery with a fascinating historical context. I received this book from Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. This title will be released on January 12, 2016.
Lisandra is found dead on the sidewalk outside the window of her sixth-floor apartment and her husband Vittorio is the main suspect. He is a psychoanalyst and one of his patients, Eva Maria, agrees to help find clues to prove his innocence. Eva Maria, who is experiencing immense grief over the disappearance of her daughter a few years prior during The Dirty War, becomes obsessed with solving the mystery and providing justice for Vittorio and Lisandra. The Case of Lisandra P. is based on a true story and takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina in August 1987. It is translated from the original French by Alison Anderson.
Falling out of love is progressive. Before you no longer love, you love less. And less again, then no more at all. But it’s not something you are aware of. Falling out of love. A relationship gone lukewarm, humdrum, pragmatic, everyday, utilitarian and habit-worn, and you don’t even think it through because you don’t think about it at all.The publisher recommends this book to fans of The Girl on the Train and The Silent Wife. I did really like those books and they were fun to read, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend The Case of Lisandra P. to all the fans of those two books. There is an element of domestic drama that is comparable, but that certainly isn't the whole story or the main draw to this book. Most of the popular thrillers have an easy-breezy writing style which compels you to keep turning the pages, but this one is more literary with a deliberate pace. It took me quite a few pages to get into the writer's style. The style actually reminded me a little more of Saramago than of Hawkins or Harrison, because of the insight into the human mind, the way the immediate story was tied to a greater context, the way the author was able to write little actions as intriguing, and the breathless way in which it is written. The format is untraditional and almost collage-like. The main story was interspersed with Vittorio's session transcripts, lists, stream of consciousness, and even sheet music at one point. There is not much in the way of transitions and the story changes directions very quickly.
Monstrosity never thinks it is monstrous; it always finds reasons within itself to behave as it does—acts of torture become acts of justice, or even honor.The part that makes this book most interesting is the setting. It takes place four years after the end of "The Dirty War", an event I didn't know anything about. The descriptions of the atrocities committed are intensely disturbing: people disappearing without a trace, people being tossed from planes to destroy the evidence of torture, and children being stolen and given to families sympathetic to the junta. The lack of justice for the victims is appalling. One of the more unsettling parts of the book is a transcript of Vittorio's session with Miguel, where Miguel describes the torture he received while imprisoned by the military junta. The acknowledgments mention that the section owes much to the real-life testimony of Miguel Ángel Estrella.
Impunity imposes impossible cohabitation on murderers and their victims; it exacerbates suspicion and hatred. In the deepest recesses of the soul. In that secret place where bile gathers and accumulates. The heart of a volcano. In that hiding place where the most violent anger lurks, the anger that ravages everything when it erupts. Because it will not fail to erupt. In the light, perhaps, of another historical context, but it will erupt.This is not a mystery where what actually occurred is obvious, but it is not out-of-the-blue in a gimmicky GOTCHA! way. There are strong parallels between the tragic events of Lisandra's life and historical context of the book: the strong and powerful imposing their will over the weak and the powerful getting away without punishment (despite mountains of evidence) while the oppressed suffer the worst repercussions.
There were some sections that ran a little too long for me because characters would get really repetitive in these big, blocky paragraphs that would go on for pages and I was just ready for the story to move forward. Overall, it was an intriguing mystery with a fascinating setting.
Memories are free. They play with us. They get fainter, they expand, they retract, they avoid us or strike like lightning. Once life gives birth to them, they become the masters of life. They are time’s foot soldiers, driving us mad. Without memories we would be free. Memory is time’s bad fairy. No memory brings true joy, serenity. Regret, remorse—memories are like so many dissonant little bells clanging inside us. And the more life goes on, the more the little music of memories rings false. You think you are your own self, but you’re nothing but your memories.
December 30, 2020
2.5 - there were things I liked about this book including the varying styles of writing...yet it all seemed a bit disconnected. I'd say that it's pushed to 3 because it's been the first time in a while where I couldn't guess the ending. However there is a reason why, which I'm not sure I enjoy either haha.
Read
November 27, 2015Al doilea roman al scriitoarei franceze Hélène Grémillon – Tangou pentru Lisandra – este o carte complexă, cu multă tensiune, deopotrivă roman psihologic, istoric, erotic (dramă conjugală) și polițist. Însă, dincolo de toate acestea, este o carte în care se ridică acut problema recâștigării sinelui și a timpului prin povești. Cartea pune în prim-plan, alături de răsfrângerea unor evenimente traumatizante din istoria recentă a Argentinei, nevoia omului de a se (re)găsi pe sine spunând și ascultând povești, de a-și limpezi propria poveste întunecată.
