Seeing that his works aroused so much interest, Philippe Besson then decided to dedicate himself exclusively to his writing. You find that you could send whole fragments of text to relevant people in your life because those fragments tell them precisely the things that you dare not tell them or wish to tell them. Part 1 of this book has lots of intimate talk, as these friendships and love develop while Arthur is home for a week from The Great War.

I don't regret the fact that I strolled into the library looking for some piece of modern French literature (which is why I grabbed a book from the PQ shelves), since I was able to pick up this one. Arthur and Marcel are also related, but I won't give that away, since that was the ultimate surprise ending.The inclusion of Marcel Proust in the novel is fascinating, adding literary cameos to the scenes already steeped in decadence. The first part focuses on the main character's burgeoning relationships, one physical and intensely passionate, the other intellectual. Let’s start with the fact that the narrator of the novel, Vincent, is one of the most unpleasant characters I can think of – and in a very dull sense.

par les récits de cette guerre que je n'ai pas connu, par l'intimité des lettres échangées, par le discours de Vincent. A profound, yet simplistic, analysis of love, seen through the eyes of sixteen-year-old Vincent d'Etoile.I also loved Lie With Me, and so it seems a great shame that not more of Besson’s work has yet been translated into English. I realize that Besson's newest novel, Lie With Me, is getting all the press at the moment (partly due to Andre Aciman's correct praise, and Molly Ringwald's translation). forward, crouch, resting on one knee on the ground, stop, aim, perhaps kill someone, set off again, hope that we are not in someone else's sights. Replace one of the names with a female name and you'll get your run-of-the-mill heterosexual romantic drama.