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Maria & Clara #2
UN PAIS EXTRAÑO
Un país extraño. Por Muriel Barbery. Publicado por Seix Barral. Una extraordinaria novela de fantasía épica, llena de aventuras y filosofía. Una maravillosa combinación de cuento, poesía y fábula. Es un inmenso goce su lectura. Alejandro de Yepes y Jesús Rocamora, dos jóvenes oficiales del ejército regular español, se enfrentan al sexto año de la guerra más cruenta que haya conocido el ser humano. El día que se topan con el afable y excéntrico Petrus da comienzo una aventura extraordinaria ya que los dos españoles abandonan su puesto y cruzan un puente Petrus es un elfo, proviene del secreto mundo de las Brumas en el que ya está reunida una compañía de elfos, mujeres y hombres de la que dependerá el destino de la guerra. Alejandro y Jesús descubrirán la tierra de su nuevo compañero, una tierra de armonía natural, belleza y poesía, pero que también se enfrenta al conflicto y al declive. Juntos participarán en la última batalla y sus mundos, tal y como los han conocido, nunca volverán a ser los mismos.
363 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2019
56 people are currently reading
648 people want to read
About the author
Muriel Barbery
25 books2,690 followersMuriel Barbery is a French novelist and professor of philosophy. Barbery entered the École Normale Supérieure de Fontenay-Saint-Cloud in 1990 and obtained her agrégation in philosophy in 1993. She then taught philosophy at the Université de Bourgogne, in a lycée, and at the Saint-Lô IUFM.
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La timide et très discrète Muriel Barbery ne s’imaginait sans doute pas faire l’objet de l’engouement qu’elle suscite aujourd’hui, bien malgré elle.
Ce succès, elle le connaît grâce à ses deux livres : Une Gourmandise et surtout L'élégance du hérisson.
Née au Maroc, à Casablanca en 1969, Muriel Barbery regagne la France, le Calvados plus précisément, pour se consacrer à ses études. Elle s’inscrit à l’Ecole Normale Supérieure de Fontenay-Saint-Cloud et y fait des études en philosophie. Elle obtient alors un DEA, qui lui permet de devenir professeur.
Habitant les environs de Bayeux, toujours en Basse Normandie, elle enseigne d’abord dans un lycée, à Saint-Lô.
Muriel Barbery plonge dans bon nombre d’ouvrages, mais confie volontiers que, plus que tous les autres, Guerre et Paix du romancier russe Léon Tolstoï , la fascine encore aujourd’hui.
Sa manière d’écrire insolite, et qu’elle qualifie elle-même de désordonnée, ne lui fait pas penser qu’elle se lancerait un jour dans la fabuleuse aventure qu'est la sienne.
Pourtant, en 2000, Stéphane, son époux qui a été pour beaucoup dans sa réussite, l’encourage à écrire et à publier son premier roman, qu’elle intitule Une Gourmandise (éditions Gallimard). Le succès est énorme, et la surprend elle-même. Traduit en 12 langues et vendu à 200 000 exemplaires, ce livre raconte l’histoire du plus grand des critiques gastronomiques, qui, ayant appris qu’il vivait ses derniers jours, part à la recherche d’une saveur bien particulière mais insaisissable qui le replonge dans son enfance.
Mais c’est en 2006 que Muriel Barbery vit ses plus grands moments de gloire. En effet, c’est l’année où Gallimard publie L'élégance du Hérisson, qui la propulse littéralement parmi les meilleurs auteurs populaires. Elle se retrouve notamment classée dans les 10 romanciers les plus vendus en 2007. L’Élégance du Hérisson relate la vie de trois personnages. Renée, une concierge d’immeuble, avec tous les attributs que l’on prête habituellement aux concierges, qui est secrètement passionnée de philosophie. Paloma est une adolescente bourgeoise. Et le troisième est un riche amateur d’art japonais. Cette satire sociale sera vendue à plus d’un million d’exemplaires.
Suite à la parution de ce roman, Muriel Barbery reçoit deux belles distinctions : le Prix des Librairies et le Prix des Bibliothèques pour tous. Elle est aussi couronnée du Prix Georges Brassens et du Prix Rotary International.
Ce succès commercial lui permet de réaliser son rêve et d’assouvir sa passion pour le Japon, puisqu’elle décide de mettre sa vie de professeur de philosophie entre parenthèses pour s’installer à Kyoto pendant quelques temps.
http://www.elle.fr/Personnalites/Muri...
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La timide et très discrète Muriel Barbery ne s’imaginait sans doute pas faire l’objet de l’engouement qu’elle suscite aujourd’hui, bien malgré elle.
Ce succès, elle le connaît grâce à ses deux livres : Une Gourmandise et surtout L'élégance du hérisson.
Née au Maroc, à Casablanca en 1969, Muriel Barbery regagne la France, le Calvados plus précisément, pour se consacrer à ses études. Elle s’inscrit à l’Ecole Normale Supérieure de Fontenay-Saint-Cloud et y fait des études en philosophie. Elle obtient alors un DEA, qui lui permet de devenir professeur.
Habitant les environs de Bayeux, toujours en Basse Normandie, elle enseigne d’abord dans un lycée, à Saint-Lô.
Muriel Barbery plonge dans bon nombre d’ouvrages, mais confie volontiers que, plus que tous les autres, Guerre et Paix du romancier russe Léon Tolstoï , la fascine encore aujourd’hui.
