Bibliofemme Bookclub An Irish Bookclub

The Lover is a book that will quietly sweep you away in the most unconventional manner. Written with an original and most unsettling fusion of reflection and confession, Marguerite Duras brings us into the life of a 15-year-old girl and her experience with her lover.

Set in Saigon in the time of French colonisation, a young girl and a Chinese millionaire both experience a hidden passion that can never be consummated in the eyes of society. Through her lover, the girl finds a partial refuge from an insane and emotionally neglectful mother, an abusive brother and a life of extreme dysfunction. Here, Duras pulls off one of the most difficult tasks in depicting the emotional scenarios and turmoil so familiar to 15-year-olds – that even in places of refuge, nothing will truly be right. So vivid was the writing and imagery, I was left with the impression that some of the passages may have been scribbled by young Duras herself and later woven into this unusual novel.

What first appear to be disjointed, scatty and brief passages quickly turn to solid imprints on the mind – giving the reader intense memories of love and hate. Happiness is placed precariously and subtly next to violence, leading to a heavy and powerful impact. The balancing act of these passages and the impression they give, lead me to believe that her work is not as simple as it appears. The ethereal theme that colours all of these pages is at first a distraction but then an irresistible pull for more. In addition, the author’s unusual narrative of reminiscing in the present tense creates an original atmosphere of someone speaking to you through hypnosis – and nothing captures the young girl’s detached character better.

Written almost as a memoir, this is a book that I would highly recommend to a reader looking for something that breaks the boundaries of traditional novel format and leaves you with much food for thought. A real sleeper, these pages still have me haunted.