La ragazza che leggeva nel metro

by Christine Féret-Fleury

Tutti i giorni, a Parigi, Juliette prende il metrò: stessa ora, stessa linea. Quando non è troppo assorta in un romanzo, ama perdersi a osservare i lettori intorno a lei: il collezionista di libri rari, la studentessa di matematica, la ragazza che piange a pagina 247. Li guarda con curiosità, come se dai loro gusti letterari potesse entrare in qualche modo nella loro vita e dare colore alla sua, così monotona, così prevedibile. Fino al giorno in cui decide all'improvviso di scendere qualche fermata prima e fare una strada diversa dal solito per andare al lavoro: un cambio di percorso che segnerà la sua vita oltre ogni aspettativa. Perché in quelle strade sconosciute incontrerà Soliman, che vive circondato di vecchi volumi ed è convinto che un libro, se donato alla persona giusta, può cambiare il corso del destino. Grazie ai consigli e alla saggezza di Soliman, e all'esuberanza della sua figlioletta Zaïde, Juliette compirà un viaggio incredibile alla scoperta dei romanzi e di se stessa, che stravolgerà i suoi orizzonti per sempre.

La ragazza che leggeva nel metrò è una favola moderna sulla magia dei romanzi e la poesia delle piccole cose. Una storia incantevole, piena di luce e ottimismo, che conquisterà lettori di ogni tipo: chi legge in treno, sbirciando da sopra la spalla del vicino, in pausa pranzo oppure nella solitudine della propria casa, su una poltrona comoda o tra le bolle della vasca da bagno.

Genres: Fiction, Books About Books, Contemporary, France, Audiobook, Magical Realism, Adult

130 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Après des études de lettres et quelques années de recherche universitaire autour des rapports texte/musique dans l’opéra, Christine Féret-Fleury a fait ses gammes d’éditrice avec Pierre Marchand, aux éditions Gallimard.

En 1996, elle publie son premier livre pour la jeunesse, Le Petit Tamour (Flammarion), suivi en 1999 par un roman « adulte », Les vagues sont douces comme des tigres (Arléa), couronné par le prix Antigone, puis par une soixantaine d’autres titres.

Depuis 2001, elle se consacre principalement à l’écriture et assure la direction éditoriale des éditions Les 400 Coups France.

Reviews

[Caro the Helmet Lady · Rating 1 out of 5]

So finally here comes my review... First of all I want to congratulate our greedy Lithuanian publishers for such seemingly innocent and fun idea coming out villainous as changing the title of the book to a completely different one to lure the unaware native Francophiles to purchase their product. As I noticed here on GR in every other language the title is a direct translation of the original one, that is "The Girl Who Read on the Metro". Marketing masterminds decided to call it "The Extraordinary/Unusual/Amazing/Strange Bookshop of the Parisian alley" or something - feel free to correct me and pick the right words, since I'm not the translator here, but you definitely get my point - they put an accent on Paris, maybe on a bookshop too, but definitely not the girl. But especially on Paris, since it sells very well nowadays and reading girls, especially those in metros probably not, as we can assume from such decision. Why the hell a young successful woman would read in metro, right? She should be googling her instagram or something or is she homeless?
I am not the mentioned Francophile and I don'g give a f** for where they spend their money, the bookshop lured me though, but that's a different story.

- Note to my future self - girl, you continue avoiding books with words "paris, parisians, french, montmartre, bonjour, amour etc" on their covers as you always did before, especially if it has also a picture of Eiffel's tower on top. One Amelia doesn't make the culture as you already know it.
-Also, drink more water.

Secondly I want to apologize to people who bought huge amounts of popcorn and cola expecting me to spill out my rage and disappointment in this book in my review. I'm sorry guys, because I'm sort of not that pissed anymore (just a little bit, hehe) but rather sad and I will tell you why.

I think the author really tried, but she didn't try enough or she didn't have the clear idea of what she's getting into. Because the presentation might make you think you're getting a happy optimistic "girl with a book in the world" kind of book, meeting new friends over her books or in the bookshop and having adventures and making you feel good when you finish it. Instead you get a melancholic one, with bland protagonists, many unnecessary descriptions, many things "as seen in movies" and very little in fact about the books themselves. The idea had a potential which was completely lost somewhere among words, words, words, empty words.

Spoilers ahead, consider yourself warned.
In short - Juliette goes to work by metro every day and she observes people reading books - seems like she travels with all same people all the time and they read all same books all the time. Must be a french phenomenon, BUT OK. I don't clearly get if this was happening for years or just recent period of time, but I could have missed it while yawning, my bad. Her life is a dull routine - at work (in the real estate), at home, in her free time. Books seem to be the only thing that saves her from this routine and boredom. I'm not very convinced why she hates her life that much since she actually has her books tucked everywhere and has an actual time to read them off work, which probably some working mothers with 3 kids and real life problems can't do, BUT OK.
One day she jumps off the train on a random (aha!) station and goes on a walk and gets to unexpected place in city - you guessed - where the (lithuanian) titular bookshop is. There she meets the owner - the mysterious Iranian refugee Suleyman and his mysterious sweet very special cute daughter Zaida (she couldn't be just a regular kid with snot all over her face, could she?) with a huge vault of books of all kinds. Of course he makes her a cup of very special coffee and tells her about his Life Mission. And of course our heroine is hooked immediately, and what happens pretty soon - she quits her super boring job and everything and, after short time of reflection, moves to the bookshop to look after owner's daughter, because he has to go on some super mysterious trip. And of course he will pay her and of course she won't have to do much, just paint her room in yellow, keep it all clean a bit, don't burn the bookstore, and feed the kid sometimes, and of course she can read all she wants all the time, even while peeling potatoes. Although I don't really get what stopped her from doing it before?

