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What are readers saying about Suite Francaise?
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Wendy posted a review at 2008-01-27 09:57:06.
(Language: English)
 
The author, Irene Nemirovsky, planned to write five segments in all but only finished two before she was seized by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz where she soon died. The extensive notes at the end give some idea as to how she conceived the rest of the book would develop but it would have been much better if she had been able to finish it herself. However, the notes certainly give a unique perspective on the method of working and that was fascinating in itself. The final Appendix consists of letters between the author and her publisher and then, after she was imprisoned, from her husband to the publisher and many other people. These were heartbreaking to read, especially the ones that were written after Irene died but her husband had no idea of her fate.Unlike much fiction about World War II, this book was written right in the thick of the action. I think that is what gives the writing such potency. In Storm in June the pace is frenetic and jumpy. I had a hard time remembering characters from one chapter to another. But I think that was a deliberate style choice by the author in order to evoke the terrifying time when the Germans invaded France. Dolce, as the name implies, has a much more sedate tone although there are still moments of horror. It deals with the effects on a small village when a troop of Germans are billeted with the inhabitants. As the French become accustomed to the Germans, and vice versa, it becomes harder for the one to perceive the other as one-dimensional enemies. Considering the fate of the writer, it seems ironic that she was able to give the Germans ordinary human attributes and feelings.I would recommend this book highly. It deserves to become a classic alongside The Diary of Anne Frank.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-08-31 02:33:28.
(Language: English)
This book is excellent. It is a must read. Not only it is haunting story of French civilans coming to terms and coping with the Nazi occupation, the book was written during the that time period. The author, Irene Nemirovsky, started writing the book when the Nazis defeated the French forces during the Second World War. She had written two parts of the book before she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz in 1942. (She had plans to write three more parts). Sadly, she died about a month after being sent to the concentration camp. One of her daughters took her mother's writings with her when she, her sister and their nanny went into hiding from the Nazis. The notebooks that her mother wrote in longhand, amazingly, survived the war and the years following liberation. Thinking that it was a journal, Irene's daughter didn't read her mother's writings until she decided to donate them to an organization dedicated to documenting memories of the war. It was only then that she discovered that it wasn't a journal, but a manuscript for Suite Francaise. That in itself is an amazing tale.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-09-15 09:07:42.
(Language: English)
I actually didn't love it. It simply didn't capture me. But within it I found good points and bad points. GOOD - I appreciated many aspects of the book already mentioned, and a few additional ones. For example, I loved how the story took place in France. I find that oftentimes non-Jews are overlooked by authors of WWII literature. And this book reminds us just how many people living in those times were actually effected by the war. Political leaders, priests, peasants, children, the elderly...they all suffered. From that perspective I really liked it. BAD - The main reason I didn't like it is that the story plays down the facts of war. My grandparents experienced war in the 'eye of the storm'. I grew up listening to their stories. Their problems were a BIT more serious than "I fell in love with a German soldier". And I guess because of that I have a different perspective of WWII.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-11 07:27:58.
(Language: English)
A stunning achievement, when you consider what else was going on while Irene Nemirovsky was writing this book. It's a complicated story because of the relationships between the people, but is based on a simple premise, which I believe, was to show how a person's true character is revealed during hard times, in this case, WWII. My favorite line: "You can never pride yourself in knowing the sea unless you've seen it both calm and in a storm. Only the person who has observed men and women at times like this...can be said to know them. And to know themselves." P.S. The publishers need to change the description on the back of this book, which I found inept because the book is SO much more than just a wealthy mother searching for sweets! THAT was just one scene from the novel!
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-10-14 08:21:44.
(Language: English)
While I found this a wonderful read it was accompanied with the bittersweet knowledge of the tragedy of the women who penned it whilst fleeing occupied France during WWII. She was arrested and killed in Auschwitz. Her two daughters escaped with their mother’s prized possession, a suitcase containing various notes. It wasn’t until 65 years later that one of her daughters discovered in it, not what she thought to be her mother’s diary, but this novel. There are characters in this book that you’ll loath, love, cheer for and just plain pity. Ultimately, it is a story about a group of Parisians who flee into rural France during WWII who struggle to survive the most confusing times of their lives. From the self-entitled aristocrats and bankers who desire to maintain the illusions of a privileged life, to the middle class workers and farmers who struggle just to get by. The stories I found most moving were of the women who found themselves drawn to the occupying soldiers' charms and whether they would succumb or resist. After all, once you remove the fact your country is at war with another and when the lines are blurred between friend and enemy, a woman is just a woman, and a man is just a man. This book and its author serves as a reminder to how many contributions to the human race (such as literature, science, etc.) are never to be because their creators are stolen from us by the cruelness of war, past or present.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-07-14 11:59:24.
