Author: David Foenkinos
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Source: TLC Book Tours
soft cover: 256 pages
"foodie" elements: nope
random excerpt: "You looked like you were really concentrating."
"Yes, I was reading an article...on mozzarella trafficking."
This send Natalie into gales of laughter, the kind you can have when you're tired. She couldn't stop. Markus understood how it could be funny and began to laugh as well. Inanity got a hold of them. All he'd done was answer without a second thought. p. 160
"Yes, I was reading an article...on mozzarella trafficking."
This send Natalie into gales of laughter, the kind you can have when you're tired. She couldn't stop. Markus understood how it could be funny and began to laugh as well. Inanity got a hold of them. All he'd done was answer without a second thought. p. 160
summary/synopsis (from TLC website): Reminiscent of novels by Nick Hornby, Muriel Barbery, and Jonathan Tropper, internationally acclaimed novelist David Foenkinos delivers a heartfelt and deftly comedic tale of new love brightening the dark aftermath of loss—and of wounded hearts finding refuge in the strangest of places. After her husband’s unexpected death, Natalie has erected a fortress around her emotions—and Markus, clumsy and unassuming, will never be her knight in shining armor. Yet slowly but surely, an offbeat romance begins between these two mismatched, complex souls, and contrary to everything Natalie knows of affection, her perfect suitor may turn out to be love’s most unlikely candidate—the fool, not the hero, who is finally able to reach her heart.
my thoughts/review: Honestly? This started out a bit shaky for me. Foenkinos' style seemed random. Odd footnotes that I didn't understand. Obscure facts nestled almost intrusively between quick chapters. I knew they were supposed to fit in an odd, quirky way...I just wasn't grasping the concept.
But, in a strange and unexpecting way, the story and characters grabbed a hold of me. I was hopeful of the love between Natalie and Francois. And subsequently devastated when her happy life was ripped out from under her in the time it takes for a cat-nap. Literally. Natalie's period of mourning - and her delicacy showing through was very believable. I was rooting for the unexpected union that formed between her and Markus (whom I found endearing).
In the end, I even found myself "getting" some of those obscure references and enjoying how they connected to the story at hand. Although there were still a few random footnotes to add to the whimsy. All in all, I wound up thoroughly enjoying this book. I almost wished that the beautiful ending...open with possibilities...was just the beginning.
But, in a strange and unexpecting way, the story and characters grabbed a hold of me. I was hopeful of the love between Natalie and Francois. And subsequently devastated when her happy life was ripped out from under her in the time it takes for a cat-nap. Literally. Natalie's period of mourning - and her delicacy showing through was very believable. I was rooting for the unexpected union that formed between her and Markus (whom I found endearing).
In the end, I even found myself "getting" some of those obscure references and enjoying how they connected to the story at hand. Although there were still a few random footnotes to add to the whimsy. All in all, I wound up thoroughly enjoying this book. I almost wished that the beautiful ending...open with possibilities...was just the beginning.
about the author (from TLC website): David Foenkinos is a French novelist and screenwriter. His novels have been translated into twenty-five languages and garnered ten awards around the world. Delicacy, which was first published in France, garnered nominations for all five major French literary prizes and has sold one million copies. Delicacy is now a film starring Audrey Tautou of Amelie and will be released in the United States in March 2012. David lives in Paris.*I received a free copy of this book to review from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions stated in this post are 100% mine.