All right, I will have mercy on you and resume - so far you've probably noticed how everything is cliche on cliche and a pile of stereotypes - and further it won't change much - Juliette will face sort of a challenge (surprised emoji), some people will die (sad emoji), some will reunite with their mysterious mother (happy emoji), Juliette will get a yellow bus full of books and go for her adventures, The End!!!!
However, there was no stupid sappy love story in it. Thanks at least for for this, C.F.F.!

So what in heavens got my interest in this "generic product" book? It was this thing - Suleyman's Mission, which is sort of "traveling book" idea, I'm sure you my dear book maniacs know all about it - read a book and leave it somewhere on the park bench for someone else to read who will maybe pass it on for the next reader and so on. Maybe someday it will come back to you. Personally I'm in love with this idea and I'm sure the Author was too, hence this book I'm sharpening my tongue on now...

So what went wrong? It's too many things. The characters are too weak, the story is cliche, the descriptions try to be somewhat Proust-ish but, eh, come on. Bare with my free translation: "...His dark skinned hand (Suleyman's)moved nervously and it reminded her of a little monkey"... Seriously, wtf? Hey, Author, did you read what you've just written?
There's more stuff like this which maybe was supposed to be funny and special, but isn't.

Also, characters often speak in phrases that are normally reserved for movies, you know, Big Words Casablanca style. This got annoying at some point.

Maybe if the Author made her characters deeper, if she just let us see the bonds between this people building and growing, not just happening because "it's magic cuz I said so", and maybe if she actually let us see how books help Juliette to change and become this yellow bus driver - maybe then this book would work. Maybe then she wouldn't have to put this list of books as some kind of proof in the end of her book - if she'd woven them into the actual story. Maybe if Author had some patience to make this book bigger?...

I could like this book, maybe even love, if it wasn't so painfully superficial and predictable and fastfood. It was OK, but I didn't enjoy it.




P.S. Also... I have to get it out of my system, sorry, but... Juliette, or more like - C.F.F. - you don't paint walls with same paint as you paint your car, you just don't. Don't embarrass yourself.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book sounded SO cute. And it started excitingly but quickly fell off. Juliette makes up stories about the people she sees regularly riding the Métro, especially about the books they read. But the reader is supposed to believe her book obsession without her actually doing much reading herself. She was more interested in people-watching and daydreaming while even mentioning the lack of reading she had done for a very long time. I just didn't buy it.

But the book quickly fell off for me in its disjointed feel of jumping around to her job and then taking on the weird bookstore arrangement. When someone she doesn't know will leave for an adventure and leave her in charge. This is where magical realism writes it off as workable, but it didn't FEEL like it worked for me as the reader.

In the end, I can't tell how much was lost in translation and how much of this just felt like a brainstorming idea that was never fully formed.

It was just ok for me, 2 stars.

[María · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es sorprendente la mezcla de alivio y complicidad que siente un bibliófilo cuando lee un libro que trata, bueno... sobre otros libros. Sobre el placer de la lectura, sobre olerlos, sobre mirar de reojo lo que lee la gente en la playa, en el metro o en el aeropuerto. Los amantes de las letras deambulamos por las librerías acariciando las tapas, observando las novedades e investigando para encontrar tesoros. Tanto puede gustarnos un libro recién salido del horno como uno con las páginas amarillas de tanto uso. Si está correctamente pegado y se puede leer, es suficiente. Supongo que por eso me llamó tanto la atención La chica que leía en el metro cuando lo vi. Estaba en la librería Canaima (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) y tenía que recoger La casa de los espíritus de Isabel Allende. Al darme la vuelta para irme, ahí estaba, con las preciosas ilustraciones de Nuria Díaz. Pequeño, tapa dura e ilustrado. Me acerqué, lo acaricié admirándolo y le di la vuelta. El argumento te incitaba a comprar el libro si eras un lector habitual. Además, hablaba de una chica que espiaba las lecturas de los demás. ¿Cuántos lectores hemos hecho esto? ¿Cuántas veces hemos observado con disimulo qué lee la gente? No pude evitar recordar esa iniciativa tan chula que consistía en hacer fotos a desconocidos mientras leían en el metro. Para más inri, estaba escrito e ilustrado por mujeres. Ya sabéis lo que opino de la visibilidad femenina en la literatura (y por desgracia en casi cualquier ámbito). La chica que leía en el metro tenía que ser mío.— Cóbrame este también, por favor - le dije a la dependienta con una sonrisa en la cara.
Antes de arrancar el coche y volver a casa subí una foto a instagram para compartirlo con todos. Una de las maravillas de Booktube y Bookstagram es compartir el placer de la lectura (algunos aún lo hacen, en serio. Otros son escaparates de editoriales pero oye, cada uno que haga con su vida lo que quiera).