Ineditul viziunii scriitoarei franceze stă în raportul pe care aceasta îl stabilește între poveste, timp și umanitate: „Mie mi-am povestit deja – mai întâi în minte și apoi cu voce tare –, am făcut asta, am transformat teroarea în poveste, i-am impus formele obligatorii oricărei narațiuni, am ales cuvintele potrivite pentru a exprima imaginile acelea și pentru a găsi o anumită cronologie, asta a fost cel mai greu, să introduci o ordine temporală în frică, să pui cap la cap elemente, gesturi, evenimente care până atunci se suprapuseseră într-o ramificație a terorii, totul era în afara timpului, violent, a trebuit să reintroduc timpul, această noțiune a umanității care dispare de îndată ce inumanitatea intră în acțiune – dar am reușit, am făcut-o singur. Acum trebuie să rostesc în fața cuiva această poveste plină de cuvinte, modelată din cronologii și pe urmă, în sfârșit, va deveni ceva firesc, cred (…). Vreau să trăiesc povestind toate astea. Nu ca să mă blochez, ci ca să mă eliberez”.
Acțiunea este plasată în anul 1987, la Buenos Aires, având în centrul și în fundalul ei argentinieni ce poartă cu ei, prin timpul propriilor vieți, povara consecințelor dictaturii militare instaurate în 1974, junta condusă de generalul Rafael Videla torturând 30 000 de oameni până în 1983, când a fost reinstaurată democrația. În prim-planul romanului îl găsim pe Vittorio Puig, un psihanalist acuzat de uciderea soţiei sale, Lisandra, şi pe Eva Maria, o pacientă răvășită de dispariţia fiicei sale în timpul dicaturii, care își asumă sarcina dată de psiholog, aceea de a întreprinde o anchetă personală pentru a proba nevinovăţia acestuia.
Universul romanului propune o lume în care identitățile oamenilor se ascund sub diverse măști, duplicitatea, neîncrederea, bănuiala, gelozia, vinovăția, teama, dar și dorința de răzbunare transformând viața fiecăruia într-un calvar. Deși junta nu mai există, infernul existențelor continuă, fie prin absențe neexplicate care distrug prezentul și viitorul celor rămași, fie prin pierderi dureroase care duc la mutilări ale sinelui. Ca și la nivel colectiv, și în viețile personale ale oamenilor, mai nimic din ce se vede nu este și adevărat, iar adevărul este fărâmițat șideparte de suprafață.
Romanul este polifonic, reunind nu doar povestea psihanalistului, a Lisandrei și a Evei Maria, ci și a multor altor personaje, cu roluri diferite pe scena socială a Argentinei, prezente în roman prin confesiunile înregistrate în biroul psihanalistului sau făcute cu ocazia investigării morții Lisandrei. Astfel că moartea violentă a Lisandrei, personajul absent al romanului, și acuzația îndreptată înspre soțul ei devin un nucleu-pretext în jurul căruia se întind și se strâng o mulțime de alte fire narative. Și câte fire narative, atâtea drame sau tragedii, toate puse în pagină extrem de subtil și veridic, cu impact emoțional sporit.
(continuarea cronicii: http://www.bookaholic.ro/cum-contenes...)
Ineditul viziunii scriitoarei franceze stă în raportul pe care aceasta îl stabilește între poveste, timp și umanitate: „Mie mi-am povestit deja – mai întâi în minte și apoi cu voce tare –, am făcut asta, am transformat teroarea în poveste, i-am impus formele obligatorii oricărei narațiuni, am ales cuvintele potrivite pentru a exprima imaginile acelea și pentru a găsi o anumită cronologie, asta a fost cel mai greu, să introduci o ordine temporală în frică, să pui cap la cap elemente, gesturi, evenimente care până atunci se suprapuseseră într-o ramificație a terorii, totul era în afara timpului, violent, a trebuit să reintroduc timpul, această noțiune a umanității care dispare de îndată ce inumanitatea intră în acțiune – dar am reușit, am făcut-o singur. Acum trebuie să rostesc în fața cuiva această poveste plină de cuvinte, modelată din cronologii și pe urmă, în sfârșit, va deveni ceva firesc, cred (…). Vreau să trăiesc povestind toate astea. Nu ca să mă blochez, ci ca să mă eliberez”.