(Language: English)
Very well written and a sort of baby war and peace (which is evident also from her notes at the end - definitely worth reading). Very good characterisation, has the right sprinkling of humour and sadness to keep you going. Only wish she had been able to finish it off - from the notes it looks like it would have been good. One thing I did find odd about storm, however, was that because the stories were so spread out I never really got to the point of desperately turning pages to find out what happens next. It was mroe a case of leisurely carrying on because I enjoyed the style and characters. Which I suppose is in a way more of an achievement - to hook people in on your writing not just your story. More than can be said for the likes of Dan Brown
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-08-02 08:02:36.
(Language: English)
Lately, I have been reading a lot of novels set in this turbulent scary time. This really shows you the human home front side of this war... the regular people caught up in it. German boys who long for their home and feeling the loss of their future; french farming communities who just want to get by under the radar; french girls who feel their youth slipping away with no boys around, except German soldiers. Very interesting that this wasn't a book about and Nazis, but rather French and Germans. It's not about politics or idealogy, but rather a story about human nature and class/caste. A Jane Austen story set in German occupied France. Missing the humorous repartee, but full of irony.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-31 01:15:53.
(Language: English)
Set in WWII in France, the Germans have just invaded; the Parisians are fleeing Paris all are trying to survive the poverty of war and occupation by a foreign people. The author shows the complexities of human emotions, relationships and the potentialities for sweet beauty and base brutality in humans, even where least expected. Not amazingly inspiring nor depressing, the book is a portrait through the lens of one observer sans motive to persuade the reader, rather just to reveal a scene. The beauty of the book is that the author really WAS trying to survive during the German occupation of France (sadly, did not) and was persecuted due to her family heritage - Russian Jewish...even though she had converted to Catholicism. Amazing that one experiencing desperation and fear could still create a story that is equally derisive and sympathetic of all characters, regardless of their "side" in the war.
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Heather posted a review at 2011-11-16 09:47:10.
(Language: English)
Loved this book. The author was a famous French novelist during the 30s and 40s. This is her last novel, written under German occupation, before she was sent to a concentration camp. The story is about the occupation of France by the Germans, and it was meant to be part of a larger series of stories, but Nemirovsky was murdered before she could finish it.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-04-07 12:47:26.
(Language: French)
Comment l'auteur a-t-elle réussi à avoir un tel recul pour saisir la vie intime des Français pendant l'exode et l'année qui suivit alors que le livre fut écrit moins d'un an après les faits, comme une vue instantanée de l'histoire ? On suit les destins croisés de plusieurs personnages, de différents milieux, avec leurs doutes et leur façon différente de réagir à l'invasion puis l'occupation allemande, véritables révélateurs de la nature profonde de chacun. Chacun est ici individu. Aucun préjugé anti-allemand, rien que des êtres humains. Ce livre ne fut jamais terminé, seules les 2 premières parties sont lisibles, l'auteur ayant été déportée. Lire absolument les annexes, révélatrices du processus d'écrire et des parties suivantes du livre qui auraient pu exister mais aussi témoignage du combat des proches de l'auteur pour la retrouver après son incarcération. Remarquable.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-13 05:50:31.