Juliette es la protagonista de nuestra historia, una chica escondida tras unas gafas de sol en forma de mariposa y una gruesa bufanda de punto tejida por su abuela. Todos los días coge el metro a la misma hora, disfrutando de observar a los que leen a su alrededor. Un día, escapando de su monótona rutina, se baja dos estaciones antes de lo habitual y toma un nuevo camino para ir a trabajar. Es en ese momento cuando su vida cambia para siempre. Juliette encuentra “Libros sin límites” y a Zaida, que le pregunta «¿Eres pasante?» ante su estupefacta mirada. ¡Ah! También conoce a Solimán. Cuando escuché la palabra pasante me dio un vuelco el corazón. ¿Hablarían de libros viajeros? Entonces se apoderó de mí ese nerviosismo tan típico de los lectores cuando saben (con certeza) que algo increíble va a suceder, pero necesitan esa confirmación. Me dije «tengo que seguir leyendo como sea». Por cierto que estos pensamientos aparecieron a las 6 de la mañana, cuando mi cuerpo se negó a seguir durmiendo. Solimán le dice a Juliette «Usted conoce el principio de los libros viajeros». ¡Ajá! Olfato lector, nunca falla. «Lo creó un estadounidense, Ron Hornbaker, o más bien sistematizó el concepto en 2001. Convertir el mundo en una biblioteca... bonita idea, ¿no? Dejamos un libro en un lugar público, en una estación, en el banco de una plaza, en un cine, alguien se lo lleva, lo lee y luego, unos días o unas semanas después, también lo deja en otro sitio. [...] Además había que seguir el rastro de los libros “liberados”, reproducir su itinerario y permitir que los lectores compartieran sus impresiones. De ahí el sitio web vinculado al movimiento, en el que se registra cada libro. Se le asigna entonces un identificador que debe aparecer de forma legible en la cubierta, con la URL del sitio web. El que encuentra un libro viajero puede entonces consignar la fecha y el lugar donde lo ha encontrado, hacer una notificación o una crítica...
— ¿Es lo que usted hace? — lo interrumpió Juliette.
— No exactamente».
Mi corazón se volvió a acelerar y seguí leyendo. «El próximo pasante que entre en esta sala será responsable de poner en circulación todos estos libros.
— ¿Responsable? — repitió Juliette.
— No los dejará en la calle o en un tren. No recurrirá al azar, si lo prefiere, para que encuentren a sus lectores.
— Pero cómo...
— Tendrá que elegirles un lector. O una lectora. Alguien a quien habrá observado, incluso seguido, hasta intuir el libro que esa persona necesita. No se equivoque, es un auténtico trabajo. No asignamos un libro como un desafío, por capricho, por voluntad de conmocionar o de provocar, sin razón. Mis mejores pasantes están dotados de una gran capacidad de empatía: sienten en lo más profundo de sí qué frustraciones, qué rencores se acumulan en un cuerpo que, en apariencia, no se diferencia en nada de otro». Inmediatamente pensé «quiero hacerlo con toda mi alma» y luego «espera, ¿espiar a las personas es ilegal? Mira tú sigue leyendo…». Al poco de continuar con la lectura, ya me autodenominaba (henchida de orgullo): pasante. Me imaginaba fantasías en mi cabeza «¿A qué te dedicas María? Pues soy médica y pasante». Solimán no solo quiere que los libros viajen, quiere registrarlos. ¿Cuándo fueron pasados? ¿Qué ocurría? ¿Había gente por la zona? ¿O quizás estaba desierta? ¿Llovía? ¿Nevaba? Cada vez me gustaba lo que proponía: «¿Se pasa un libro de la misma manera a las seis de la mañana que a las diez de la noche? Si anoto todo esto es para que usted, usted y los demás, puedan consultar esta libreta en todo momento. Así se acordarán».

Libros viajeros, libros por el mundo, bookcrossing. Para mí un libro jamás ha tenido sentido abandonado cogiendo polvo en una estantería. Tampoco los impolutos, debo reconocerlo. Siempre he creído que un libro debe viajar y cuanto más tenga de la otra persona (u otras), mejor. Un sentimiento que también comparte Juliette. Lo que cuenta un libro usado es fascinante: restos de olor a curry, anotaciones, manchas de café; las historias de los que los tuvieron en sus manos. Por desgracia, donar o al menos prestar libros (y escribirlos o mancharlos de té) no es algo frecuente en la comunidad de Booktube, incluso, se censura o se critica. No obstante, quién sabe cómo puede evolucionar esto. A veces la vida puede sorprender a las brujas y sibilas más veteranas. En mi caso -y estoy segura de que en el de mucha otra gente- me encanta regalar mis libros. A excepción de algún tomo especial, el resto deben viajar por el mundo. Los últimos que envié a dos amigas muy queridas fueron Picnic en Hanging Rock (Joan Lindsay) y Necesitamos nombres nuevos (NoViolet Bulawayo), ambos escritos por mujeres e impregnados en agua salada y unas dos toneladas de arena de la playa de Maspalomas (Gran Canaria). Tengo la sensación de que cuando mis amigas abran su libro, una sonrisa les pintará el rostro. Me encantó que se puntualizara una situación que veo con frecuencia cuando hablo de donar, dar o regalar libros: «— La gente le llevará libros en los lugares en los que se detenga. Los que no quieran, seguramente.
— O al contrario, los que les gusten más… ¡No sea tan pesimista! ¿No vale más dar un libro que nos gusta?». Detesto cuando me pregunta si doy libros que no me gustan. ¡Al contrario! Doy los que me han encantado, ¿no es esa la cuestión?

Solo tengo alguna que otra pega para este libro, por ejemplo, ¿eran necesarias esas raciones de condescendencia masculina? Desde luego que no. Además de otros pequeños detalles que espero, de verdad, que la autora corrija en un futuro. No, no es el mejor libro del mundo ni mucho menos, pero no está mal para una tarde de domingo y las ilustraciones de Nuria Díaz son increíbles. Me quedo con la mejor frase -para mí- de este libro:
«Los libros y las personas necesitan viajar».

Por cierto, al final, cómo no, me tuve que abrir un blog y una cuenta de instagram como pasante oficial de libros. Si es que no tengo remedio...

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet quick read about a woman who uncovers a mysterious bookstore and bookseller, a group of people who carry books around until they find the person they are meant for. And those other readers on the métro come back around in interesting ways. Most books similar to this are couched in romance and I liked that this one wasn't, although it still has other delights.

I had a copy of this book from the publisher in Edelweiss, but read it before it came out... it comes out mid-October 2019.

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spent most of this book being confused about what was happening, but it was still cute. Plus it's about books so no complaints there!

So we have Juliette - who is quite an odd duck, to be perfectly honest - who lives a dull life and spends her daily commute reading people who are reading instead of her book. Then one day she happens upon a door held open by a book and it leads her to meeting Soliman, who is a recluse living in an apartment full of books. Soliman has people who deliver random books to people after stalking them to discover their interests. What happens after that is mostly a mystery to me.

I found it really hard to follow what was going on, and I think that's because Juliette is always off in her own little world. She goes off on tangents and the story telling skips around and suddenly you're reading thinking, 'wait a sec ... how did we get here?' It's almost like the editor was too heavy-handed and took out half the narrative.

It was also a bit disappointing for me as a Francophile that this was a bit light on the descriptions. Plenty of place names but they're going to be more familiar to locals than tourists - I imagine Parisians reading this will get a kick out of recognising places and descriptions but I found it hard to connect.

This is a book about books so if you're widely read, prepare for the little thrills when you recognise titles and quotes. Some are quite obscure but there's a handy list at the back as well, which will also give book lovers plenty of inspiration. I recognised a few references here and there, and it was fun to understand them.

There's also a heavy emphasis on how much books can change lives and I'm 100% on board with that.

It was a bit of a strange story overall but it was never dull and I wasn't entirely bothered that I only half understood it. I liked the message it was sending and I do feel that Juliette's transformation was there and quite sweet. I loved the emphasis on books and I think there is something here that will really capture hearts for those who can relate.

With thanks to Macmillan for an ARC

[Marjolein · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well. I guess this book is supposed to be romantic and poetic and lyrical. The main character is probably supposed to be a passionate dreamer and the setting is supposed to be idyllic. In my opinion, this book is none of these things. It's pretentious and shallow and just kind of weird. The way it's written feels like something that shouldn't be allowed but is considered literature. There are way too many relative clauses (idk, is that what it's called in English?) and way too many comparative descriptions. However it's called in English grammar: the author has pulled the sentences apart which makes it VERY difficult to read and to stay focused on the story. Maybe the translation is to blame, but I know for a fact that these kind of things are pretty much frowned upon in Dutch grammar. So I don't know why the hell the publishers thought this was a great idea. It's really not.

Storywise - the concept was promising, I guess. Juliette isn't really happy with her life and after meeting an eccentric man and his daughter, she decides to become a bookcrosser. Someone who hands out books to strangers after basically following them around for a while. Which kind of sounds creepy, come to think of it now... anyhow. What really bothered me is the fact that after meeting Soliman and Zaide only ONCE she immediately moves in with them and takes care of Zaide when Soliman has to go away for a while. This isn't romantic and poetic and lyrical at all. It's weird and definitely not normal. She also quits her job to dedicate her time to being a bookcrosser but we never actually get to see her in action? She hands out books to her former boss and colleague but she only tells Soliman about it. And she hands ONE guy on the subway a book but that's it. Pretty much a let down.

Some of the conversations were so vague and pretentious that I rolled my eyes on more than one occassion. I guess these type of books are really not my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore books - I basically hoard books. I sell them, I buy them, I love them and I share them... but treating them the way they did in this book was way too much, even for me.

This entire book was WAY too pretentious for my taste and ugh. Kind of a let down. I was hoping for a cute read about a girl finding the perfect homes for books and instead I got this. Even the books the author referenced made me feel very inferior and stupid. I still finished it because I wanted to know how it would end, but I feel like I kind of wasted precious time I could have spend reading a different book.

And that's the tea on my 39th book of 2018.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small jewel. A book about books. Who can resist that? :D I know it doesnt have much of a story, much of an action, but it talks about books in a new way. From an interesting perspective. Perfect for a rainy day and you are caught somewhere for an hour or two. Keep it in your bag. You will never know when you finish it and somebody else needs it. ;)

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover 🦋🦋🦋
Quote uit het boek: Leonidas gaf geen antwoord op deze verkapte vraag. Hij dacht na, zijn wenkbrauwen gefronst, steeds steviger aan zijn pijp trekkend. “Het probleem , mijn lieve kind, is niet zozeer dat je moet weten ho hij ze koos, maar hoe hij ze rangschikte. En ho de boeken er dus zelf voor kozen te vertrekken. “ 🌹🌹🌹
Niet het beste boek wat ik ooit heb gelezen maar ook niet het slechtste. Ook ik geef boeken door. Soms in een minibieb of cross over maar ook vaak dat de titel voor een bepaalde buurvrouw, groenteboer of schooljuffrouw is. Ik geef deze boeken dan ook op die manier door. 🦋🦋🦋

[PopiTonja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tema je dobra ali je prica bas bezveze.

[Sarah Bookmarked · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5 Sterne

Für mich keine Geschichte, die mir lange im Gedächtnis bleiben wird. Für bibliophile Bücher ist es sicher keine innovative Idee, fremde Menschen zu beobachten und das richtige Buch für deren aktuelle Bedürfnisse zu finden, also das eine Buch, dass sie aus einer Krise befreit, tröstet oder umdenken lässt. Dieselbe Prämisse begegnete mir bereits in "Das Lavendelzimmer" von Nina George und war dort irgendwie charmanter.

Vermutlich weil mir "Das Mädchen, das in der Metro las" so gar nicht nahe kam. Die Charaktere blieben blass und ihr Schicksal war mir recht gleichgültig. Ich kann dabei nicht mal genau sagen ob das Buch einfach zu kurz war um mich richtig zu packen. Obwohl die Protagonistin ständig von Büchern spricht (z.B davon wie sie jeden Zentimeter in ihrer Wohnung einnehmen) und sie selbst Bücher, die sie nicht mag, vor der Mülltonne rettet, sprang da keine Funke über. Es wirkte auf mich sogar weniger wie eine liebenswerte Leidenschaft für Bücher, sondern mehr wie eine fast schon krankhafte Sammelwut ohne richtigen Nutzen für sie selbst.

Es ist nicht schlecht geschrieben und auch den Aufbau kann ich nicht bemängeln. Ich hab es sogar recht schnell und gerne gelesen, aber es konnte nichts in mir hinterlassen. Wirklich sehr schade :(

Meine Videorezension auf YouTube:
https://youtu.be/wQIbk2Na0RM

[Cindy Burnett (Thoughts from a Page) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

THE GIRL WHO READS ON THE METRO is a joy to read from start to finish. An ode to booklovers everywhere, this gem of a book follows Juliette as she rides the Paris metro to and from work and muses about her fellow passengers and their reading choices. One day she stumbles upon an old bookstore and is recruited by the owner Soliman as a passeur, the name he uses for the individuals who take used books from the store and match them with just the right owner.

Meeting Soliman and his daughter Zaide shakes up Juliette’s life for the better, but Juliette has to decide whether she can trust fate and take her life in a new direction. Focusing on the importance of community and the ability of books to connect people, THE GIRL WHO READS ON THE METRO will warm your heart and having you cheering for Juliette. Bibliophiles will also revel in the the numerous literary references. I highly recommend this one.

For more reviews, check out my Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/thoughtsfro... and my newsletter: https://www.cfapage.net/subscribe.

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems like such a good book! Kind of reminds me of This Beautiful Fantastic (a movie I love!).

It's not! I was seriously disappointed with this one, the cover and title and synopsis seemed so good, adding that it was so short but I didn't like it. I find all the books that "booklovers" write to be horrible. You'll get amazing quotes, but no substance or story. I felt like the writer had an idea but didn't write it well.

[Steffi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nein, so geht das nicht. Man setze eine Art fabelhafte Amélie in die Metro (literarische Anspielung auf Zazie?), lasse sie ein paar Platitüden über den Geruch alter Bücher von sich geben und einem zerstreuten Antiquar begegnen – fertig ist der Erfolgsroman. Das ist sicher so einer, dem bei LiSA hohe Erfolgsaussichten bescheinigt werden. Ich kann die Plattheiten nicht ertragen, Abbruch bei Seite 33.

Einen zweiten Stern gibt es nur, weil ich mir vorstellen kann, dass das Buch vielleicht doch den Geschmack der ein oder anderen Leserin treffen wird und weil die Gestaltung ganz nett ist. So hat mir die Schriftart (Bembo) beispielsweise ausnehmend gut gefallen und ich empfand sie als lesbarer als die vom dtv-Verlag in den Sorj Chalandon-Romanen verwendeten Bulmer MT.

Und gerade sehe ich, dass man Platitüden inzwischen mit tt schreibt. Nee, das mache ich nicht mit, das ist mir zu PLATT!


Der erste, der mir eine Direktnachricht schickt, kann das Buch haben, im Inland versende ich es auch gerne umsonst.

[Jemima · Rating 2 out of 5]

In „Das Mädchen, das in der Metro las“ von Christine Féret-Fleury begleiten wir Juliette, die jeden Tag mit der Metro zu ihrem langweiligen Job fährt. Anstatt zu lesen, beobachtet sie gerne andere Leser und hängt Tagträumen nach. Als sie eines Tages eine Haltestelle früher aussteigt verändert dies ihr Leben komplett.

***Die Magie von Büchern als Hauptthema***
In meiner alten Wohnung hat die Heizung im Wohnzimmer nicht mehr gehalten, weshalb einige Lexikonbände, die ich 13 Jahre vorher geschenkt bekommen hatte, für den Heizkörper eine tragende Rolle gespielt haben. Bis das gesamte Konstrukt irgendwann repariert wurde.

Warum erzähle ich diese Anekdote zum Einstieg in die Rezension zu „Das Mädchen, das in der Metro las“ von Christine Féret-Fleury? Weil diese Lexika für mich kaum noch Wert besaßen. Das Wissen war zum Teil veraltet, das Internet war verbreiteter, ich habe kaum noch in die Bücher geschaut. Inzwischen stehen sie im Keller.

In „Das Mädchen, das in der Metro las“ werden Bücher als etwas Magisches dargestellt, Bücher werden gehortet, weil jedes Buch einen neuen Besitzer finden kann, der es schätzt. Der Gedanke ist zwar schön, aber fern der Realität, wenn man sich mal gut frequentierte Bücherschränke anschaut, in denen beispielsweise immer wieder die selben Bücher von Konsalik und Co. zu finden sind, die auch nur verschwinden, wenn sie entsorgt werden.

„Sonntags stöberte Juliette auf Flohmärkten, denn sie empfand wortlose Pein angesichts der Kisten, in die man die ausrangierten Bücher wahllos geworfen hatte, ohne Gefühl, fast mit Abneigung. Niemand wollte sie haben. Die Leute waren gekommen, um Secondhand-Mode zu erstehen, Nippes aus den Siebziegerjahren oder funktionierende Haushaltsgeräte. Mit den Büchern konnten sie nichts anfangen. Und so kaufte Juliette sie auf, füllte ihre Bude mit Bändern aus unterschiedlichen Reihen, mit Kochbüchern, Bastelbüchern und erotischen Krimis, die sie eigentlich nicht mochte, nur um sie mal in der Hand zu halten und ihnen ein bisschen von ihrer Aufmerksamkeit zu schenken.“ (S. 75)

Die Protagonistin sammelt also Bücher, an denen Sie selbst kein Interesse hat. Das ist für mich nicht magisch oder bibliophil, sondern hat für mich messihafte Tendenzen. Auch andere Aussagen im Buch fand ich eher fragwürdig:

„Lesen war etwas Intimes und Wertvolles […]“ (S. 110)

Man muss das Lesen nicht glorifizieren. Lesen kann Intim und Wertvoll sein, ist es aber nicht per se.

„Sie wollen damit sagen, dass … ich sie alle lesen soll? Alle?“ (S. 112)

Man muss und kann nicht alle Bücher kennen. Man muss primär für sich eine Auswahl treffen und aus der Masse an Büchern die Bücher rausssuchen, die einen interessieren und „weiterbringen“.

Auch das Buch-Namedropping – also einfach irgendwelche Buchtitel in den Raum werfen – fand ich ziemlich nervig. Ich möchte behaupten, dass auch jemand, der belesener ist als ich, nicht alle im Buch genannten Bücher gelesen haben kann. Wenn die Autorin damit bezwecken wollte, dass man neugierig auf das jeweilige Buch wird, ist ihr dies zumindest nicht geglückt. Warum nicht dann die Protagonisten darüber sprechen lassen? Man hätte durch eine Auseinandersetzung zu den Werken auch Interesse für diese wecken können.

***Bücher als Obsession?***
Scheinbar leben und lebten alle Protagonisten im Buch von Luft und Buchliebe. Die Protagonistin Juliette kündigt ihren Job, um ihre Leidenschaft – das richtige Buch an den richtigen Menschen zu bringen – ausleben zu können. An einer Stelle wird gesagt, dass sie sich ihre Wohnung leisten kann, weil Sie von ihrer Großmutter geerbt hat. Die anderen Figuren im Buch haben jedoch nicht dieses Glück.

Ob wohl das Buch nur 170 Seiten lang ist, habe ich mich sehr durchquälen müssen und mehrmals überlegt es abzubrechen. Warum ich nicht abgebrochen habe war die große Hoffnung, dass noch irgendwas passiert, was mir dieses Buch doch noch lesenswert macht. Leider ist das nicht passiert.
Die eigentliche Aussage, über den Tellerrand zu schauen, seinen tristen Alltag aufzugeben und das tun, für das man brennt, verliert sich leider und kommt nicht so kraftvoll daher, wie es sich die Autorin vielleicht erhofft hatte.

***Fazit***
Auf diesen Titel hatte ich mich seit den Vorschauen sehr gefreut. Sprachlich ist das Buch sehr schön, weshalb mich auch die Leseprobe überzeugt hatte. Der Grundgedanke „das richtige Buch für den richtigen Leser“ gefällt mir im Ansatz auch ganz gut. Leider hat sich „Das Mädchen, das in der Metro las“ zu meinen Lese-Enttäuschungen 2018 entwickelt. Ich kann das Buch leider niemandem empfehlen, da es viel zu viele Bücher gibt, denen man seine Zeit eher schenken sollte.