Sa manière d’écrire insolite, et qu’elle qualifie elle-même de désordonnée, ne lui fait pas penser qu’elle se lancerait un jour dans la fabuleuse aventure qu'est la sienne.
Pourtant, en 2000, Stéphane, son époux qui a été pour beaucoup dans sa réussite, l’encourage à écrire et à publier son premier roman, qu’elle intitule Une Gourmandise (éditions Gallimard). Le succès est énorme, et la surprend elle-même. Traduit en 12 langues et vendu à 200 000 exemplaires, ce livre raconte l’histoire du plus grand des critiques gastronomiques, qui, ayant appris qu’il vivait ses derniers jours, part à la recherche d’une saveur bien particulière mais insaisissable qui le replonge dans son enfance.
Mais c’est en 2006 que Muriel Barbery vit ses plus grands moments de gloire. En effet, c’est l’année où Gallimard publie L'élégance du Hérisson, qui la propulse littéralement parmi les meilleurs auteurs populaires. Elle se retrouve notamment classée dans les 10 romanciers les plus vendus en 2007. L’Élégance du Hérisson relate la vie de trois personnages. Renée, une concierge d’immeuble, avec tous les attributs que l’on prête habituellement aux concierges, qui est secrètement passionnée de philosophie. Paloma est une adolescente bourgeoise. Et le troisième est un riche amateur d’art japonais. Cette satire sociale sera vendue à plus d’un million d’exemplaires.
Suite à la parution de ce roman, Muriel Barbery reçoit deux belles distinctions : le Prix des Librairies et le Prix des Bibliothèques pour tous. Elle est aussi couronnée du Prix Georges Brassens et du Prix Rotary International.
Ce succès commercial lui permet de réaliser son rêve et d’assouvir sa passion pour le Japon, puisqu’elle décide de mettre sa vie de professeur de philosophie entre parenthèses pour s’installer à Kyoto pendant quelques temps.
http://www.elle.fr/Personnalites/Muri...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 8, 2022
This is my favorite book of 2020. That being said, it's so heavily introspective and philosophical, it's not going to be everyone's favorite.
It's fantasy, but it's deeply reflective fantasy. I've read Barbery before, and found her writing style to tend towards the unusually contemplative, but this time she catches us in the undertow and won't let go. I didn't think it was possible to maintain evocative intensity throughout an entire novel, but she succeeds at doing just that, with incredible skill, and without oversaturating the reader (except a little at the end, where she almost lost me, but I recovered).
Barbery's main characters understand something essential about life. They have learned that action without reflection is useless. They see, hear, and sense, an expanded, connected world.
In Barbery's world(s) there are many themes. We must empty ourselves, and be open, to be filled with wonder. Earth and sky, trees and mountains, are sentinel witnesses to the cycles of birth, death, and renewal. In our DNA are written the memories of all of our ancestors. When all living things are connected, there is balance and harmony, and even poetry has the power to be an oracle. Few hear the call of destiny, fewer still understand their purpose nor have the courage to discover it. In a world where poetry embodies metaphysical force, the power of dreams and visions is greatly magnified. Artistic expression is not just a part of life, but completely vital to the process of maintaining the whole of life. Restlessness gives rise to courage. Valor is calm, focused, fire in the soul. Just as fire has the power to purify and transform, sacrifice may regenerate what was once lost. Faith in friendship makes (to borrow a term from Barbery) "communitarians" of us all. Outward appearances are the clothing of grace. Elegiac threnody, softened by hope, is the narrative's connecting thread.
Humans have long elevated themselves above all other forms of life, asserting the powers of reason, and imposing constructs of time and observed reality. Yet, what if there is reality beyond the bounds of what can be readily seen, heard, or felt? What if there are other worlds contained in the natural world, and what if what happens in one can affect another?
When all life is connected and in harmony, war is impossible, because that would be attacking one's self. And our destruction of each other always damages the natural world. The connections are there, whether we see that we are harming ourselves by harming each other, or not. Yet, man would rather destroy nature than be eclipsed by it.
It's fantasy, but it's deeply reflective fantasy. I've read Barbery before, and found her writing style to tend towards the unusually contemplative, but this time she catches us in the undertow and won't let go. I didn't think it was possible to maintain evocative intensity throughout an entire novel, but she succeeds at doing just that, with incredible skill, and without oversaturating the reader (except a little at the end, where she almost lost me, but I recovered).
Barbery's main characters understand something essential about life. They have learned that action without reflection is useless. They see, hear, and sense, an expanded, connected world.
In Barbery's world(s) there are many themes. We must empty ourselves, and be open, to be filled with wonder. Earth and sky, trees and mountains, are sentinel witnesses to the cycles of birth, death, and renewal. In our DNA are written the memories of all of our ancestors. When all living things are connected, there is balance and harmony, and even poetry has the power to be an oracle. Few hear the call of destiny, fewer still understand their purpose nor have the courage to discover it. In a world where poetry embodies metaphysical force, the power of dreams and visions is greatly magnified. Artistic expression is not just a part of life, but completely vital to the process of maintaining the whole of life. Restlessness gives rise to courage. Valor is calm, focused, fire in the soul. Just as fire has the power to purify and transform, sacrifice may regenerate what was once lost. Faith in friendship makes (to borrow a term from Barbery) "communitarians" of us all. Outward appearances are the clothing of grace. Elegiac threnody, softened by hope, is the narrative's connecting thread.
Humans have long elevated themselves above all other forms of life, asserting the powers of reason, and imposing constructs of time and observed reality. Yet, what if there is reality beyond the bounds of what can be readily seen, heard, or felt? What if there are other worlds contained in the natural world, and what if what happens in one can affect another?