(Language: English)
Considering the circumstances of the author's own life at this time, this is a brave social commentary and a dispassionate observation of French - German interactions. The portrayal of the German officers is surprisingly sympathetic and references to anti-semitism unexpectedly light. Interesting that in a war, we usually think of two sides, here for example the Germans against the French. But Nemirovsky shows us that the picture is much more complicated. Fragmented by social class and self-interest, allies were often found on the opposing side. There was very little solidarity amongst countrymen. The rich assumed a precidence over resources, shown by the actions of Corte, the Pericands and most brutally by Charles Langelet. Bridges across class and personal dislike were only made when hate and loss caused individuals to hold such overwhelming prejudice against the enemy that they would side with any countryman over an enemy soldier, as in the case of Madame Angellier and her willingness to hide the hated Benoit. Lucile is an interesting character because she starts the war without any strong feelings for anything or anybody. She cares little for her husband, she dislikes his mother and there is little evidence of bonds of family or friendship. In fact, she has a low-grade disdain for her total existence. She is therefore open to new influences and sees the German officer, Bruno, with unbiased eyes. It is only when Benoit's shoots an officer and the community is made painfully aware that they are divided along enemy lines that Lucile is forced to take sides. In the author's notes, she mentions 'The struggle between personal destiny and collective destiny' Lucille best illustriates this dilemma as she wishes to break free from her restricted life in the provinces and choose her own destiny, but in the end, she herself chooses to side with the collective destiny of the village and rejects the German officer. This is an incomplete work and it was illuminated to read the author's notes on how she planned to progress. Themes the author planned to pursue: Bolshevikism (Benoit), collaboration (Corbin, Pericands), the suffering of the innocent and good (Father Pericaud, the Michauds) It was revealing that the author made several references to Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' in her notes. The first few chapters of the book reminded me very much of 'War and Peace' in that many characters were introduced in a short period of time and it began difficult to remember who was who as the narrative skipped from one seemingly unconnected event to another. However, we see in the author's notes that these threads would have been pulled together with many of the characters interacting in the later stages of the book. I think that the author's intention was for this work to document and comment on the 1940s German invasion of France in the same way as 'War and Peace' is a commentary on Russia in the Napoleonic Wars. However, tragically the author herself was a part of the events she was commenting on and her own fate prevented this work from being completed. This really is a unique work in that the life and tragic death of the author are an inextricable part of the narrative with the result being a dispassionate, disciplined but uncomfortable fusion of fact and fiction.
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Marc posted a review at 2009-06-10 08:41:18.
(Language: English)
A French book written in the middle of WW2 with sympathetic German soldiers by a Jew who because of her heritage was shipped off to Auschwitz having only finished two novellas in a planned arc of five. "Storm in June" is a civilian's eye view of the evacuation of Paris in 1940. There is an undercurrent of dark humor and social commentary. Some of the characters end up in the village of Bussy where they meet minor characters who become the major characters of the second novella, "Dolce." This is a slower paced village drama, where the Germans are slowly come into focus as people. It is about relationships and the contradictory feelings an occupied people can have about their occupiers. There is not much action in this section, but there is a lot of setup for part three, which brings characters form the village to Paris. This is followed by diary entries from the author concerning the writing of the novel, with some of the section three outlining. Finally there are a set of correspondences and letters that were discovered with the manuscript. They begin with Irene dealing with the war, and then pick up a frantic pace as her husband beings a desperate attempt to save her from a concentration camp, even after she has been gassed, including attempts to distance their Jewish and Russian heritages. One observation, is that I can't recall "Nazi" showing up in the text. (And neither can google books) The German's are referred to as "Boche" and other insults.
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Stephanie posted a review at 2007-10-03 10:19:30.
(Language: English)
I am so used to writing in Internet exclamation points, I find myself wanting to say "Fabulous!" "Wow!" "Terrific!!!!" But exclamation points seem so out of place to describe Suite Francaise. If anyone deserved to write in exclamation points, it was Irene Nemirovsky. All that she experienced during the occupation of France--the violence, the anger, the humiliation--gave her more than enough permission to react with exclamations. But the language and tone of Suite Francaise are so subtle and restrained, they are a marvel. She says at one point in her notes at the end of the book that people wouldn't be interested in the history of the war in 10 years or even 110 years, but they would want to know the stories of what happened to people during the war. And that is how she keeps the subtlety of this book, by describing the simple people who lived through it and reacted to it--and not the grand marches of armies across battlefields. To begin with, Storm in June describes the evacuation of Paris as the Germans approach. Only a few word changes and she could have been describing the evacuation of Houston as Hurricane Rita approached. The cars piled high; the ones in the ditches out of gas; people cutting each other off and thinking only of themselves. Her description of how each family prepared, what they thought was important to do and to take before they left their homes, rang true. The biggest difference was, of course, we knew we would be returning in a couple of days after the storm passed, and they knew no such thing. In the second part, Dolce, Nemirovsky describes the relationship of the French with the occupying Germany force. Occupied France is a subject that an American of my age doesn't know a whole lot about. In our history lessons, once Paris falls, we really don't talk about France until the Americans liberate Paris. Learning what happened after the fall is fascinating.There are those who collaborate and those who resist. I have often wondered how I would react in a situation like that. It is so easy in the comfort of freedom and tranquility to think I would be brave, but I am not brave in so many parts of my free life, I'm afraid I would not be brave in a captive life. What is remarkable about this book is that Nemirovsky is writing it as she is living it. She hoped to make this a five-part book. Her notes at the end of the book indicate that she had strong ideas about what would happen in the third part, but she really didn't know how the book would end. And how could she really, because she didn't know how the war would end. As far as she was concerned, the Germans could be in France forever. And the end of that book would look so much different from one where the Germans lost. It is also interesting that most books that we read about WWII, both fiction and non-fiction, usually deal with the Jews, but Jews are not even mentioned in this book--despite the fact that Nemirovsky, herself a Jew, always seemed to know that she would not survive the war. And she didn't--dying at Auschwitz in 1942. This book lay hidden for over sixty years, so reading it was like discovering a new, young author. As I read this book I kept thinking, "Oh, I want to read more from this wonderful writer. I wonder what will happen in the other three parts of this novel." And then I would remember that she has been dead over 60 years and there were no other parts to be read. And I would be sad and depressed until I started reading again. And then I would remember again. And it would feel as if she had just died again. And the whole experience was uplifting, and disappointing, and sad, and bizarre all at same time. (It is much like I feel when I listen to Eva Cassidy sing.) Any book that can make me feel all those things is one that deserves to be on my favorites list. And it is.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-03-13 07:44:53.
(Language: English)
An excellent novel. What left me frustrated was the fact that it is unfinished. In 2 parts, the 1st set the stage with the introduction of the various characters, while the 2nd deals directly with 1 family, which was already introduced in the 1st part. Suite Francaise was supposed to be in 4-5 parts - Nemirovsky's War and Peace. Nemirovsky has a wonderful feel for voice - with many characters and groups of characters, she has still been able to make each of them stand out distinctively. In particular, the 1st part, which deals with the exodus of city people from Paris when the Germans invaded France, is a wonderful sketch of how the people - city and country, rich and poor, healthy and sick, deal with this. Also, unlike a lot of WWII novels, the focus is on the everyday lives of the people, rather than the war. Hence, no long passages of death and destruction, but rather the destruction is within the people - destruction of their identity, sense of trust, pride etc. The novel also brings up cases where the French accepted the Germans, and some even came to love them. The rift between national pride and human feelings are dealt with deftly and with great insight. A wonderful novel to read, a totally different perspective from most WWII novels.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-07-11 09:16:52.
(Language: English)
This history of the book takes place during the WWII in France, it tells the story of lots of character that flee Paris when the Germans entered France, and then the history of a house that hosts German soldier during l occupation". What is facinating about this book is that it is written by a Russian, from Jewish descent who lives in France, and knows the French. She gives a different look, sometimes acidic about the French. Moreover, she describes very simple human reactions to extraordinary time. It's a very interesting read. Unfortunately, the author was deported to concentration camp before she had the time to finish her project. This book is only the first two parts of a longer book she had in mind. The notes at the ends of the book gives some idea about what she was thinking about for the rest of the project. The end of the book has also in notes a collection of letters written by the author, her husband, or her editor writen when she went to the camp, interesting testimony.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-01-19 01:21:11.
(Language: English)
Nemirovsky's Russian Jewish family fled from the revolution to France when she was 15. This is her fictional account of life in France under the Nazi occupation. She planned it as a symphony in 5 movements, but completed only 2 before she was arrested, deported, and died in Auschwitz in 1942. The first movement, Storm, is chaos. Parisians pack and flee, in fear of invasion. Refugees wander the countryside. Most eventually return. The ensemble cast of characters are human in their foibles, betrayals, loves, selfishness, fear, strength and weakness. Everyone is trying to save something, whether it be their money, artworks, family, status. Some even succeed. In the 2nd movement, Dolce, a country village lives quietly with the occupation. Collaboration is the norm - for the most part, what else can one do? Nemirovsky's sharp observation is both chilling and sympathetic. An intimate look at human behaviour in an amazing piece of history. It ends without resolution.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-12-14 08:32:42.
