CanadianContent discussion

A place to discuss French Exit

There is something about Patrick deWitt's books that just click with me. I don't know if it is because I love his quirky characters or whether his odd brand of wit just happens to appeal to me. All I know is that I always enjoy his books. French Exit isn't in my top books of the year but I still really enjoyed it and I will read anything he comes out with.

This was a light and easy read. Patrick deWitt is great at taking characters you otherwise wouldn't care for and making them human. Entertaining story. Not my favourite for the Giller.

I read an ARC of this book over the summer and I liked it, but did not love it. The storyline lacks appeal and the ending is pretty unsatisfying. Still, the writing is witty, ultimately showing the reader an intimate portrait of a broken family, largely through words left unsaid. What at first seems to be a comical romp in the City of Light, is in truth the story of vulnerable people in search of meaning and connection.

I enjoyed this book. It ended a months-long reading slump for me and part of the reason I stuck with it was its utter absurdist unexpectedness. The writing was witty, and the dialogue was alternatively light and airy, and devastating. The passage that stayed with me, and even called to be reread several times before I could move on was Frances’ description of her love for Malcolm, and when she tells him if she had known he would be him, she would have come for him sooner.

Admittedly I can’t decide if the book is a tale of compete devotion or destructive co-dependence. I’ll assume the truth lies somewhere in the middle. And in the French farce tradition, I will now cease overthinking this small gem.

Natasha wrote: "I enjoyed this book. It ended a months-long reading slump for me and part of the reason I stuck with it was its utter absurdist unexpectedness. The writing was witty, and the dialogue was alternati..."
Alternatively light and airy and devestating....sounds like my life, and, bravo, it got you out of your reading slump!
a must read

Magdelanye wrote: "Natasha wrote: "I enjoyed this book. It ended a months-long reading slump for me and part of the reason I stuck with it was its utter absurdist unexpectedness. The writing was witty, and the dialog..."

Thank you, Magdelayne.

@Natasha - just this description along makes me want to read it: "Its utter absurdist unexpectedness"!

It sounds like we are in for some laughing out loud with this book:

https://quillandquire.com/review/fren...

https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-...

If you only have time for one article, read this one in Macleans:

https://www.macleans.ca/culture/books...

I just started this on audiobook. I'm not as enthralled as I was with The Sisters Brothers but then again thats a very tall ask. Hope it grows on me.

Ok, update: i finished French Exit and didn't enjoy it at all. If the book wasn't so short I would have DNF'd it. I normally really enjoy dry, ironic prose but I just didn't go for this one.

I'm about halfway through this and so far I'm finding it a tough slog in spite of the short length and insubstantial prose... other than the cat, I can't muster much liking or sympathy for the characters. A 180-degree shift from Sisters Brothers where the main characters were so utterly likable. Glad it's a short one!

I finished this last night. The first half was a real slog for me. But once we heard from Franklin, well then I found it hilarious. I loved the second half, and yes, I agree that it's hard to beat deWitt's dialogue! I literally laughed out loud several times, and one passage brought tears of hilarity to my eyes when I read it twice to my husband and once the next day to my daughter:

"Who is Julia?" Tom whispered to Joan.
"Child."
Tom misunderstood. He turned to Susan and asked, "Who is Julia?"

Baahahahahh! In the context of the characters and the scenario, I just found this so ridiculously fantastic.

I just finished it up last night too! I found myself laughing at bits and pieces, didn't quite meet my high hopes. I personally enjoyed the dictionary game that they played- so much ridiculousness in the book that made it funny.

I really enjoyed this and laughed out loud in several places. (The dictionary game!)

I have a dear friend who reminds me of Frances which made it even more enjoyable.

I was slightly disappointed in the ending though.