When all life is connected and in harmony, war is impossible, because that would be attacking one's self. And our destruction of each other always damages the natural world. The connections are there, whether we see that we are harming ourselves by harming each other, or not. Yet, man would rather destroy nature than be eclipsed by it.
August 25, 2019
J'avais aimé l'élégance d'un hérisson alors pourquoi pas un 2eme livre de cette auteure... Bad idea! Totalement différent et très décevant. Oh, poétique et imagé, mais tous ces arbres et cette brume qui n'en finissent plus, et tout ça dans un décor de mouvance et de fluidité... Mais le pire, des elfes et même des orques... Hello le déjà vu...Non, j'aurai dû quitter avant mais je voulais connaitre la fin de la guerre, aussi décevante que le reste.
December 15, 2019
Bodrio incomprensible. Ni personajes ni trama ni historia coherente. ¿Qué pretende contar la autora con esto? Yo pensaba que la literatura era un acto de comunicacion entre autor y lector, pero la autora ha preferido en este caso romper ese puente y tomarse todo el té mentado en su novela. En lugar de una novela tenemos una "paja mental" cuya lectura representa un tormento que ni los de la Inquisición. Últimamente me encuentro con muchos libros pésimos de autores "reputados". Bien, editoriales, dejen de publicar cualquier cosa pergeñada por autores que un día escribieron algo bueno. O a los lectores no nos quedará más remedio que dejar definitivamente de leer por la baja calidad de sus productos. Literatura es contar historias, transmitir mensajes, crear belleza... todo eso realizado con maestría y según las reglas de la narración, ya establecidas por los japoneses antiguos, los griegos antiguos y todas las sociedades cultas antiguas. ¿Por qué leer tiene que ser una tortura?
September 11, 2020
El libro necesita tener indicado en la contraportada que es parte de una secuela "La vida de los elfos" porque no merece que lo estén calificando con 1 ☆. Dicho esto, he de confesar que la historia no está escrita de manera lineal, lo cuál no ayuda para quiénes no leyeron el libro anterior, porque comienza con 2 personajes nuevos, en la página 40 y tantos me detuve y lo reinicié, ya que no mostraba indicios de que hubiera conexión con la vida de los elfos, hasta que aparece Petrus...
Entonces tenemos una historia "C" de Alejandro Yepes y Rocamora, luego la hist "A" de Petrus, luego la hist "B" (libro vida de los elfos) y al final la hist "D" la batalla. Tampoco es la gran ciencia conectar la historia. Está bien escrita. Muriel Barbery escribe muy bien, sin embargo; está pesado en el sentido de conectar como lector porque hay un exceso de argumentación poética y sobrecarga de amor a la naturaleza y los tés y el vino, las brumas, mezclados con ficciones fantásticas. Y si no están con el humor de leer sobre esto, obvio no conectan con el libro. Y aunque tiende a ser repetitivo, es la construcción de este mundo élfico a punto de extinguirse. Hay que disfrutar las partes incomprensibles y dejar que fluya la lectura, es una hermosa historia en un mundo extraño de elfos y como lectores llegamos inclusive a escuchar la voz de Muriel (Niebla-Miguel Unamuno) cuando menciona que ella decidió así las cosas y tiene mucha influencia de literatura japonesa, en dónde lo importante es contemplar aunque no entiendas, porque la intención es conectar con la naturaleza, con aromas y emociones. Tal vez es por eso que hay lectores que no obtuvieron placer al leer el libro porque les falta disfrutar de esas historias conceptuales y algo abstractas. Lo recomiendo siempre y cuando hayan leido el otro libro y les guste leer algo de fantasía
Entonces tenemos una historia "C" de Alejandro Yepes y Rocamora, luego la hist "A" de Petrus, luego la hist "B" (libro vida de los elfos) y al final la hist "D" la batalla. Tampoco es la gran ciencia conectar la historia. Está bien escrita. Muriel Barbery escribe muy bien, sin embargo; está pesado en el sentido de conectar como lector porque hay un exceso de argumentación poética y sobrecarga de amor a la naturaleza y los tés y el vino, las brumas, mezclados con ficciones fantásticas. Y si no están con el humor de leer sobre esto, obvio no conectan con el libro. Y aunque tiende a ser repetitivo, es la construcción de este mundo élfico a punto de extinguirse. Hay que disfrutar las partes incomprensibles y dejar que fluya la lectura, es una hermosa historia en un mundo extraño de elfos y como lectores llegamos inclusive a escuchar la voz de Muriel (Niebla-Miguel Unamuno) cuando menciona que ella decidió así las cosas y tiene mucha influencia de literatura japonesa, en dónde lo importante es contemplar aunque no entiendas, porque la intención es conectar con la naturaleza, con aromas y emociones. Tal vez es por eso que hay lectores que no obtuvieron placer al leer el libro porque les falta disfrutar de esas historias conceptuales y algo abstractas. Lo recomiendo siempre y cuando hayan leido el otro libro y les guste leer algo de fantasía
February 1, 2019
Je ne sais pas très bien pourquoi je me suis infligé cette lecture jusqu'au bout, alors que passé les cent premières pages, j'avais fini par comprendre que ça n'allait pas s'arranger. Si vous avez aimé L'Élégance du hérisson, ne vous attendez pas à quelque chose de similaire : l'auteure est dans un registre très différent (et c'est tant mieux), mais le résultat est très décevant, inintéressant au possible, naïf et incompréhensible à la fois.
