| Title | : | French Rhapsody |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1910477303 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781910477304 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 232 |
| Publication | : | First published January 12, 2016 |
Lost in the Paris postal system for decades, the letter from Polydor, dated 1983, offers a recording contract to The Holograms, in which Alain played lead guitar. Back then The Holograms had believed in their cutting-edge sound. However, the music industry remained indifferent, and eventually the band split up, each going their own way.
Alain is overcome by nostalgia, and is tempted to track down the members of the group. But in a world where everything and everyone has changed . . . where will his quest take him?
Antoine Laurain's new novel combines his trademark charm with a satirical take on modern France.
French Rhapsody Reviews
-
This book caught me a little by surprise. I thought it was going to be about music and nostalgia for the past. Instead it is about a whole lot more including how we chose to lead our lives and how the ripples from these choices affect others.
Alain Proust, a middle aged GP, leading a quiet and staid life, receives a letter lost in the mail for 33 years. The letter is an invitation for the band he played in, the Holograms, to meet with a record company interested in a demo tape they sent in all those years ago. Nostalgic for what might have been if the band had got a recording contract, Alain goes on a quest to find the rest of the band and a copy of the demo tape.
The band members have all lead an interesting variety of lives, none of them in music. Sebastian Vaugan, the bass player became a right wing politician and started his own extremist, rabble rousing party. Stanislas Lepelle the drummer has made a name for himself in the world of contemporary art with his giant outdoor installations across the globe. Frederic Lejeune the keyboard player has made a new life for himself in Thailand where he runs a resort and Berengere, the vocalist went home to run her parents hotel. Lyricist, Pierre Mazart opened an antique shop, and his more famous brother, Jean-Bernard Mazart, (aka JBM) their producer has become a super wealthy economist and business man. One by one Alain tracks them down. Each of the main characters gets to tell their own story and their pasts and presents start to intersect and collide, taking the book in unexpected directions.
A little bit quirky, a little bit humorous this is a gentle novel of love lost and found, a nostalgic look at the past and a commentary on the politics of modern France. 3.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Gallic Books for a digital copy of the book to read and review -
Merde.
Having loved
The President's Hat and
The Red Notebook, I looked forward with glee to Antoine Laurain's latest book. "French Rhapsody" has a fabulous set-up: after mistakenly being lost at the post office for 33 years, a letter arrives for our protagonist, Alain. Alain and his friends were once members of an experimental New Wave band called "The Holograms" and the letter is from a major record label expressing interest in recording the band. Of course, since the letter never reached them, The Holograms have long since split up, the members have lost touch, and most have gotten "real" jobs.
Laurain uses this same serendipitous plot structure, and mixes in whimsy, humor, a sense of place, and a certain je ne sais quois to great effect in his previous books. Sadly, all the charm is missing here. Several side characters are introduced, and their story lines crowd out the overlying arc of Alain trying to find his former band mates. I kept hoping the book would pick up, but at 50% of the way in decided to call it a wrap.
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallic Books for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
This was not what I was expecting. The premise is that a 50something doctor receives a letter lost in the post for the past 33 years. It was from a recording agency attempting to set up a meeting concerning his then band. So, he decides to reconnect with his old band mates and the songwriter. Initially, the author seems to be using that premise to do a series of vignettes. The book does chapters on each bandmate and their current spouses, PA and brothers before they ever connect. It's like a series of portrayals more than a novel. Granted, I liked the portrayals. The writer does a decent job of capturing the essence of the person. And it is interesting to see how these folks turned out. Vaugan is an especially interesting character, a far right political leader. Laurain does a great job of exploring why leaders like this are so appealing to a certain segment of the population. Very timely, not just in Europe, but here in the US. In fact, a large portion of this book involves the disenchantment of the French populace with their politicians and the search for someone new and different. Towards the end of the book, there is this: “The very next day, a commentator- quite accurately- compared the political class to a flight of crazed and screeching swallows,circling above the garden of France a quarter of an hour before the storm hits.”
You reach the halfway point of the book before you can see the glimmers of how this all might all come together. And then it just goes off the rails. What had been fairly low key turns hysterical. There is a real comic turn here that I was totally unprepared for. So, for those who are frustrated by the beginning of the book, stay the course.
My thanks to netgalley and Gallic Books for an advance copy of this book. -
The first French book in many years, the characters of which are not depressed, briefly escaping from it with love. No, I don't like generalizations either, but for some reason it's exactly the same with modern French literature: everything seems to be there, but everything is bad, bad, bad, life is a stupid and unfunny joke, stop the Earth - I'll get off. Even over the humorous, even over the detectives, this decadent spirit hovers, like the ghost of communism over Marxist Europe.
"French Rhapsody" is not like that. People live in it and enjoy life - in general. Sadness for the unfulfilled sometimes visits them, but not seriously and not for long, most of the time pushed into the mezzanine, and there forgotten. Why indulge in existential longing when life is beautiful and amazing, and can provide a lot of wonderful opportunities.
