Monday, April 8, 2013

A Year in France

Lessons in French
by Hilary Reyl



Genre: Literary Fiction

Review: The Berlin Wall is falling down and an aspiring painter, Kate, sets out for a year in Paris as assistant to eccentric photographer Lydia and becomes embroiled in dysfunctional family drama. The premise of the book holds promise as a coming-of-age tale/dream of many twenty-something young women. Spend a year in Paris after college? Alright! Meet fascinating people and have an affair with a French guy? Not a bad idea, right?

This equation for a novel sounds great, but something is hollow in her character; the book doesn't quite deliver. Kate is so ineffectual that you may tire of her non-actions and lack of conviction. On the other hand, you might relate to this struggle. Read it and see for yourself.

Question: As I read, I was wondering, do you think that a book set in 1989 is historical fiction?

Song to Read by: "Lusitania" by Andrew Bird and St. Vincent

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