Pour vous faire une petite idée, voici un passage qui donne un très bon aperçu du roman : « Notre existence repose sur celle d'un vide habité, d'un médium osmotique que nous devons altérer pour qu'il réponde aux besoins de notre communauté. […] Aussi transformons-nous les brumes grâce aux propriétés de notre thé, la puissance d'altération temporelle sans laquelle elles nous ignoreraient. » J'ai rarement eu aussi peu de plaisir à lire un livre, que je ne recommanderais qu'à ceux qui ont lu et aimé La vie des elfes.
Pour vous faire une petite idée, voici un passage qui donne un très bon aperçu du roman : « Notre existence repose sur celle d'un vide habité, d'un médium osmotique que nous devons altérer pour qu'il réponde aux besoins de notre communauté. […] Aussi transformons-nous les brumes grâce aux propriétés de notre thé, la puissance d'altération temporelle sans laquelle elles nous ignoreraient. » J'ai rarement eu aussi peu de plaisir à lire un livre, que je ne recommanderais qu'à ceux qui ont lu et aimé La vie des elfes.
September 29, 2020
I really loved Hedgehog a few years back, so when I saw this in our local library I checked it out. On the surface the story is about the intermingling of two worlds - the world of elves and the world of humans and the conflict that leads to a protracted war. Underneath it is a story of imagination, creativity, mystery and poetry. There are many great lines of poetry in the book and what it means to compose, one character when asked if he knows what he is going to compose, he answers: "If you are a good craftsman, perhaps. But if you want to be a poet or a warrior, you have to consent to a loss of self."
In this morning
Liquid soul
I sleep enclosed in clouds.
To the living the harvests to the dead the storms
Then everything shall be empty and full of wonder
A big difference between the worlds is that the drink of elves is tea of a vintage hundreds of years old that allows them to envision the world as it should be. Whereas humans drink wine which "opens the freedom of dreams in waking time..." A lovely read full of ideas and the power of creativity and friendships.
I read an Australian edition, not listed.
In this morning
Liquid soul
I sleep enclosed in clouds.
To the living the harvests to the dead the storms
Then everything shall be empty and full of wonder
A big difference between the worlds is that the drink of elves is tea of a vintage hundreds of years old that allows them to envision the world as it should be. Whereas humans drink wine which "opens the freedom of dreams in waking time..." A lovely read full of ideas and the power of creativity and friendships.
I read an Australian edition, not listed.
March 31, 2021
Très troublant autant dans l'écriture ultra poétique et éthérée que dans le fil narratif parfois difficile à suivre et à saisir. Je ne suis pas sûre d'avoir tout compris, surtout à la fin, mais j'ai été happée par l'esthétique et la densité permanente du propos poétique.
July 16, 2020
Some books take a little bit of extra effort from a reader, and I found this to be one of those books BUT it is worth that work! It's another beautifully written book from the author, and another fight of good vs evil with links to the other world as the worlds join forces to defeat those with evil intentions.
The story starts with a war, and the bond between soldiers despite their very different backgrounds. Fighting a common enemy unites them, and Alejandro and Jesus are 2 of the soldiers. And they find themselves facing even weirder times when they are confronted by 3 'ghosts' who appear to have crossed the bridge from another world to warn the humans that they need to work together.
This inventive story really does have a mythical feel with the magical realism and once you get into the flow of the story it all begins to make sense. The use of poetry helps lead you through the twisty journey that they find themselves on - the story flits about and it's told in a mixed up way and I found this to be good at keeping you engaged and wondering what was round the corner for them!
I also enjoyed the little touches of humour, and the way it unites what should be two very different forces with their outlook on the ways of the world. Their experiences, their histories are all explored and I loved the gentle and soothing aspects of the story! The vivid descriptions transport you to this other world. This is a prequel to Life of Elves but you don't need to have read that - I think I preferred the storytelling aspect in this one than in 'Elves'! It just made it easier to connect with for me! Well worth immersing yourself in this book just for the beautiful way with words that Muriel Barbery has!!
The story starts with a war, and the bond between soldiers despite their very different backgrounds. Fighting a common enemy unites them, and Alejandro and Jesus are 2 of the soldiers. And they find themselves facing even weirder times when they are confronted by 3 'ghosts' who appear to have crossed the bridge from another world to warn the humans that they need to work together.
This inventive story really does have a mythical feel with the magical realism and once you get into the flow of the story it all begins to make sense. The use of poetry helps lead you through the twisty journey that they find themselves on - the story flits about and it's told in a mixed up way and I found this to be good at keeping you engaged and wondering what was round the corner for them!
I also enjoyed the little touches of humour, and the way it unites what should be two very different forces with their outlook on the ways of the world. Their experiences, their histories are all explored and I loved the gentle and soothing aspects of the story! The vivid descriptions transport you to this other world. This is a prequel to Life of Elves but you don't need to have read that - I think I preferred the storytelling aspect in this one than in 'Elves'! It just made it easier to connect with for me! Well worth immersing yourself in this book just for the beautiful way with words that Muriel Barbery has!!
August 21, 2020
DNF! I got lost in the mists with this one. The Life of Elves, which preceded this book was focused upon a short period in the elven timeline and was super - this one needed to be similarly focused but was too nebulous and I never felt I understood the elves and their animal shape-shifting let alone the tea ceremonies, amongst other Japanese influences.
January 21, 2020
My review will appear in Booklist!
May 23, 2020
Depths of profundity to which I could not follow.