(Language: English)
***SPOILER ALERT***This novel was written and is set in war time France. The writer was a Jewish refugee from Kiev whose family fled the Russian Revolution. She died in Auschwitz. The novel pulls together the experiences of a number of French civilians, former soldiers and German occupiers. Some of the characters have fled Paris for the small village at the centre of the novel. The first half of the novel covers the invasion of France. Much of the citizenry thinks that the Germans will not be able to invade as with the Great War. Some even think that England will be invaded before France. When it becomes inevitable that the Germans will invade many put their valuables into hiding. After the invasion life returns to a remarkably normal state with the exception of the men who are prisoners, in hiding or out of France. The reaction of the French to their occupiers also varies some become very close to the occupying force to the point of one woman becoming engaged. When word comes for the Germans to be redeployed on the Russian invasion the village is reluctant to see them go. Other parts of the population maintain the resistance and hide escaped prisoners. Survival is the key I suppose and there are many ways of accomplishing this goal. Many of the older French people are surprised at how cultured the soldiers are. One elderly woman becomes particularly enthralled with the piano playing of the German soldier staying in her home. In the afterward a third part of the book is referenced called captivity that perhaps would have brought more resolution to the story. The novel is more a description of events rather than a conventional story on its own. It is part of the larger story that was WW2 and is reticent of "All Quiet on the Western Front" in its narrative style and structure. While the macro events of the war were happening this is a micro view at one occupied village.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-03-14 04:05:32.
(Language: English)
Suite Francaise is really two stories--the fictional story created by Ukranian author, Irene Nemirovsky, from her home in Paris, and the true story of Ms. Nemirovsky's circumstances during the time she wrote. Written during the German occupation of France, Ms. Nemirovsky began what she intended to be a five part epic (guided, in a way, by the rhythms of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony), although her goal was tragically cut short. A convert to Catholicism and resident (but not citizen) of France for over two decades, Ms. Nemirovsky was of Jewish descent and for this she was tracked down by French authorities under the orders of the Germans. A month later, at only 39 years of age, she was killed at Auschwitz. Suite Francaise involves different characters of quite different backgrounds whose lives are thrown upside down by the German invasion of France. The tragedy reveals the true nature of the characters, some whose dignity and courage remain and others, whose go out like a light.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-11 12:17:45.
(Language: English)
An interesting yet 'un-gripping' novel most likely attributed to the fact that it was never completed by Irene Nemirovsky - she was murdered by the Nazis at Auschwitz after the French police arrested her while France was being occupied by the Germans. She was half Jewish, half Russian and had lived in France for 15 years. Still, she was considered a stateless Jew. Not that that should be considered an argument for murdering ANY civilian. By far the most interesting part of this book is the Appendixes which detail the letters between Irene and her husband, and other people of influence within Europe, attempting to find the family some freedom while war is waging. Her husband, Michel is also exterminated at Auschwitz and her two young daughters flee from convent to convent hoping to sneak under the radar, which they do, keeping the suitcase full of manuscripts safe. Gaza and Israel need to revisit this piece of history, and perhaps learn the lesson that there is no-one without blood on their hands.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-04-20 11:23:30.
(Language: English)
It took me the worst half, i.e. the first half of this book to realize how bad such a thing as hype is for a book. The first part 'Storm' barely sustained my interest even in the best passages - too tedious and uninspiring. Nemirovsky's ability to weave multiple story-lines into the context of the occupation of France is rather commonplace. Character development is poor, in particular the male characters are all 2-dimensional; in fact the cat is a more alive character than most men. The second half, i.e. Dolce, redeems the book, though it still does not justify the lavish praise that has been heaped on this average effort. The marketing of the book hinges on the personal travails of the author (who will go on to be interned in a concentration camp) than the content itself (which is not related to the author's situation). With all due respect to Nemirovsky, I suspect that she would have wished to have been judged by the quality of her work rather than her publisher's skill in selling her gruesome fate.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-04-19 01:02:42.
(Language: English)
Wonderful book. Set during the German invasion of Franch in WWII, but the war serves just as a backdrop. It is more an exploration of human character as revealed by these difficult times and circumstances. A set of two novellas, each comprised of chapters following different but interrelated groups of people. These people are from various classes, form various relationships, and all display varying degrees of shortcomings and virtues. Something about Irene Nemirovsky's writing style just makes her stories a unique and thought-provoking experience, even though the storylines themselves are simple, very unpretentious. In a way, it reminds me of Hemingway, although I enjoyed this book more. Even though it is technically an incomplete work, I found it more fulfilling than many other novels..
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-12-03 07:41:23.