Acțiunea este plasată în anul 1987, la Buenos Aires, având în centrul și în fundalul ei argentinieni ce poartă cu ei, prin timpul propriilor vieți, povara consecințelor dictaturii militare instaurate în 1974, junta condusă de generalul Rafael Videla torturând 30 000 de oameni până în 1983, când a fost reinstaurată democrația. În prim-planul romanului îl găsim pe Vittorio Puig, un psihanalist acuzat de uciderea soţiei sale, Lisandra, şi pe Eva Maria, o pacientă răvășită de dispariţia fiicei sale în timpul dicaturii, care își asumă sarcina dată de psiholog, aceea de a întreprinde o anchetă personală pentru a proba nevinovăţia acestuia.
Universul romanului propune o lume în care identitățile oamenilor se ascund sub diverse măști, duplicitatea, neîncrederea, bănuiala, gelozia, vinovăția, teama, dar și dorința de răzbunare transformând viața fiecăruia într-un calvar. Deși junta nu mai există, infernul existențelor continuă, fie prin absențe neexplicate care distrug prezentul și viitorul celor rămași, fie prin pierderi dureroase care duc la mutilări ale sinelui. Ca și la nivel colectiv, și în viețile personale ale oamenilor, mai nimic din ce se vede nu este și adevărat, iar adevărul este fărâmițat șideparte de suprafață.
Romanul este polifonic, reunind nu doar povestea psihanalistului, a Lisandrei și a Evei Maria, ci și a multor altor personaje, cu roluri diferite pe scena socială a Argentinei, prezente în roman prin confesiunile înregistrate în biroul psihanalistului sau făcute cu ocazia investigării morții Lisandrei. Astfel că moartea violentă a Lisandrei, personajul absent al romanului, și acuzația îndreptată înspre soțul ei devin un nucleu-pretext în jurul căruia se întind și se strâng o mulțime de alte fire narative. Și câte fire narative, atâtea drame sau tragedii, toate puse în pagină extrem de subtil și veridic, cu impact emoțional sporit.
(continuarea cronicii: http://www.bookaholic.ro/cum-contenes...)
January 6, 2016
This review was originally posted on [www.125pages.com]
The Case of Lisandra P. is hyped as perfect for lovers of
The Girl on the Train
which I am, so I was so excited when I began reading. Then the excitement went down, chapter by chapter. Now The Case of Lisandra P. is not a bad book, but it is no The Girl on the Train. I am actually getting tired of publishers hyping books as the next Gone Girl or whatever, because those books transcend their genres and are truly powerful. It sets the reader up to expect such amazing things, things that are not easily attained. I am learning that the more a book is compared to others, the less powerful the reading is; I will have a certain expectation and if not met I am disappointed. Even if the book was great in its own right I am disappointed as it was not as good as I had hoped.
The world built was vibrant, an Argentina recovering from things no nation should have to, with a vibrant cityscape. The pacing was swift and kept rolling to the end in a swift clip. The plot was interesting, the murder of a woman who, from the outside, had the perfect life. Her husband's patients are alternately suspects and detectives. Hélène Grémillon was able to mix the history of the Argentinian atrocities into the psyche of her characters. Unfortunately she was not able to build likeability into them. Almost across the board the players were so self-absorbed that they could not see the outside world for their internal blinders.
I see The Case of Lisandra P. as more of a mystery than a thriller. I was intrigued by the plot and wanted to find out whodunit, but I was not on the edge of my seat, tense and worried by what was next. It was a good read for a mystery but I am not a mystery genre lover. This is why the comparison of book A to book B fails for me. I did really enjoy the blending of history within the plot, and the setting was perfection. If you are a mystery lover I think you will really enjoy this one, for me, I did enjoy it but I didn't click with it the way I had hoped.
Favorite lines - I would like to have the powers of a beautiful apparition yet remain the everyday woman in his life, his routine. I would like to transform myself to the rhythm of those who charm him. To have that power of metamorphosis. To become her when he is attracted to her, to become the other when he is attracted to the other. Not to always be me, inflicting myself on him. But to transform myself to the rhythm of his desires. To bring every single woman to him while remaining the unique one.
Biggest cliché - "I am so mysterious, witness my mystery!"
Have you read The Case of Lisandra P., or added it to your TBR?