[Tessa Nadir · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Priveste spre mine / Si renaste."
Christine Féret-Fleury a debutat ca scriitoare cu o carte pentru copii, apoi au urmat cartile pentru adulti ea dorind sa incerce cat mai multe genuri.
In ceea ce priveste actiunea o avem in prim plan pe Juliett care locuieste in Paris si ia in fiecare zi metroul in drum spre serviciu. Cu ochelarii ei de soare tip fluture si esarfa vintage este ceea ce putem numi o frantuzoaica chic. In metrou ea ii observa pe ceilalti calatori si mai ales ce carti citesc acestia. In functie de asta le-a gasit si o porecla fiecaruia: "Batrana doamna", "Studenta de la matematica", "Ornitologul amator", "Gradinarul", "Indragostita". Juliettei ii place sa-i observe pentru ca ii da o senzatie de bine avand impresia ca face parte dintr-un imens mecanism al vietii in care fiecare isi joaca rolul la momentul potrivit prin simpla prezenta in metroul respectiv.
Rutina diminetilor, vederea acelorasi oameni in fiecare zi, tabieturile lor ii dau o senzatie de comfort, de cald, de familiar. Ii alina singuratatea, senzatia de gol, de abandon. Este incredibil cum putem sa devenim dependenti de gesturile si simpla existenta a unor straini, fara ca ei sa stie. Si e totodata placut sa-ti lasi imaginatia sa zburde, sa fie curioasa in legatura cu ceilalti, sa-ti imaginezi cum e viata fiecaruia, sa ghicesti ce simt, ce gandesc. Juliett isi anima astfel viata monotona si comuna.
Intr-o zi insa nu urmeaza itinerariul obisnuit si decide sa coboare cu 2 statii mai devreme din metrou. Acest gest aparent simplu ii va schimba viata. Va deveni "caraus" de carti. Ce inseamna acest lucru ramane sa aflati daca cititi romanul.
Cartea se citeste usor, e distractiva, placuta, feminina si gingasa. Are farmecul si eleganta tipic frantuzeasca. Mi-a placut in mod special o poezie a lui Roberto Juarroz care este inserata si suna asa:
"Cand lumea se subtiaza / ramanand abia cat un fir / mainile noastre stangace / nu pot sa mai apuce nimic.
Nu ne-au invatat / Singurul exercitiu ce ne-ar putea salva: / Sa stim a ne hrani cu o umbra."
In incheiere atasez cateva citate pe care le-am considerat vrednice de a fi retinute:
"Barbatii nu citesc in cada. De altfel, barbatii nici nu se imbaiaza, ei sunt mereu grabiti, singurul mijloc de a-i face sa stea linistiti e sa-i asezi pe canapea, in fata unei semifinale din Liga Campionilor."
"Crezuse ca nu va putea sa suporte, iar acum se mira ca-si pretuieste libertatea - aceasta libertate care o speriase atat."
"... toti suntem, in definitiv, obturati, impermeabili la emotiile celuilalt, incapabili sa descifram gesturile, privirile, tacerile, condamnati toti sa ne explicam, laborios, prin cuvinte care nu se dovedesc niciodata cele mai bune."
"Nimic nu e incurajator in viata... Trebuie sa culegem incurajari de acolo de unde ochiul nostru, sau entuziasmul nostru, sau pasiunea, sau... cum vreti sa-i spuneti, sunt capabile sa le descopere."
"Asa se intampla, presupun, in majoritatea cuplurilor. Te destainui cu pasiune, crezi ca stii tot, ca intelegi tot, ca accepti tot, apoi apare prima fisura, prima lovitura, nu neaparat data cu rautate, nu, dar data si totul se face tandari... si te pomenesti gol si singur langa un strain de asemenea gol si singur. E insuportabil."

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Girl Who Reads on the Metro" is a little charming book, and I truly wish it could be translated into English so that more people get to read it.

It's a story of Juliette who leads a quite ordinary life working at the real estate agency, until one day she stumbles upon a mysterious bookshop. There she meets an even more mysterious man, who gives her a stack of books. Now Juliette is supposed to find them new owners but they can't be just any people. She needs to observe and really feel who needs those exact books, before she gives them away.

I dived right into it, because I have a soft spot for books about books, and I wasn't disappointed. It is a little weird and odd at times, but overall it's really a feel-good story that carries love for reading and written word at its heart. I loved the setting in Paris and the overall atmosphere of the book, that felt very vintage to me. The story was engaging and the characters were quirky but interesting, and I grew to care for them quickly. It's a very fast read at just under 200 pages, but I honestly wish it was longer. I didn't love everything about it but it left me with a feeling of happiness, so that alone is worth 5 stars from me :)

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Edit: Re-read in February 2019 for the Pop Sugar 2019 Reading Challenge - prompt: A Reread of a Favourite Book ★

[Amber J (Thereadingwitch) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.

I didn't really like this book. It was boring. The only thing I really did like all the references and love given to books in the story. That's why it got a 2 star instead of just 1 star. I just couldn't connect with the characters or the story in any way really. Maybe it lost something in the translation? I don't know, but I do know that this book was not for me.

How I choose my rating:
1* Hated it. I had to force myself to finish it.
2** Didn't really like it. I didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other than for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this book's content.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will definitely be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

O experiență neplăcută.

[Liepa · Rating 2 out of 5]

"..ji tvirtai žino, kad knygose slypi ir visos ligos, ir visi vaistai"
Labai daug žadanti įdomi pradžia, ir... tiek. Nors apie knygas, bet nesužavėjo, kažkokia padrika istorija, ir nors apimtis nedidelė, bet prailgo. Daug knygų pavadinimų, bet net neaišku, kodėl būtent tos knygos paminėtos, tiesiog privardinta🤔

[Melanie Schneider · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meine ausführliche Besprechung findet ihr hier: https://www.geek-germany.de/review-bu...

Ich bin ein ganz kleines bisschen hin- und hergerissen bei der Bewertung.

Die Geschichte und der Gedanke dahinter ist wunderschön. Allerdings finde ich, dass das Buch ein paar Seiten zu wenig hat, um das volle Potenzial auszuschöpfen. Ich habe keine richtige Verbindung zwischen den Charakteren aufgebaut bekommen, aber jeder für sich ist ganz besonders.
Ebenso sind die Gedanken und Formulierungen oft zauberhaft, da sind einige PostIts in mein Büchlein gewandert.

Wie ein kleiner roter Faden zog sich der Gedanke an die Seite 247 durch das Buch und das gefiel mir außerordentlich gut.

[Iulia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was such a disappointing read, an awful start to the year.

