The Lover is a hauntingly poetic and unconventional coming-of-age novel set in French Indochina, blending autobiography and fiction. Duras's spare, sensual prose and fragmented structure pull readers into a world filled with longing, shifting power dynamics, and questions of identity, gender, and desire. You'll appreciate this book if you love literary fiction that explores complex relationships, feminist themes, and evocative atmosphere. It's perfect for those who enjoy stories about finding oneself amidst societal and familial constraints, and for readers who aren't afraid of ambiguity or non-linear storytelling.

Who May Not Like This Book:

If you prefer clear plots, linear narratives, and emotionally direct writing, this book might be a challenge. The fragmented, almost dream-like structure can be disorienting. Some readers find the lack of emotional engagement off-putting, and the relationship at the heart of the novel (between a 15-year-old girl and an older man) can be uncomfortable or even disturbing. If you like tidy resolutions and conventional romances, The Lover may leave you unsatisfied or even frustrated.

A poetic, challenging, and thought-provoking read - The Lover is for those who love literary experimentation and introspective explorations of love, power, and identity. Not a fluffy romance, but an unforgettable book for the right reader.

About:

The Lover by Marguerite Duras is a feminist text that explores a young girl's relationship with an older man in French Indo China in the 1930s. Through a mix of autobiography and fiction, the book delves into themes of dominance, sexuality, and societal expectations, challenging traditional gender roles and narrative structures. Duras' writing style is described as poetic, stream-of-consciousness, and fragmented, offering a unique and introspective look into the protagonist's experiences and emotions.

Characters:

The characters are diverse yet complex, featuring an unnamed protagonist who battles with identity and family dysfunction, her emotionally weak Chinese lover, and a dysfunctional family that complicates her journey.

Writing/Prose:

Duras employs an impressionistic and lyrical writing style characterized by a stream-of-consciousness approach, with shifts between first and third person perspectives that evoke both intimacy and detachment.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative follows a young French girl's complex relationship with her family, her identity struggle, and her affair with a wealthy Chinese man, encapsulating themes of sexuality and societal expectations.

Setting:

The setting is primarily in 1930s French colonial Vietnam, with significant locations like Saigon and the Mekong River framing the narrative.

Pacing:

The novel's pacing is non-linear and episodic, reflecting the fragmented nature of memory and self-discovery.

One day, I was already old, in the entrance of a public place a man came up to me. He introduced himself and said, “I’ve known you for years. Everyone says you were beautiful when you were young, but ...

Notes:

The Lover is set in 1929 and is about a young French girl in Indochina.

The main character has a relationship with a wealthy Chinese man who is twelve years older.

The novel features a non-linear structure and uses a stream-of-consciousness style.

Duras blends autobiographical elements with fiction, reflecting on her own youth.

The story explores themes of race, class, and gender roles in colonial Vietnam.

Duras's writing includes both first-person and third-person perspectives.

The mother in the novel is portrayed as detached and depressed, influencing the girl's identity.

Duras uses imagery and symbolism, such as the girl's clothing, to convey deeper meanings.

Sexuality is a prominent theme, with the girl using her relationship to seek power and identity.

The dynamics of power are reversed, showing the girl in a dominant role over the man.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include underage sexual relationships, themes of incest, mental illness, and societal issues surrounding colonialism.

Has Romance?

The romantic elements are significant as the novel centers around the protagonist's affair with an older man, exploring themes of love, desire, and power dynamics.

explicit steam level

From The Publisher:

An international best-seller with more than one million copies in print and a winner of France's Prix Goncourt, The Lover has been acclaimed by critics all over the world since its first publication in 1984.

Set in the prewar Indochina of Marguerite Duras's childhood, this is the haunting tale of a tumultuous affair between an adolescent French girl and her Chinese lover. In spare yet luminous prose, Duras evokes life on the margins of Saigon in the waning days of France's colonial empire, and its representation in the passionate relationship between two unforgettable outcasts.

(With an introduction by Maxine Hong Kingston; translated from the French by Barbara Bray.)

Ratings (11)

Incredible (2)
Loved It (6)
Liked It (3)

Reader Stats (23):

Read It (11)
Want To Read (10)
Not Interested (2)

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About the Author:

One of France's most important literary figures, MARGUERITE DURAS is best known in the United States for her novel The Lover, and for her brilliant film script Hiroshima, Mon Amour. She is also the author of many other acclaimed novels (The Ravishing of Lol Stein) and screenplays (Détruire,…

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The Lover

Marguerite Duras

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