The Case of Lisandra P. is hyped as perfect for lovers of
The Girl on the Train
which I am, so I was so excited when I began reading. Then the excitement went down, chapter by chapter. Now The Case of Lisandra P. is not a bad book, but it is no The Girl on the Train. I am actually getting tired of publishers hyping books as the next Gone Girl or whatever, because those books transcend their genres and are truly powerful. It sets the reader up to expect such amazing things, things that are not easily attained. I am learning that the more a book is compared to others, the less powerful the reading is; I will have a certain expectation and if not met I am disappointed. Even if the book was great in its own right I am disappointed as it was not as good as I had hoped.The world built was vibrant, an Argentina recovering from things no nation should have to, with a vibrant cityscape. The pacing was swift and kept rolling to the end in a swift clip. The plot was interesting, the murder of a woman who, from the outside, had the perfect life. Her husband's patients are alternately suspects and detectives. Hélène Grémillon was able to mix the history of the Argentinian atrocities into the psyche of her characters. Unfortunately she was not able to build likeability into them. Almost across the board the players were so self-absorbed that they could not see the outside world for their internal blinders.
I see The Case of Lisandra P. as more of a mystery than a thriller. I was intrigued by the plot and wanted to find out whodunit, but I was not on the edge of my seat, tense and worried by what was next. It was a good read for a mystery but I am not a mystery genre lover. This is why the comparison of book A to book B fails for me. I did really enjoy the blending of history within the plot, and the setting was perfection. If you are a mystery lover I think you will really enjoy this one, for me, I did enjoy it but I didn't click with it the way I had hoped.
Favorite lines - I would like to have the powers of a beautiful apparition yet remain the everyday woman in his life, his routine. I would like to transform myself to the rhythm of those who charm him. To have that power of metamorphosis. To become her when he is attracted to her, to become the other when he is attracted to the other. Not to always be me, inflicting myself on him. But to transform myself to the rhythm of his desires. To bring every single woman to him while remaining the unique one.
Biggest cliché - "I am so mysterious, witness my mystery!"
Have you read The Case of Lisandra P., or added it to your TBR?
December 7, 2015
“The Case of Lisandra P.” written by Hélѐne Grémillon and translated from French by Alison Anderson. Based on a true story, this novel takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The plot of the book begins with the character Vittorio, a psychiatrist, has been wrongfully accused of his wife’s (Lisandra) murder. Vittorio uses his patient Eva Maria to help him prove his innocence. During the investigation, Eva Maria seems to associate Lisandra’s death with her missing daughter Stella. This inner turmoil faced by Eva Maria further strains her relationship with her son, Estéban, as she resorts to drink for solace. The story is captivating and filled with intrigue. The reader is drawn into a “who-done-it” story with pieces of a puzzle that leads the reader to a most surprising ending. I definitely recommend this well written and attention-grabbing book.
December 30, 2015
I received a free digital galley copy through the First To Read Program in exchange for an honest review.
This book initially confused me and I found it difficult to follow. About halfway through I got into the swing of the author's writing style and quickly finished the book. The ending came out of left field for me, and I don't feel satisfied with the ending. However, It piqued my interest about disappeared person cases in Argentina's Dirty War that I had never heard about before now, and I will try to better educate myself about this tragedy and the oppressive regime's crimes against humanity.
This book initially confused me and I found it difficult to follow. About halfway through I got into the swing of the author's writing style and quickly finished the book. The ending came out of left field for me, and I don't feel satisfied with the ending. However, It piqued my interest about disappeared person cases in Argentina's Dirty War that I had never heard about before now, and I will try to better educate myself about this tragedy and the oppressive regime's crimes against humanity.
December 14, 2020
Cartea asta m-a lăsat cu gura căscată, cu inima bătându-mi în piept, cu un gust amar, cu spaimă și dezgust. O carte aiuritoare, cu personaje care îmi par toate nebune, toate mincinoase.
Îmi place cum scrie Hélène Grémillon, cum te prinde în mrejele scriiturii! Tangou pentru Lisandra m-a prins, m-a uimit. O poveste inspirată de realitate, brr!
Îmi place cum scrie Hélène Grémillon, cum te prinde în mrejele scriiturii! Tangou pentru Lisandra m-a prins, m-a uimit. O poveste inspirată de realitate, brr!
