Book Geek

This one's going to be short since it's my first official post. I was enticed by the vibrant cover of the book (shame on me) and its comparison to The Elegance of the Hedgehog (which I loved). Too bad something got lost in translation.

Apparently this book is a bestseller in France, but I can't fathom why. The majority of the characters are two-dimensional, superficial and really mean to each other. The dialogue between the characters is stilted and unrealistic, which might be the translation but it really took away from the book. The teenage daughter Hortense is particularly unlikable.

I felt that the book did have some potential, set in France, main character loves and writes about medieval history, husband leaves her and her children and she's left to figure it out. Unfortunately, the main character was dull and irritating and by the middle of the book I couldn't have cared less what happened to her or crazy awful family.

Would recommend to people who love reading about rich people shopping.