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2018 International Longlist
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Vernon Subutex 1 by Virginie Despentes
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Maxwell
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Mar 12, 2018 09:33AM
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I was so excited to see this on the list, I have been rooting for it for months! I LOVED the story, which is cutting-edge social commentary on contemporary French society. Despentes questions the definition of success, on the individual and the societal level, and her way to do so is extremely powerful. Here's my review.
Robert wrote: "This is the one (and the white book) I'm looking forward to the most!! - my copy has been ordered"I just wrote an extended version of my review - there is so much in there! I had borrowed the copy I read from my colleague, but I liked it so much that I ordered pt. I and II for myself last night! :-)
Meike wrote: "Robert wrote: "This is the one (and the white book) I'm looking forward to the most!! - my copy has been ordered"I just wrote an extended version of my review - there is so much in there! I had b..."
Great!!!
I read this book last year in the German translation and I guess I'm the dissenting opinion here because I didn't think it was very good. I felt most of the characters were typecasted, mere placeholders for a certain 'type of people'. And the story bored me (seen that, read that, and better). But it could very well be that I'm just too old for this book :-).
Have to say having read just the first chapter - and on my 50th birthday! - I am also feeling I may be too old for this type of book!
I suspect you may like more - any book that even mentions drug use automatically loses a star in my ranking system (the only worse sin is banker bashing which loses two)
OK - I've read it now and I officially loved it! Just considering whether to put it top of my current list (I've read 4 of the books so far).