December 2, 2015
A decent plot, the ending was alright but the writing style and narration were not my taste. I found it hard to get into the book or to feel attached to any of the characters. Might be a good choice for a book club if you can stand the writing, the story raises a lot of good discussion topics.
November 28, 2022
the book was very good don’t get me wrong. i just feel like at times i was struggling to follow what was happening but when i finally understood it all and got to the very and and the reveal of what actually happened i was like holy crap. i had no clue who killed lisandra at all and any theories i had were very wrong. the ending is so shocking which made me want to give it 5 stars but when i thought about the book as a whole i decided it wasn’t my favorite thing ever but it was still a very very interesting book that reeled me in through the whole mystery.
September 28, 2024
După ce am rămas profund impresionată de Confidentul, am decis să mai încerc o altă carte a aceleiași autoare sperând să regăsesc aceeași plăcere a lecturii din volumul precendent.
Vittorio Puig, un psihanalist argentinian este acuzat de uciderea soției sale Lisandra, însă Eva Maria o pacientă devotată a acestuia, întreprinde o anchetă personală încercând prin orice mijloace să dovedească nevinovăția lui Vittorio.
Vittorio Puig, un psihanalist argentinian este acuzat de uciderea soției sale Lisandra, însă Eva Maria o pacientă devotată a acestuia, întreprinde o anchetă personală încercând prin orice mijloace să dovedească nevinovăția lui Vittorio.
August 19, 2016
Tutte le premesse del libro sono buone: La struttura del romanzo e l’introduzione della storia. La narrazione, che scorre fluida e con una tensione che sospinge alla lettura, intrigante ed accattivante. Il linguaggio fresco e moderno, con modificazioni di stile a seconda del contesto: frasi brevi ed incisive (anche se talvolta troppo telegrafiche) per la voce narrante; concessioni letterarie rappresentate da lunghissimi periodi privi di interruzione, che bene si adattano allo scorrere del pensiero dei protagonisti. Un background storico, quello dell’Argentina immediatamente seguente il periodo della dittatura, descritto in maniera superficiale ma efficace: una popolazione devastata dal fenomeno della desaparition, una ferita non rimarginabile, un dolore inconsolabile, la rabbia per l’orrore subito e quasi mai, o mai abbastanza, condannato, l’apparente uniformità tra carnefici e vittime e la paura di incontrare inconsapevolmente gli assassini di un proprio caro. L’analisi psicologica di alcuni personaggi, il ritratto della gelosia femminile e della dipendenza affettiva.
Finale poco convincente: intuibile nella sua dinamica, impensabile per la mancanza di elementi forniti nelle pagine precedenti, se si fa eccezione per il titolo, e proprio per tale motivo il possibile e cercato coupé de théatre diventa un elemento quasi avulso dalla storia stessa. La descrizione di un procedimento giudiziario inverosimile, o quanto meno poco probabile, anche nell’Argentina di quel tempo, fa sembrare impossibile che la storia sia tratta da un fatto di cronaca. Il ritratto psicologico di Lisandra, la sua gelosia patologica, poco si adatta all’evoluzione degli eventi, ed in particolare alla sua volontà di giustificare e proteggere l’oggetto del suo amore e della sua sofferenza.
Ho avvertito un certo tratto “misogino”: tutti i personaggi femminili (ad eccezione di uno minore) appaiono in qualche modo negativi ed umorali, intrappolati nei loro sentimenti di gelosia, odio, rabbia, devastati dall’incapacità di azioni costruttive. Gli uomini invece appaiono buoni, o coraggiosi, vittoriosi o impuniti. Mi piace ricordare che proprio nell’Argentina di quel tempo, e di quello immediatamente precedente, e fino ai giorni nostri, sono state proprio le donne, le madri e le nonne, che partendo dal loro dolore, hanno trovato la forza di lottare per avere giustizia, ottenendo, nei decenni successivi, l’apertura di procedimenti penali contro alcuni dei carnefici di quella tragedia storica ed umana, che da più parti si volle e si vuole disconoscere, e il ritrovamento di molti “bambini rapiti”.
Finale poco convincente: intuibile nella sua dinamica, impensabile per la mancanza di elementi forniti nelle pagine precedenti, se si fa eccezione per il titolo, e proprio per tale motivo il possibile e cercato coupé de théatre diventa un elemento quasi avulso dalla storia stessa. La descrizione di un procedimento giudiziario inverosimile, o quanto meno poco probabile, anche nell’Argentina di quel tempo, fa sembrare impossibile che la storia sia tratta da un fatto di cronaca. Il ritratto psicologico di Lisandra, la sua gelosia patologica, poco si adatta all’evoluzione degli eventi, ed in particolare alla sua volontà di giustificare e proteggere l’oggetto del suo amore e della sua sofferenza.
