Girl at the Lion D'or |
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Sebastian Faulks
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Pages: (Paperback)
ISBN: 0099548615
Pub: Vintage
Pub date: 1999-12-31
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 441976
Reader Reviews:
Shaking foundations (0/0 people found this helpful)
This was the first book I had read by Faulks and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The central storyline of poor servant girl meets rich, older society-man has no novelty of course but I did find myself drawn to the characters and some of the torment of the situation they created for themselves. That said it was difficult to hold on to the presumed innocence of Anne and the naivety of Hartmann. Was this really such an unexpected result to both of them? I was half-waiting throughout the book for the cynical motive of exploitation to be revealed from one side or the other. However, the author does keep the reader from total submission to idealised romanticism by including the knowing looks and restrained putdowns of the supporting cast. To the onlookers at least, the events are all so mundane.
The story is set in France and this allows some enjoyable prose describing the back-drop to the main theme. I particularly appreciated the parallel undermining of the foundations of Hartmann's imposing house by the inept builders at the same time as his marriage was threatened by his affair. His weakness with the builder's matched his weakness with Anne. In the end the episodes created huge cracks and a partial collapse of both his home and his marriage, but both did survive. The story left me wondering whether it was Hartmann or Anne who was more damaged for the future.
Where would we be without rules? (3/5 people found this helpful)
It took me a while to get around to it, but this is the fourth SF novel I've read. In ranking terms, I'd place it behind Birdsong, but slightly in front of On Green Dolphin St, and a street or two ahead of Charlotte Gray.
My only real problem with the book is that I felt I was being asked to both like and sympathise with Anne unreservedly, and I'm far from sure that's warranted. Yes, she'd had more than her fair share of tragedy in her past, and certainly her 'present' life is no picnic, but the reader is not led to believe she has any thought, consideration or remorse for Christine, the wife of her lover, Charles Hartmann. Indeed, another angle on events might reasonably portray a devious and plotting Anne doing everything possible to selfishly wrench her quarry away from his loyal and loving wife; a woman not untouched by recent personal tragedies of her own. That apart, I felt the book 'worked', and cleverly evoked sharp images of small-town France between the wars, without swamping the reader with pages of detail. It's well-written, the characters are interesting, the storyline is engaging and it all makes for a very enjoyable read. Don't expect too much of this simple tale and you won't be disappointed.
So, where would we be without rules? Ask the pub landlord (at the Golden Lion?).
Beautifully intriguing (2/2 people found this helpful)
This is the second book I have ready by SF and I enjoyed it even more than the first. There was a slow, intriguing beauty about the book that made it difficult to put down. SF is unlike any other author I have read in a long time. I could compare him to Cormac McCarthy but this would be only to highlight the skill with which both writers draw you into the world they have created and make it impossible to forget once you finish the story....recommended!
A delicately told but beautifully constructed novel (7/7 people found this helpful)
This was my first venture into the work of Sebastian Faulks, and upon finishing it today I immediatly purchased Birdsong. The Girl at the Lion d'Or is a beautifully written story. The simplistic plot is not the selling-point of this book; instead, Faulks's excellent lexical phrasing and characterisation make it an excellent read. I found myself developing a genuine interest in what would happen on the next page and was really pulled deeper and deeper into the story as I read. I was so moved when arriving at the end of the book- a sad and emotional conclusion. I do recommend this book to anyone- it is superb.
Good characterisation (5/6 people found this helpful)
First I read "Birdsong", which I thought was superb. Next I read "Charlotte Gray", which I thought was ok. Then I read "On Green Dolphin Street", which was a bit boring. I just tried him again and was pleasantly surprised by "The Girl at the Lion D'Or", which is well worth reading.
The characters are built up very well, even those with cameo appearances; Roland and "the patron", for example, are very much brought alive. The story progresses slowly, with diversions that allow the characters to be fleshed out. And as usual with Faulks, we learn something poignant about love and war.
Of these four novels, if you have the stamina then read the masterful "Birdsong". Otherwise, go for "The Girl at the Lion D'Or".
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