[Jurgita · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Visada įsivaizdavau, kad rojus bus savotiška biblioteka".
Net nenutuokiau apie ką ši knyga, tiesiog ėmiau iš lentynos pačią ploniausią, kuri pirma krito į akis ir net neskaičiusi aprašymo pradėjau. Ir toks keistas jausmas apėmė beskaitant, tarytum kažkieno ranka iš aukščiau patvarkė taip, kad būtų prasminga ir netgi sakyčiau, simboliška su šia knyga užbaigti metus.
Knyga apie knygas. Knyga apie mažumėlę pamišusius (gerąja prasme) tas knygas skaitančius žmones.
"Knygų lentynose esama bambeklių mokslininkų ir įsimylėjusių damų, šėlstančių furijų ir potencialių žudikų. Vienos knygos - tai žirgai, kurie neša jus tolyn, o jūs užgniaužę kvapą kaip įmanydami kabinatės jiems į karčius. Kitos  - laivai, ramiai plaukiojantys ežere mėnesienos naktį. O kitos - kalėjimai". Ir kai aš perskaičiau šiuos knygos veikėjo žodžius, tegalėjau spoksodama į savąsias knygas lentynose, tylomis palinksėti ir pritarti, kad geriau ir nepasakysi.
Man, kuriai darbas trukdo skaitymui ir kuriai geriausias poilsis yra visą dieną skaityti, ši plona knygelė buvo atradimas. Ji apie mus visus, daugiau-mažiau pamišusius dėl knygų ir priklausomus nuo skaitymo malonumo, nes "iš knygų visada galima tikėtis staigmenų".

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I was in the mood to be swept away by a quick, light read and picked this one up. It had that The Shadow of the Wind vibe about it, but on the lighter side of the scale. I did enjoy it, and could've finished it in one sitting if I didn't need to eat, which is usually a great sign. But it fizzled for me at the end. I even reread the last couple of pages several times, thinking I had missed something, but if so, I missed it again lol.

It could just be me, but looking at the GR rating, maybe not. If you are really into books about books, then you might pick this up, but hopefully you can get it from your local library, as I'm glad I didn't buy this. The library did not have the audio for this and since it was so short, I read the paper book.

[Andreea Chiuaru · Rating 2 out of 5]

O lectură ușoară, numai bună de citit dimineață, în drum spre job.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книгите идват при теб в най-правилния момент, а тази е олицетворение точно на това 🙌

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 25%

This one sounded cutesy: a Parisian girl takes on a mission to find the perfect home for unwanted books. Alas, the execution was agonisingly poor.

Perhaps something was lost in translation. The Girl Who Reads on the Métro appeared in English for the first time back in October; if it weren’t for the stunning proof copy I spotted on the shelf in our staff room, I doubt I would have come across it – and I certainly wouldn’t have sought it out. But some things are just objective. The prose is uninspired and amateur. The characterization is flat and the dialogue shallow. Most importantly: Juliette does not find homes for books! Not unless you count desperately forcing a paperback on a random stranger sat near you on the Métro and coming across as a complete and utter nutcase.

Not the elegant, stylish or sweet contemporary I was hoping for. Not even a whiff of the Parisian atmosphere, either.

[Milica's Bookshelf]

DNF @20%

Lepa naslovnica, zanimljiv opis ali priča je baš bezveze, nisam izdržala više od pet poglavlja.

[Veronika Can · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ši knyga man pasirodė labai melancholiška. Jaunos merginos pamąstymai, netikėti atradimai bei skaudūs praradimai. Minima daug knygų autorių ir pavadinimų. Ypatingas knygynėlis, kuriame atsidūrus pasikeičia visas merginos gyvenimas. Patiko mintis apie surenkamas nereikalingas knygas ir jų išdovanojimą kitiems - stebint žmogų ir sąžiningai išrenkant jam tinkamą knygą.

🖋️ ..ji sėdės čia ir žiūrės kaip pro šalį eina gyvenimas.. <...> ..ji sėdės čia ir numirs. Ir visi numirs. O ji taip ir nebus jų pažinusi, prie jų priėjusi, jų pakalbinusi, ir ničnieko nežinos apie visas tas istorijas, kurias su savimi nešiojasi šaligatviu žingsniuojantys žmonės.
🖋️ Gyvenime niekas mūsų nedrąsina. Mes patys turime semtis drąsos ten, kur mūsų akys arba mūsų entuziazmas, mūsų aistra, mūsų.. - kas tik norite - geba jos rasti.
🖋️ Kelionė būna tuomet, kai vyksti į vietą, kurios nepažįsti.
🖋️ Menkiausias įprasto gyvenimo sutrikdymas, jeigu jį priimi, yra nuotykis.
🖋️ ..laimė gali būti lygiai taip pat sunkiai pakeliama kaip ir beviltiška netektis.

[Chandra Claypool (WhereTheHorrorsGrow) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is just a book/reader mismatch. The premise is cute but it reads almost like a historical novel/contemporary literature-ish type style that I'm just not very fond of. I couldn't connect to any of the characters, wasn't a huge fan of the dialogue or choices. However, the suggested reading list in the back give this book a little oomph. It makes sense though as the majority of those books are ones I wouldn't pick up. SO at the end of the day, just not a book for me in particular.

I think those who like cultural contemporary books would enjoy this. The back says that fans of Amelie and The Little Paris Bookshop would like this one and I haven't read either so... *shrug*

[Joana’s World · Rating 2 out of 5]

Queria tanto gostar deste livro mas não foi possível. Não sabia para onde o livro me estava a levar. Durante a leitura senti-me completamente perdida.