Ho avvertito un certo tratto “misogino”: tutti i personaggi femminili (ad eccezione di uno minore) appaiono in qualche modo negativi ed umorali, intrappolati nei loro sentimenti di gelosia, odio, rabbia, devastati dall’incapacità di azioni costruttive. Gli uomini invece appaiono buoni, o coraggiosi, vittoriosi o impuniti. Mi piace ricordare che proprio nell’Argentina di quel tempo, e di quello immediatamente precedente, e fino ai giorni nostri, sono state proprio le donne, le madri e le nonne, che partendo dal loro dolore, hanno trovato la forza di lottare per avere giustizia, ottenendo, nei decenni successivi, l’apertura di procedimenti penali contro alcuni dei carnefici di quella tragedia storica ed umana, che da più parti si volle e si vuole disconoscere, e il ritrovamento di molti “bambini rapiti”.
April 25, 2018
In augustus 1987 valt in Buenes Aires, Argentinië, een vrouw van een balkon. Het is Lisandra, de vrouw van psychotherapeut Vittorio Puig en ze is dood. Is het een stom ongeluk, is Lisandra van het balkon gevallen? Of is het zelfmoord, heeft ze zich láten vallen? Of is ze geduwd en is het dus moord? De politie gaat uit van het laatste en arresteert Vittorio.
Eva Maria, patiënte van Vittorio, is overtuigd van de onschuld van haar arts en is er tevens van overtuigd dat de politie niets, of in ieder geval te weinig doet om dat te bewijzen. Ze laat het er niet bij zitten en gaat op onderzoek uit. Ze bezoekt Vittorio in de gevangenis en laat hem vertellen over hoe hij Lisandra heeft leren kennen en hoeveel hij van haar hield.
Vittorio bekent aan haar dat hij van al zijn patiënten illegaal de meest recente therapiesessie heeft opgenomen en legt uit waar Eva Maria die cassettebandjes kan vinden. Ze moet ze afluisteren, want misschien is een van hen de moordenaar en verraadt hij of zij zich in het gesprek.
Maar Eva Maria is niet voor niks ook patiënte van Vittorio; ze is een getroebleerde vrouw, een moeder die de militaire junta ervan verdenkt haar dochter Stella een paar jaar eerder te hebben laten verdwijnen. Ze ziet overal complotten en wantrouwt de hele wereld. Als ze naar de bandjes gaat luisteren, wisselen de verdachten elkaar in hoog tempo af.
Als Eva Maria naar de begrafenis van Lisandra gaat, omdat ze hoopt daar de moordenaar te herkennen, beginnen de zaken door elkaar te lopen:
Eva Maria voelt haar achterdocht weer groeien, dat verstikkende gevoel dat iedereen Stella kan hebben vermoord. Ze bedoelde Lisandra. Ze haalt ze door elkaar. Ze verwart ze. In haar hoofd vallen de twee doden voortaan samen. Degene bij wie ze zo veel pijn voelt dat ze er niet aan kan denken, en degene zonder pijn, bij wie ze urenlang kan blijven stilstaan.
Na wat aarzelen krijgt het boek vier sterren. Dit is vooral te danken aan het feit dat het goed opgezet is, op een originele manier is uitgewerkt en in een setting speelt die je niet vaak tegenkomt; het Argentinië van vlak na de Vuile Oorlog. Het taalgebruik is niet bijzonder, maar de belangrijkste karakters worden voldoende uitgewerkt. Het plot is niet erg verrassend, Grémillon is er echter wel in geslaagd de spanning ernaartoe goed op te bouwen.
Voor deze recensie las ik de eerste drukproef, ik hoop dat die goed geredigeerd wordt voor publicatie. Er zat een aantal storende spel- en tikfouten in.
Eva Maria, patiënte van Vittorio, is overtuigd van de onschuld van haar arts en is er tevens van overtuigd dat de politie niets, of in ieder geval te weinig doet om dat te bewijzen. Ze laat het er niet bij zitten en gaat op onderzoek uit. Ze bezoekt Vittorio in de gevangenis en laat hem vertellen over hoe hij Lisandra heeft leren kennen en hoeveel hij van haar hield.