It all starts one morning. when the Parisian general practitioner Alain Masullier, fifty-three years old, is delivered, along with bills and brochures, a letter from the record company Polydor. The letter says that the band's songs seem interesting to the company and it is ready to cooperate.
Viva la Vita!
Мы созданы из вещества того же, что наши сны. И сном окружена вся наша маленькая жизнь.
Уильям Шекспир "Буря"
Первая за много лет французская книга, герои которой не пребывают в депрессии, ненадолго спасаясь от нее любовью. Нет, я тоже не люблю обобщений, но с современной французской литературой отчего-то именно так: вроде все есть, но все плохо-плохо-плохо, жизнь глупая и несмешная шутка, остановите Землю - я сойду. Даже над юмористическими, даже над детективами витает этот упаднический дух, как призрак коммунизма над марксовой Европой.
"Французская рапсодия" не такова. Люди в ней живут и радуются жизни - в общем и целом. Грусть по несбывшемуся порой посещает их, но не всерьез и не надолго, большую часть времени задвинутая на антресоли, да там и позабытая. К чему предаваться экзистенциальной тоске, когда жизнь прекрасна и удивительна, и может предоставить уйму замечательных возможностей.
Начинается все одним утром. когда парижскому врачу общей практики Алену Масулье, пятидесяти трех лет, доставляют, вместе со счетами и рекламными проспектами, письмо от фирмы грамзаписи Polydor. В письме говорится, что песни группы кажутся фирме интересными и она готова к сотрудничеству.
Нет, не ошибка. Ален действительно отправлял в Полидор кассету с записями группы... 33 года назад. Письмо опоздало ровно на этот срок. "Голограммы" давно распались, он окончил медицинский, унаследовал практику отца, женился, работал, растил детей, теперь они с Вероникой снова вдвоем и кажется она ему изменяет в последнем пароксизме женской востребованности. Не сказать, чтобы это его особенно расстраивало.
Но видение "жизни-которую-мог-бы-прожить" материализуется перед ним с неожиданной болезненной яркостью, и хочется, блин, да хоть услышать ту их лучшую песню, которая начиналась словами из шекспировской бури: "Мы созданы из вещества того же. что наши сны". Но нет, коробку со старьем, где была и кассета, он выбросил несколько лет назад, когда наво��ил порядок на антресолях.
Но желание не отпускает, может запись сохранилась у кого-то из тех, с кем он играл? А кроме того, Ален чувствует себя обязанным рассказать о письме другим членам группы. Они не были знакомы до того, как собрались. чтобы вместе играть, не поддерживали отношений после. Но интернет в помощь ведущим поиск. И вот.
Ударник теперь звезда третьей величины в современном искусстве (это разного рода инсталляции, перфомансы и прочая подобная, хм). Специализируется на надувных скульптурах из латекса и вовсе не бедствует. Хотя до подлинной славы ему как до луны пешком. Однако выставляет на днях надутую гелием 15-метровую копию собственного мозга, да не где-нибудь, а в Тюильри, муниципалитет позволил. Клавишник в дауншифтинге на Тайланде, держит там отель.
Бас-гитарист стал ультраправым, несет пургу на тему: "Франция для французов", "Загоним обезьян обратно в их джунгли", скины называют его Командиром. Солистка давно вышла замуж, у нее двое детей, держит родительскую гостиницу с ресторанчиком под Тулузой. Был еще продюсер, молодой, но хваткий предприниматель, который спонсировал студийную запись, он же написал текст. Теперь мультимиллионер, счастливо женат на богатой наследнице и, похоже. собирается делать политическую карьеру.
Реально отличная книга. Забавная, грустная, пронизана мягким юмором. Классная у Антуана Лорена получилась вещь. В небольшом, всего 200 страниц, объеме море смысла. И финал чудесный. -
'French Rhapsody' is my third Antoine Laurain novel/novella I've read this year.
I love novels where different characters's stories/lives intersect either serendipitously or on purpose. Antoine Laurain is very good at putting together such stories.
In the "French Rhapsody', Alain Massoulier, a general practitioner (doctor) receives a letter 33 years later. The letter could have changed his and his friends' destinies when they were in their early 20s and were trying to make it in the music world as the new wave, cold wave band the Holograms.
So Alain is trying to get in touch with his former bandmates, to see if any of them still have the recording that could have propelled them to fame. While doing this, we come to meet many other characters. It's interesting to note how all of them had chosen different paths: an economist, a hotel owner, an extreme right wing nut-job politician, an art/antique dealer and a large-scale sculpture artist.
Some of the characters were more interesting than others. I must confess I found it hard reading the extreme right-wing's character's incessant speech and hate monologues, so I kind of skimmed over that part. Another character that plays a big part in this novel is JBM, a very accomplished businessman. It's obvious that Antoine Laurain, like most people, is disillusioned with the state of the French politics and the career politicians who don't have much of a backbone. So he created JBM, who's too good to be true, short of a fantasy of what a good politician should be.
As with all previous Antoine Laurain novels, nostalgia is present throughout this book.
While this novel wasn't as charming and well put together as 'The Red Notebook' and 'The President's Hat', it was still a very enjoyable read.