(Language: English)
Suite Francaise is unlike anything I have ever read. It is absolutely one of my favorite books now. Nemirovsky shows a side of WWII that we rarely get to see, that being the masses of people fleeing Paris prior to German occupation. Her characters are full, developed individuals. You understand each characters' thoughts behind their actions, or rather reactions, to the events of the time. The story is even more fascinating when you can read Nemirovsky's notes on how she develops her story and characters. I've never read such details and feel priveledged to have been able to read her notes. And, of course, more heartbreaking, is Irene Nemirovsky's story: a successful writer who was arrested and, ultimately, killed in Auschwitz.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-10-21 03:34:31.
(Language: English)
This work is beyond amazing. It's heartbreakingly poignant and well thought-out, despite the conditions under which it was written, or maybe because of. Nemirovsky's portrayal of the humanity of people involved in war is mind-blowing considering shortly after writing this she would be shipped to Auschwitz and to her tragic death. Her story is one I've heard, although never nearly as comprehensively, beautifully, or insightfully, from many people, including soldiers on both sides of WWII...war is like some kind of external miasma, it's creation and existence, war has no soul, no thought, body. Governments go to war and people who must fight, die or be conquered try only to live and hold onto what's left of humanity. It's an incredible book and an important piece of world literature. I'd also like to add that Appendix II: The Correspondence is one of the most heart-wrenching, aching thing I have ever read.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-02-20 11:58:59.
(Language: English)
This story is captivating and Nemirovsky's notes at the end are a window into the tumult of WWII. (My favorite aspect is how she portrays the disconnect in perception between the rich and the poor.) That it's incomplete is absolutely intriguing. Who knows what would have really happened had she lived to complete it? This unfinished epic which survived under extraordinary circumstances is well worth reading. Perhaps the best part of this book is the appendices--Irene's notes and related correspondence from 1936-45, particularily that which takes place between her husband, Michel Epstein, and various people of influence after her deportation, efforts which he continued until his own a few weeks later. He became increasingly desperate, contacting everyone he could think of, including Marechal Petain, even offering himself in exchange for Irene. He could not understand why a government would deport a good woman who was an exceptional author and a mother of two small children simply because she had a Jewish and Russian heritage. Neither can I. As I read the correspondence, I found myself hoping for an outcome which didn't exist, taking part in the hope felt by all who knew Irene--at first buoyant, then sinking into a resolution to the inevitable. Read it.
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Linda posted a review at 2010-01-14 09:24:22.
(Language: English)
This is the kind of book that the background of the story colors the way you feel about the work, much the way the knowledge of what happened to Anne Frank makes her diary all the more moving. What we have in Suite Francaise is really an unfinished work in progress. The author was Irene Nemirovsky, a well known writer who fled Russia and settled in France. She converted to Catholicism upon her marriage but was sent to Auschwitz in 1942 where she died at age 39. Her belongings were in the possession of her children, but for 60 years they did not go through them all; when the manuscript for this book was found it was published an became an international best seller. What is most compelling about Suite Francaise is the story was written as the chaos of WWII was happening all around the author. Originally planned to be a Suite in 5 parts Nemirovsky only finished the two novellas that complete this book. The first is Storm in June, which details the utter chaos that occurred when the Germans invaded France and made their way to Paris. The tone of this novella is in itself written in a disjointed sort of way, focusing on a few characters, but jumping around quite a bit, which in essence reflects the panic and chaos of the exodus. There are a few characters we come to care about, but Ms. Nemerovsky comes down hard on those of privilege who used their status to obtain special favors while others around them died in the streets. Of course in the end it is what we have within that sustains us all, courage and honor do not always follow class lines. The second half of the book is called Dulce (sweet) and focuses on the behaviors of a small village in the countryside that is occupied by a German Army unit in the year between the French armistice and the beginning of the German invasion of Russia in 1941. Although a few characters from the first part of the book are referenced we are introduced to an entirely new set of people. This part of the story is slower paced, and examines how the lives of the oppressed often become intertwined with their oppressors. Friendships are formed; love affairs are born, while under it all resentment and anger also wells up. Although I enjoyed the book overall I didn’t love it, mostly because it does feel incomplete- which of course it is. I would love to have seen what this book could have become had it been completed the way the author wanted it to be. It is that feeling of being cheated of a wonderful talent that remains after the last page is turned, to be denied that chance to see what more this author could have given us. The appendices of the book that describe the background story make the reading of the book that much more compelling.
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