Vittorio bekent aan haar dat hij van al zijn patiënten illegaal de meest recente therapiesessie heeft opgenomen en legt uit waar Eva Maria die cassettebandjes kan vinden. Ze moet ze afluisteren, want misschien is een van hen de moordenaar en verraadt hij of zij zich in het gesprek.
Maar Eva Maria is niet voor niks ook patiënte van Vittorio; ze is een getroebleerde vrouw, een moeder die de militaire junta ervan verdenkt haar dochter Stella een paar jaar eerder te hebben laten verdwijnen. Ze ziet overal complotten en wantrouwt de hele wereld. Als ze naar de bandjes gaat luisteren, wisselen de verdachten elkaar in hoog tempo af.
Als Eva Maria naar de begrafenis van Lisandra gaat, omdat ze hoopt daar de moordenaar te herkennen, beginnen de zaken door elkaar te lopen:
Eva Maria voelt haar achterdocht weer groeien, dat verstikkende gevoel dat iedereen Stella kan hebben vermoord. Ze bedoelde Lisandra. Ze haalt ze door elkaar. Ze verwart ze. In haar hoofd vallen de twee doden voortaan samen. Degene bij wie ze zo veel pijn voelt dat ze er niet aan kan denken, en degene zonder pijn, bij wie ze urenlang kan blijven stilstaan.
Na wat aarzelen krijgt het boek vier sterren. Dit is vooral te danken aan het feit dat het goed opgezet is, op een originele manier is uitgewerkt en in een setting speelt die je niet vaak tegenkomt; het Argentinië van vlak na de Vuile Oorlog. Het taalgebruik is niet bijzonder, maar de belangrijkste karakters worden voldoende uitgewerkt. Het plot is niet erg verrassend, Grémillon is er echter wel in geslaagd de spanning ernaartoe goed op te bouwen.
Voor deze recensie las ik de eerste drukproef, ik hoop dat die goed geredigeerd wordt voor publicatie. Er zat een aantal storende spel- en tikfouten in.
December 16, 2015
Vittorio, a psychoanalyst, marries a beautiful dancer, Lisandra. Lisandra is found dead from a fall out of their 6th story window. Vittorio is arrested for her murder. So far so good. But then one of Vittorio's patients decides to help him and begins investigating. From here, you journey through Eva Marie's life along with Lisandra and Vittorio's. Honestly, I forgot it was a suspenseful mystery. Instead it was an interesting read about the people in Buenos Aries Argentina after the junta. There are several references to the political upheaval and horrible tortures and killings. Luckily for those who are not versed in South American history, there were several footnotes to illuminate the reader. I was startled when the killer reveals themself and even more startled by what followed. Once again, I would not compare this book to The Girl on the Train or The Silent Wife. This book is much smoother in its progression. You are comfortable right until the ending is revealed. As an aside, this book was translated to English. The author uses language that might be considered crude to the normal American reader.
This book was provided by Penguin in exchange for an objective review.
This book was provided by Penguin in exchange for an objective review.
December 1, 2015
The Case of Lisandra P. is compelling and also confusing. While drawn to Eva Maria’s story (and I do believe, in some ways, it was hers), I felt pulled in so many ways and then left hanging. There were almost too many red herrings. I found the beginning to the novel (how Vittorio and Lisandra met) unsatisfactory and when I finished the novel, went back to see if I had missed something. Unlike other readers, I preferred the ending to the beginning. What it did show, quite convincingly, was how The Dirty War affected and destroyed lives, not only those who were “disappeared,” but those left behind. In The Case of Lisandra P. innocents were sacrificed for the powerful, as so often happens.
January 25, 2016
Set in Buenos Aires in 1987, this novel explores not only the social climate of the time, but a murder mystery of a psychoanalyst's wife. Is the psychoanalyst the murderer?
When one of his patients is convinced of his innocence, she goes about seeking evidence. What she finds are not only the stories of his patients (via tape recordings the psychoanalyst kept), but also additional insight into her own misery (prompted by the political disappearance of her daughter). The dead wife, too, has tales to tell.
When one of his patients is convinced of his innocence, she goes about seeking evidence. What she finds are not only the stories of his patients (via tape recordings the psychoanalyst kept), but also additional insight into her own misery (prompted by the political disappearance of her daughter). The dead wife, too, has tales to tell.
March 17, 2015
On dirait un polar mieux écrit... 4.0/5
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews