- Paperback
- Publisher: David R Godine Pub (January 1996)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1567920535
- ISBN-13: 978-1567920536
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Stilted language aspiring to fairy-tale simplicity combines with ridiculous plot developments struggling to be fantastical to sink this French antiwar novel. The Peniels, a Flanders family living on a river barge through the Franco-Prussian War, WW I and WW II, suffer a series of misfortunes. Inasmuch as the narrative can be said to have a central character, it is Victor-Flandrin Peniel (also known as Night-of-gold-Wolf-face, because of a yellow spot in his eye), whose slightly demented father hacks off two of his fingers at age five to ensure he'll never be drafted. During the course of his life, Victor-Flandrin buries four wives and sires 15 children, none of whom seem to particularly interest the author. The breadth of Germain's narrative range can be judged by her use of the phrase "quince and vanilla" five times in 40 pages to describe a smell or taste. This is the first of her five novels to be published in English, and the translation does her no favors; the prose is as awkward and displeasing as the redundant imagery.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Library Journal
Although young, Germain has won literary prizes, including the Prix Femina, for her five novels and one collection of short stories. Her first work to appear in English traces the history of the Peniel family from the late 19th century through World War II in rural France. Primarily the story of Victor-Flandrin (nicknamed Night-of-Gold-Wolf-Face because of the hereditary gold fleck in his eye), it also follows the lives of his four wives, who all die tragically, and his 15 children, who all have the gold fleck in their left eye and include one set of triplets and six sets of twins. Though the Peniel farm thrives, the family is struck repeatedly by personal tragedy, most of which is brought on by the wars they endure. Germain's writing, which has a poetic, surreal quality, can be sensuous and beautiful but often reaches the bizarre and grotesque. For academic audiences.
- Ann Irvine, Montgomery Cty. P.L., Md.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
- Ann Irvine, Montgomery Cty. P.L., Md.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mystic Realism French Style,
By
This review is from: Book Of Nights (Hardcover)
Definitely worth reading. I've been haunted by it. It's an interesting slant on European attitudes to war, and becomes especially harrowing toward the end during WWII. Filled with lyric passages and unbelievable events. Mystic realism that reminds one of Garcia Marquez, but not quite up to the master's level.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
2.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mystic Realism French Style,
By Joan L. Reid "joanie" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Book Of Nights (Hardcover)
Definitely worth reading. I've been haunted by it. It's an interesting slant on European attitudes to war, and becomes especially harrowing toward the end during WWII. Filled with lyric passages and unbelievable events. Mystic realism that reminds one of Garcia Marquez, but not quite up to the master's level.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Six awards for this bizarre narrative?,
By someone - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Book Of Nights (Hardcover)
This is a badly written book. İts fantastic imaginary world efface authors thinkings about war, God, human or being. Actually there are not any important ideas at all worth to consider. Germain' or her characters' claims about God do not deserve any serious theodicy. Prussians and Germans transform metaphysical enemies(of France),beyond their historical identities. The plot full of incests. Poor reader hardly follows ill-omened genealogy...Language and narration also corrupts throughout the book.
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