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Bezig met laden... French Rhapsodydoor Antoine Laurain
Books Read in 2016 (3,180) Books Read in 2021 (2,977) Bezig met laden...
Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. Contemporary, surprising, brilliant. The best book I have read in the last 12 months. Loved it! ( ) Antoine Laurain is an author whose books should be more popular in the U. S. than they are because they are so much fun. They are on the borderline of humor, romance, and chick lit. This is the third book by Laurain that I have read and I plan on reading more as they are a pleasure to read. They are short but packed full of fun and entertainment with an international flair. There is lots in these books that deal with French culture and life. This book is set in the present but is about a group of people who in the 1980's were members of a rock band in the mode of Eurthymics, etc. They had made a recording and submitted it to a record company. 33 years later the letter telling the band members to contact the record company finally arrives at the address of one of the band members. This sets off a search to contact all of the members of the band and the reader finds out what has happened to each one of the members in the subsequent years. It is a fun ride. The book is full of laugh-out-loud spots while at the same time skewring the French political and cultural scene getting digs in at everything from art to politics. Great fun to read. I don't remember how I first became aware of the writing of Antoine Laurain but was delighted to receive "The Red Notebook" on Christmas 2017 as one of that year's requested holiday gifts. I was enraptured with the story and as I closed the book I knew I wanted to read other stories written by this author. I chose "French Rhapsody" as my next selection and received it this past Christmas 2019. I was also excited to discover the author worked with the same translators, Jane Aitken and Emily Boyce. The story setting is in the country of France but the theme is universal and an interesting story to ponder --- Remembering dreams once held high but lost along life's way. It's fairly easy to imagine a lost letter in the mail but lost for 33 years? WoW! In this scenario, one of the band members of the Holograms receives a short letter from a record labeling company about a demo tape received and that they're most interested in the song, "Such Stuff as Dreams Are Made Of" and would like to schedule a meeting with the group. The band member that receives the letter discovers that he no longer has a tape of the song and begins to contact other band members to see if they still have a tape of the song not yet certain whether he'll also share the news about the long lost letter. A story of reflection not only for the band members but I almost couldn't help myself as I closed the book to have a few moments of reflection myself... Alain Massoulier is a middle-aged doctor who played lead guitar in a band called The Holograms in the 1980s. The band split when they didn't get anywhere. Now, 33 years later, he receives a letter from a recording studio dated 12 September 1983 with an offer to meet with the band to discuss their future. The Paris postal system lost the letter behind some shelves which were only recently dismantled. Alain determines to track down the old members of the group, at the very least to try and locate a copy of their old demo tape with at least one song that he was sure would be successful. The task is harder than he thinks, and each band member has a story. An interesting plot line, but not as good as his other titles unfortunately. 4.5 stars Antoine Laurain continues to craft creative, timely stories that will delight his audience while also making his readers think about what is happening in the world around them. While The President’s Hat remains my favorite of his books, French Rhapsody was a fantastic read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Paris physician Alain Massoulier receives what would have been a life changing letter in the mail 33 years after it was sent to him. With a number of other individuals that we slowly get to know, Alain had been in a band called The Holograms in the 1980’s. After receiving little encouragement from the music industry, the group had broken up and gone their separate ways. The delayed letter offered the group a recording contract. This letter sets in motion a chain of events that alters the lives of several of the individuals originally associated with the Holograms. Laurain explores the idea that one event or happenstance can cause a ripple that impacts the lives of many individuals. The plot was not predictable, and several events occurred that I most definitely did not see coming. I always love when an author can surprise me with a plot twist, and there were several in French Rhapsody that really moved the story along. The book was wonderful from start to finish. Laurain makes some very relevant statements about issues facing a number of countries today such as the refugee crisis and the impact on Europe and the United States. As these countries attempt to integrate refugees into their societies, there has been an increase in extreme xenophobic right wing groups advocating hatred and intolerance. His French Trump-like character is symbolic of individuals trying to gain power in a number of these countries and the length these individuals will go to in order to try and succeed. On a lighter note, Laurain pokes fun at the contemporary art scene and the attitudes of some of these contemporary artists. A particularly hilarious scene results from this storyline – I can’t say more without spoiling the event, but it was fantastic. While I was intrigued by almost all of the characters, JBM was my favorite character by far. Every country could use a JBM, and I certainly wish the United States had someone like that right now. I highly recommend this novel and his previous two books also. Laurain has a lot to say, and it is worth listening to him. Thanks to NetGalley and Gallic Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
Onderdeel van de uitgeversreeks(en)J'ai lu (11802)
Antoine Laurain's new novel combines his trademark charm with a satirical take on modern France. Middle-aged doctor Alain Massoulier has received a life-changing letter--thirty-three years too late. Lost in the Paris postal system for decades, the letter from Polydor, dated 1983, offers a recording contract to The Holograms, in which Alain played lead guitar. Back then The Holograms had believed in their cutting-edge sound. However, the music industry remained indifferent, and eventually the band split up, each going their own way. Alain is overcome by nostalgia, and is tempted to track down the members of the group. But in a world where everything and everyone has changed...where will his quest take him? Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)843.92Literature French French fiction Modern Period 21st CenturyLC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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