October 11, 2020
Self-indulgent, overwrought and nonsensical whimsy entirely lacking in substance.
September 24, 2022
Este libro es como leer un sueño en donde nada y todo tiene sentido.
Creo que lo mejor que puedo recomendar es:
Si esperas algo parecido a la “Elegancia del erizo” no es nada parecido.
No trates de encontrarle sentido a las palabras, simplemente siente.
Lo terminé con un huequito en el corazón y al mismo tiempo reflexionando sobre que lo más hermoso de la vida, así como se presenta, desaparece. Cómo la poesía.
Me encanto ❤️😭
Creo que lo mejor que puedo recomendar es:
Si esperas algo parecido a la “Elegancia del erizo” no es nada parecido.
No trates de encontrarle sentido a las palabras, simplemente siente.
Lo terminé con un huequito en el corazón y al mismo tiempo reflexionando sobre que lo más hermoso de la vida, así como se presenta, desaparece. Cómo la poesía.
Me encanto ❤️😭
March 7, 2021
Questo libro mi richiede due recensioni differenti (che usciranno a giorni su Chiacchiere Letterarie): una di cuore e una di testa.
Provare a riassumere i miei sentimenti nei confronti di questo libro è davvero difficile, sono consapevole del fatto che sia abbastanza difficile da leggere, la trama è più che altro un contorno ad una riflessione filosofica che l'autrice vuole portare avanti dopo Vita degli Elfi. Per questo motivo si rimane sicuramente delusi se ci si aspetta un libro fantasy di intrighi e battaglie. Tra tutti i suoi libri è sicuramente il più complesso, è necessaria la lettura del precedente per poter capire lo spirito dei personaggi, ma anche la conoscenza della scrittrice per poterne apprezzare la prosa.
Uno strano Paese mette in evidenza la follia della guerra, che sia umana o elfica. Il bisogno di un nemico sembra necessario per poter creare un fronte comune per la risoluzione di un problema, ma non ci si rende conto che questo atteggiamento porta più spesso alla propria rovina che ad un nuovo benessere. Non si può pensare di vivere in maniera statica e immutabile, l'apertura verso mondi diversi fa paura, ma è anche motivo di arricchimento sia personale che sociale e proprio questo arricchimento potrebbe permetterci di rinnovare il mondo che si sgretola intorno a noi. La guerra è distruzione e anche, soprattutto, autodistruzione, non ci sono vinti o vincitori in un paese che deve contare i propri morti.
Tutto questo viene portato avanti attraverso il punto di vista di uno dei protagonisti secondo me migliore di sempre. Petrus è "l'idiota", il classico personaggio bonaccione e incline alla convivialità più che allo scontro e proprio per questo mette ancora più in luce la follia dell'odio.
Insomma, un libro che avrebbe avuto tutte le carte in regola per avere le 5 stelle (come, per me, tutti i precedenti della Barbery), ma nonostante abbia apprezzato notevolmente i molteplici livelli di lettura presenti anche in quest'opera, è davvero troppo complesso per giudicarlo perfetto. Ho fatto fatica anche io nella comprensione degli eventi, nonostante fossi preparata ad una prosa piuttosto difficile, come sempre quando si tratta della Barbery.
Questa era la recensione di testa, la recensione di cuore riguarda più il mio amore incondizionato verso questa scrittrice: L'eleganza del riccio è stato il primo libro con il quale ho iniziato a scambiare consigli con mio nonno, ad oggi il mio spacciatore ufficiale di titoli; Vita degli Elfi è arrivato quando con Marco abbiamo deciso di sposarci; Uno strano Paese è entrato in casa 4 giorni prima della nascita di mia figlia e mi ha accompagnato negli ultimi giorni con il pancione e nei primi con lei. Come già detto, su Chiacchiere Letterarie uscirà una doppia recensione, proprio per poter tirare fuori per bene tutte le emozioni che mi ha trasmesso questo romanzo.
Provare a riassumere i miei sentimenti nei confronti di questo libro è davvero difficile, sono consapevole del fatto che sia abbastanza difficile da leggere, la trama è più che altro un contorno ad una riflessione filosofica che l'autrice vuole portare avanti dopo Vita degli Elfi. Per questo motivo si rimane sicuramente delusi se ci si aspetta un libro fantasy di intrighi e battaglie. Tra tutti i suoi libri è sicuramente il più complesso, è necessaria la lettura del precedente per poter capire lo spirito dei personaggi, ma anche la conoscenza della scrittrice per poterne apprezzare la prosa.
Uno strano Paese mette in evidenza la follia della guerra, che sia umana o elfica. Il bisogno di un nemico sembra necessario per poter creare un fronte comune per la risoluzione di un problema, ma non ci si rende conto che questo atteggiamento porta più spesso alla propria rovina che ad un nuovo benessere. Non si può pensare di vivere in maniera statica e immutabile, l'apertura verso mondi diversi fa paura, ma è anche motivo di arricchimento sia personale che sociale e proprio questo arricchimento potrebbe permetterci di rinnovare il mondo che si sgretola intorno a noi. La guerra è distruzione e anche, soprattutto, autodistruzione, non ci sono vinti o vincitori in un paese che deve contare i propri morti.
Tutto questo viene portato avanti attraverso il punto di vista di uno dei protagonisti secondo me migliore di sempre. Petrus è "l'idiota", il classico personaggio bonaccione e incline alla convivialità più che allo scontro e proprio per questo mette ancora più in luce la follia dell'odio.
Insomma, un libro che avrebbe avuto tutte le carte in regola per avere le 5 stelle (come, per me, tutti i precedenti della Barbery), ma nonostante abbia apprezzato notevolmente i molteplici livelli di lettura presenti anche in quest'opera, è davvero troppo complesso per giudicarlo perfetto. Ho fatto fatica anche io nella comprensione degli eventi, nonostante fossi preparata ad una prosa piuttosto difficile, come sempre quando si tratta della Barbery.
Questa era la recensione di testa, la recensione di cuore riguarda più il mio amore incondizionato verso questa scrittrice: L'eleganza del riccio è stato il primo libro con il quale ho iniziato a scambiare consigli con mio nonno, ad oggi il mio spacciatore ufficiale di titoli; Vita degli Elfi è arrivato quando con Marco abbiamo deciso di sposarci; Uno strano Paese è entrato in casa 4 giorni prima della nascita di mia figlia e mi ha accompagnato negli ultimi giorni con il pancione e nei primi con lei. Come già detto, su Chiacchiere Letterarie uscirà una doppia recensione, proprio per poter tirare fuori per bene tutte le emozioni che mi ha trasmesso questo romanzo.
October 1, 2023
Man, I wanted to love this book. For one, I loved the Elegance of the Hedgehog and found it to be such an affecting, delightful novel. And also what a blurb - some random Spaniards find their way into a faerie kingdom where they participate in a last alliance of Elves and Men? COME ON.
What I didn't expect was a completely different side of Barbery (full disclosure: I own, but didn't read the Lives of Elves, so I didn't know better. I should have known better) - one that veered so deep into philosophical musings that the story was basically irrelevant. And there were hints of this in Hedgehog (obsession with Japan, need to philosophize, weird love for rugby, etc.), but man, were all of these quirks on full display in A Strange Country.
I would like someone who actually understands Japanese Philosophy (I am aware Barbery lived for a few days years in Kyoto) to read this and tell me if this is actually valid, or what an Asian-obsessed westerner approximates like a fortune cookie who smoked too much weed. TBH, as an Asian this feels like peak appropriation/exoticism and I cycled from low key annoyed / baffled by the sheer audacity of it, to just feeling super icky. I am very rarely affected by this. This was so fucking blatant I thought it was a joke.
Also, for someone who writes female characters well, Barbery managed to create a 90s american hypermasculine author level of woman as symbol bullshit in this book.
I can't believe I finished this ugh I need a break.
What I didn't expect was a completely different side of Barbery (full disclosure: I own, but didn't read the Lives of Elves, so I didn't know better. I should have known better) - one that veered so deep into philosophical musings that the story was basically irrelevant. And there were hints of this in Hedgehog (obsession with Japan, need to philosophize, weird love for rugby, etc.), but man, were all of these quirks on full display in A Strange Country.
I would like someone who actually understands Japanese Philosophy (I am aware Barbery lived for a few days years in Kyoto) to read this and tell me if this is actually valid, or what an Asian-obsessed westerner approximates like a fortune cookie who smoked too much weed. TBH, as an Asian this feels like peak appropriation/exoticism and I cycled from low key annoyed / baffled by the sheer audacity of it, to just feeling super icky. I am very rarely affected by this. This was so fucking blatant I thought it was a joke.
Also, for someone who writes female characters well, Barbery managed to create a 90s american hypermasculine author level of woman as symbol bullshit in this book.
I can't believe I finished this ugh I need a break.
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January 25, 2021DNF 40% - Je n’ai pas fini ce livre, aussi je ne peux pas lui donner une note en bonne conscience.
Tout d’abord, il s’agit de la suite du livre « La Vie des Elfes », ce que je ne savais pas lorsque je l’ai pris à la bibliothèque. Peut être que lire celui-là en premier aiderait les futurs lecteurs au niveau de la compréhension ?
J’étais intriguée par le résumé - une guerre interminable, un contact avec un monde mystérieux des elfes... mais je n’ai pas réussi à accrocher au style d’écriture. Et pourtant, j’avais bien aimé « L’élégance du hérisson » du même auteur.
L’idée derrière le livre est plutôt intéressante, mais l’exécution n’est vraiment pas pour tout le monde. C’est beaucoup trop poétique et imagé pour moi, et pour plusieurs autres lecteurs si l’on en croit les avis en ligne. Le fil du sujet se perd avec les nombreuses digressions et les parenthèses poétiques.
English : The idea behind the book is pretty interesting, at least when it comes to « the war of death and poetry », but the execution isn’t for everyone. There was way too much purple prose for my taste, and I got tired of rereading every single sentence several times over to get its meaning, of which there usually was none.
Tout d’abord, il s’agit de la suite du livre « La Vie des Elfes », ce que je ne savais pas lorsque je l’ai pris à la bibliothèque. Peut être que lire celui-là en premier aiderait les futurs lecteurs au niveau de la compréhension ?
J’étais intriguée par le résumé - une guerre interminable, un contact avec un monde mystérieux des elfes... mais je n’ai pas réussi à accrocher au style d’écriture. Et pourtant, j’avais bien aimé « L’élégance du hérisson » du même auteur.
L’idée derrière le livre est plutôt intéressante, mais l’exécution n’est vraiment pas pour tout le monde. C’est beaucoup trop poétique et imagé pour moi, et pour plusieurs autres lecteurs si l’on en croit les avis en ligne. Le fil du sujet se perd avec les nombreuses digressions et les parenthèses poétiques.
English : The idea behind the book is pretty interesting, at least when it comes to « the war of death and poetry », but the execution isn’t for everyone. There was way too much purple prose for my taste, and I got tired of rereading every single sentence several times over to get its meaning, of which there usually was none.
July 31, 2021
This one is very difficult to rate or to review. Like The Life of Elves before it, the sequel A Strange Country doesn't so much tell a story as insinuate some events through the use of florid, poetic language. It is a book about a war, but it is far more focused on evocations of flowers, wine, tea (especially tea), poetry, art, snow, lakes, bridges and mists. The narrative barely moves, except when jumping through time and alluding to characters and events that may or may not be explained. It is like someone distractedly, yet poetically, explaining a dream they once had. As such it can be fascinating, but also incredibly frustrating. The heart of the idea - mirrored realms of Elves and Humans, occasionally interacting through poetry, drink, art, music and war - is creatively manifested. But the characters, aside from the elf Petrus, are extraordinarily under-realized, and the plot barely explained. The novel is surely trying to communicate a feeling more than an understanding. If that is what you are looking for, read and enjoy. If you want to understand everything that is going on, stay far away.
March 31, 2025
empezó siendo de dos estrellas, subió a 3.5 y terminó nuevamente en dos. es un libro exageradamente francés. ya la primera parte era decepcionante, prometía mucho pero quiso ser demasiadas cosas a la vez y perdió valor; no terminabas de entender quien era quien, ni siquiera lo suficiente como para que te importen. esta segunda parte iba un poco mejor, toda la parte del viaje de petrus me gustó mucho; sin embargo, al toque volvimos a la misma confusión de entonces, donde el lenguaje "aéreo" no hizo más que fracasar al intentar esconder el contenido paupérrimo del libro. tenía tanto potencial...genera una impotencia muy grande no poder entrar a los libros y ordenar los párrafos, aclarar los nombres e historias. y ENCIMA, cuando tenemos dos personajes que conocemos como NIÑAS, apenas arranca el segundo libro y son mujeres que se "enamoran" de los dos varones principales. tanta "imaginación" para el lenguaje del libro y sin embargo caemos en la misma. ENCIMA, y acá voy a mandar tremendo spoiler, al final se mueren todos y no terminas de entender por qué. ¿qué sentido tuvieron los dos libros? te odio francia.
December 20, 2020
Stupido io che l'ho iniziato accorgendomi solo a metà che è il secondo libro di due, e il primo ovviamente non l'ho ancora letto.
Ma sono andato avanti lo stesso, e un po' mi chiedo se il brutto che ci ho trovato è dovuto proprio alla lettura monca del primo volume.
In ogni caso: mal strutturato, mal gestito, vorrei dire quasi mal scritto ma l'autrice le parole le sa usare, l'aveva già dimostrato in L'eleganza del riccio, che però aveva problemi di contenuto. il problema di questo Uno strano paese invece è che si fa prendere la mano nel descrivere l'ineffabilità di questo Mondo elfico fatto di brume sfuggenti, tanto che quel che le sfugge in realtà è la storia, specie nella seconda parte. Il risultato è qualcosa di estremamente squilibrato sotto ogni punto di vista.
Non so se leggerò mai il primo volume dei due.
Ma sono andato avanti lo stesso, e un po' mi chiedo se il brutto che ci ho trovato è dovuto proprio alla lettura monca del primo volume.
In ogni caso: mal strutturato, mal gestito, vorrei dire quasi mal scritto ma l'autrice le parole le sa usare, l'aveva già dimostrato in L'eleganza del riccio, che però aveva problemi di contenuto. il problema di questo Uno strano paese invece è che si fa prendere la mano nel descrivere l'ineffabilità di questo Mondo elfico fatto di brume sfuggenti, tanto che quel che le sfugge in realtà è la storia, specie nella seconda parte. Il risultato è qualcosa di estremamente squilibrato sotto ogni punto di vista.
Non so se leggerò mai il primo volume dei due.
November 30, 2021
Çok ilginç gelerek aldığım bir kitaptı ama okuması biraz sıkıntılı oldu.Yazarın felsefe ile yakın ilişkisi hikayenin bitmez tükenmez soyut betimlemelerle dolup taşmasına neden olmuş.Güzel ve dozunda betimlemelere asla karşı değilim ama buradakiler zincir gibi birbirine bağlı ve sonu gelmiyor.Hikayeye; biraz Yüzüklerin Efendisi biraz başka fantastik kitaplardan ufak tefek özellikler serpiştirilmiş,aralarda felsefik konularla dini göndermeler yapılmış -özellikle de karakter isimlerinde-ama ana hikayede aslında fazla bir numara yok;iki tür arasındaki savaş ve bunu önlemeye çalışanlar işin özeti.Çok güzel cümleler olsa da benim için yorucu bir okuma oldu bu.Belki sadece benim için böyledir başkası adına konuşamam.
May 1, 2024
The elegance of the hedgehog and gourmet rhapsody were both philosophical while being entertaining stories. I love them dearly as some of my favorites of all time. This felt like it was trying too hard to be both and neither novel nor philosophical treatise landed.
Barbery seems to be thinking about a Christianity- and Descartes-haunted West in need of Eastern language and logic to bridge its dualism and reveal the inherent fleshiness and coherence of the world. Her prose — with which she seems obsessed, even when it doesn’t make sense — is too impressionistic to help the reader enter into the world and characters she tried to create to discuss her ideas. The dialogue felt stilted. The narrator too present and pedantic. The relationship between elven plot line and human history forced.
Barbery seems to be thinking about a Christianity- and Descartes-haunted West in need of Eastern language and logic to bridge its dualism and reveal the inherent fleshiness and coherence of the world. Her prose — with which she seems obsessed, even when it doesn’t make sense — is too impressionistic to help the reader enter into the world and characters she tried to create to discuss her ideas. The dialogue felt stilted. The narrator too present and pedantic. The relationship between elven plot line and human history forced.
August 11, 2020
Una larga guerra y unos seres mitológicos que tienen su papel determinante.
A medida que he ido leyendo este libro de Muriel me he dado cuenta de que no era para mí. No me ha aportado nada relevante, aunque está bien escrito. No he sentido ningún tipo de conexión con los personajes. Las páginas simplemente iban pasando y era como si me encontrara en el interior de una burbuja mientras el tiempo corría.
He visto que hay una novela que precede a esta, en mi caso no la he leído. Aún así, este es otro libro y considero que debería tener la suficiente capacidad de autonomía como para lograr seducir al lector y meterlo de lleno en la trama por sí solo.
A medida que he ido leyendo este libro de Muriel me he dado cuenta de que no era para mí. No me ha aportado nada relevante, aunque está bien escrito. No he sentido ningún tipo de conexión con los personajes. Las páginas simplemente iban pasando y era como si me encontrara en el interior de una burbuja mientras el tiempo corría.
He visto que hay una novela que precede a esta, en mi caso no la he leído. Aún así, este es otro libro y considero que debería tener la suficiente capacidad de autonomía como para lograr seducir al lector y meterlo de lleno en la trama por sí solo.
August 20, 2020
La storia in sé poteva anche essere originale e bella se solo fosse stata scritta in maniera comprensibile. Personaggi completamente buttati a caso. Non abbiamo il tempo di conoscerli approfonditamente, vengono inseriti in contesti e avvenimenti random. Descrizioni eccessivamente e inutilmente lunghe e complicate. Non si riesce a immedesimarsi completamente a causa del saltare degli eventi, non c'è alcuna linearità. Ok la riflessione sulla guerra, il mondo, la pace, la natura. Tuttavia un romanzo deve pur avere una trama e non solo un lungo elenco di descrizioni e riflessioni.
Non lo consiglierei assolutamente.
Non lo consiglierei assolutamente.
August 11, 2024
An enchanting, haunting novel, beautifully written, that is both sequel and prequel to The Life of Elves. I loved this book, and read it compulsively - up until the very end, when I wanted to hurl it across the room because the end made me so angry. I did not see that ending coming and I hated it, which is why I only gave this four stars instead of five. I did not like the sudden intrusion of the author's voice at the end, and I found the ending both infuriating and heartbreaking.
That said, I still encourage you to read this book because it is so beautifully written and so exquisite and full of wonder, and lovable and fantastic characters. Yes, there are some evil characters, too, because this is about the battle between good and evil.
That said, I still encourage you to read this book because it is so beautifully written and so exquisite and full of wonder, and lovable and fantastic characters. Yes, there are some evil characters, too, because this is about the battle between good and evil.
February 6, 2023
While I highlighted some absolutely gorgeous sentences, my overall impression from this is confusion. The Christian imagery is heavy, and I got so caught up in tracking it and trying to figure out hidden meanings and links that at times I forgot to focus on the story itself. And then the end sort of fell apart and the last 20ish pages were a mess. Not my favorite from Barbery, but worth a go if you are trying to read her catalogue or could use a couple of gorgeously-crafted sentences in your day.
May 16, 2020
Elves and mists and bridges between worlds and battles and poetry, this fairy tale fable has it all, with humans and elves fighting a common enemy against the everlasting conflict between good and evil. There’s probably a deep allegorical meaning to ferret out from the overwritten florid prose but I wasn’t engaged or invested enough to fathom out any possible philosophical meaning. Just not for me, this (admittedly imaginative) whimsical fantasy.
July 26, 2020
I really wanted to love this book. It had some really lovely elements, fun characters, and some sections were beautifully written and witty. But overall, I found the plot to be confused and disjointed. As I got further in it became harder and harder to follow what was going on. Parts were overwritten and almost too open to interpretation for me.
It is sad, as there are shimmers of a great idea here and it could have been so much more. Slightly disappointed.
It is sad, as there are shimmers of a great idea here and it could have been so much more. Slightly disappointed.
December 12, 2020
Lyrical and magical, this is one book that draws you in and doesn’t let you go until the last page. The imagery is wonderful and there is a fairy-tale-esque quality to the story. I don’t want to give anything away, but this is one to pick up if you are in the mood for an epic fantasy, dealing with conflict and a magical world. Thank you to gallicbooks for my copy in exchange for an honest review!
February 10, 2021
Creo qué hay una idea interesante que inclusive por momentos lo lleva a uno a reflexionar sobre la vida y nuestra relación con la naturaleza... pero siento que al final solo se queda en la idea. Lo épico de la fantasía se pierde en imágenes que aunque son maravillosas no llevan a nada, no pasa nada que se sienta real y todo se queda en la imaginación de una autora que tiene una increíble capacidad para describir escenarios donde al final nos hace falta que se desarrolle una trama creíble.
May 8, 2020
I liked this better than The Life of Elves because the narrative was more straightforward for most of the story, especially Petrus' saga. Though the books celebrate poetry, the more poetic depictions of these lives of characters just get tiring and repetitive, so I liked the first and final chapters of this book about as much if The Life of Elves, which wasn't much.
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