The Lover by Marguerite Duras Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Lover
Book Review: IF YOU ARE A WRITER, LEARN FROM THIS BOOK
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read this book 126 times. Every time I read it I learn something new. A lot has been said about the power of its content, the story of passion and longing and the mysteries of love and death. But its true brilliance comes from its form, the WAY in which the story is told. A single image is unfolded and within it we find all the mysteries of life opening and closing, coming clear for a brief moment, then vanishing. I do not think any other book has the same form as this one. This is why it is brilliant. Duras created something utterly unique. All the 'rules' of structure are tossed away. Passages flow one into the next and the connection between them is both seamless and invisible. It may seem random, or intuitive, at first, but as you look deeper you will find there is a deliberate order whose subtlety is unsurpassed, a work of power. Another interesting point for writers comes from comparing this book with Duras' earlier book, 'The North China Lover'. This other book tells the same story, without any of the depth or power of 'The Lover'. I believe it was a first draft, and 'The Lover' is what became of that first story after years and years of editing and distillation. The contrast between the two is a good lesson in how and why to edit what you write.
Book Review: IF YOU ARE A WRITER, LEARN FROM THIS BOOK
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read this book 126 times. Every time I read it I learn something new. A lot has been said about the power of its content, the story of passion and longing and the mysteries of love and death. But its true brilliance comes from its form, the WAY in which the story is told. A single image is unfolded and within it we find all the mysteries of life opening and closing, coming clear for a brief moment, then vanishing. I do not think any other book has the same form as this one. This is why it is brilliant. Duras created something utterly unique. All the 'rules' of structure are tossed away. Passages flow one into the next and the connection between them is both seamless and invisible. It may seem random, or intuitive, at first, but as you look deeper you will find there is a deliberate order whose subtlety is unsurpassed, a work of power. Another interesting point for writers comes from comparing this book with Duras' earlier book, 'The North China Lover'. This other book tells the same story, without any of the depth or power of 'The Lover'. I believe it was a first draft, and 'The Lover' is what became of that first story after years and years of editing and distillation. The contrast between the two is a good lesson in how and why to edit what you write.
Book Review: IF YOU ARE A WRITER, LEARN FROM THIS BOOK
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read this book 126 times. Every time I read it I learn something new. A lot has been said about the power of its content, the story of passion and longing and the mysteries of love and death. But its true brilliance comes from its form, the WAY in which the story is told. A single image is unfolded and within it we find all the mysteries of life opening and closing, coming clear for a brief moment, then vanishing. I do not think any other book has the same form as this one. This is why it is brilliant. Duras created something utterly unique. All the 'rules' of structure are tossed away. Passages flow one into the next and the connection between them is both seamless and invisible. It may seem random, or intuitive, at first, but as you look deeper you will find there is a deliberate order whose subtlety is unsurpassed, a work of power. Another interesting point for writers comes from comparing this book with Duras' earlier book, 'The North China Lover'. This other book tells the same story, without any of the depth or power of 'The Lover'. I believe it was a first draft, and 'The Lover' is what became of that first story after years and years of editing and distillation. The contrast between the two is a good lesson in how and why to edit what you write.
Book Review: Insightful memoir
Summary: 4 Stars
It was interesting to see the parallels between Duras' life and the life of the narrator. The style (nouveau roman) might be difficult for some readers to follow, but the recalling of memories comes across as bittersweet and ultimately painful...makes for an interesting study.Book Review: Like a dream put into words
Summary: 5 Stars
The Lover by Marguerite Duras is the tale of a young girl's first lover but it is also the tale of her distraught, insane mother and overbearing older broter. The novel's prose is sparse and surreal, almost dream-like. Although the novel is set in the past, its themes of alienation and lost love are quite modern and any intelligent reader can identify with this book.