La grive

Suite romanesque: Les Semailles et les Moissons #3

by Troyat. Henri

Relié.

Genres: Historical, France

Paperback

First published January 1, 1956

Reviews

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so fond of Henri Troyat's sagas. In many ways his work is a throwback to 19th-century novels by the likes of Zola or George Eliot. Expansive, limpid, classically written prose -- I have a special fondness for his extensive use of the imperfect subjunctive, which has pretty much died out now. His novels are slices of real life, with vivid, believable characters who develop in a realistic way, with every tiny detail carefully thought out.

This is number 3 (of 5) in les Semailles et les Moissons, set in the late 1920s, and it's at this point that Amélie's daughter Elisabeth takes centre stage. She's wilful, determined, courageous, and recognisably Amélie's daughter despite the differences in character. The action moves from a busy cafe in Montmartre, to a strict Catholic boarding school deep in the countryside, to the home Elisabeth's kindly schoolteacher uncle and aunt. Every location is completely convincing; you feel Troyat has lived there himself. Above all, I've read this book three times and I'm always amazed at the way Troyat, a middle-aged man, finds his way into the head of a nine-year old girl growing up with a minimum of guidance from her loving but overworked parents. Utterly compelling and believable.

[Aubreesil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toujours aussi attirée par l’univers de Troyat . Même si il était moins bon que les 2 précédents il n’en reste pas moins une super belle histoire de vie