Books
by Irène Némirovsky
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Fire in the Blood |
Set in the same village as Suite Française, narrated by Silvio who escaped when young but returned penniless, this novel brilliantly anticipates Némirovsky's final masterpiece. Selling his remaining land, Silvio ekes out his days along with his dog, sipping wine, smoking his pipe and observing rural life. There is much intrigue with young wives deceiving old husbands with sometimes tragic results, while the villagers know or suspect but keep their secrets and money to themselves.
(James Baker - bwl 44 February 2008) |
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Suite Française |
A cross-section of Parisians gets caught up in the panic exodus as the Germans advance . . . Village life in occupied France. . . Némirovsky never loses sight of the mindless tragedy of the circumstances surrounding her wonderfully real protagonists' personal dramas of social disintegration, but her perceptive wit and her affection for human eccentricity infuse the stories with unexpected hope. Beautifully written, profoundly felt - absolutely exceptional!
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 44 February 2008) |
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Suite Française |
Published 64 years after Nemirovsky's death in Auschwitz, this novel comprises the first two books in what was planned as a five-book tome about France during the occupation in WWII. It is mostly about people (French, German), their humanity and inhumanity. Nemirovsky's plans for the other three books are reported in the two must-read appendices, as are letters from her husband and others, trying desperately to find out where she was. Important, edifying and heart-breaking.
(Julie Higgins - bwl 36 September 2006) |
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