Looking forward to reading 'The Portrait', which comes out in July 2017.
I've received this novel via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Gallic Books for the opportunity to read this novel and also for sending me the paperback novel (I entered a newsletter competition). -
"خوشبختی همین است،همه انچه که در طول جوانی ات به دنبالش بودی،همان دخترجوانی که در انتهای تمام رویاهایت به او می رسیدی!"
"سی وسه سال بود که اورا ندیده بودم،چقدر گفتن این جمله سخت است.با اینکه هیچ وقت "در واقعیت"او را ندیدم،همیشه در افکارم حضورداشت،هر بار به او فکر میکردم،پس از آن خبری از او می شنیدم.همه این ها خیلی دور است،تصاویر به گونه ای درذهنم تجلی پیدا می کنندگویی عکس هایی هستند که در یک جعبه کفش در انتهای کمد نگهداری میشده اند و یاد آور دوران کودکی یا جوانی مان هستند و تنها کاربردشان این است که تایید می کنند در یک زمان خاص،در یک مکان خاص و درمیان این افراد بوده ایم.ولی از ان زمان ثبت شده روی کاغذ،دیگرهیچ چیزی باقی نمانده است.دیگرهیچ وقت به این مکان ها بر نمی گردیم،یا اگر این اتفاق بیفتد انها دستخوش تغییرات بسیاری شده اند،هیچ وقت این افراد را دوبار ه ندیده ایم و انها متفرق شده اند یا از دنیا رفته اند،حتی خود ما نیزدیگربه ان شکل نیستیم.گویی همه ی اینها به دنیای دیگری تعلق دارد.)
آنتوان لورن داستان گوی معرکه ای است.فیگارو.... من هیچ واژه ای نمی تونم اضافه کنم که بهتر ازاین لورن رو توصیف کنه.... چند وقت پیش داشتم با خودم فکر میکردم همه ی داستان ها ی که می خونم تکراری و ملال اور بنظر میرسه انگاردیگه خبری از قصه های خوبی که در دوران نوجوانی میخوندم نیست.... داستانی که به جای مونولوگ های فلسفی، که میشه استاتوس صفحات اجتماعی مون،جملات قصار پر طمطراق،توصیفات عجیب و غریب... فقط قصه خ��بی باشه؛ افت و خیز درستی داشته باشه.روایت سر راست و شخصیت پردازی محکم و ... بله احساساتم رو قلقلک بده!!!!و حالا از میان تمام این افکار این اثر لورن میخکوبم کرد ... داستان نامه ای که سی سه سال پیش باید پست میشد و نشد... قصه بنظرتون سر راسته پس لورن رو نشناختید؛ چندین غافلگیری معرکه و دلچسب براتون داره.. ازاون دست غافلگیری های مظنونین همیشگی ... مدل فینچری.....من اشک میریختم ... اشک هایی که نمی تونستم جلو شون رو بگیرم ؛خشمگین میشدم .... و به همه ی اتفاقاتی که ممکنه توزندگی ما بیفته و یا نیفته فکر کردم به همه ی عشق های به زبان نیامده و شگفتی های ابراز نشده به همه ی انچه که میتونه و یا ممکنه اتفاق نیوفته.یا عکسش ،ولی رنگ زندگی مون رو عوض میکنه.... یک نامه با سی و سه سال تاخییر ... کافیه یکم به بایگانی های اداره پست فکرکنیم و همه ی قصه های ممکن رو تو ذهنمون تصورکنیم .... واقعا خوندن این کتاب سفر محشریه، سفربه کودکی ونوجوانی و ....انگار داریم به صفحه زندگی مون گوش می دیم .... اما فکر میکنیم این زندگی فرد دیگه ای یه ازبیرون ... با بدن یخ زده و خون منجمد شده تو رگ ها مون داریم زندگی خودمون رو تماشا میکنیم ... وای خداااااا چقدر دراز گویی، ... این بشر قصه گوی معرکه ای.... و چه کسی که بیشتر از این بخواد....
(ما ازجنس رویا خلق شده ایم و خودمان باید آن را تحقق ببخشیم.) -
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, so the proverbial phrase goes. The five member new wave/cold wave 1980's band, the Holograms has dispersed in the absence of record company interest. The four instrumentalists, female singer and producer, while united by music, have taken different life journeys. Their paths will ultimately cross again.
In the 1980's, Alain Massoulier, electric guitarist is the contact person for record company correspondence. Fast forward thirty three years. Alain receives a formerly undelivered letter written in 1983 from famous record label Polydor. The Polydor Artistic Director Claude Kalan wants to meet with the Holograms. Alain, now a middle-aged physician becomes overwhelmed thinking about what might have been. Searches for old photos of the band and the studio recorded cassette are fruitless. Alain is determined to contact each band member attempting to locate a copy of the thirty three year old cassette. He especially wants to hear "Such Stuff as Dreams Are Made On", seemingly a song which garnered interest.
Alain reaches out to former bandmates. Each has embarked on a different path; a right wing extremist, antiques dealer, contemporary artist, internet entrepreneur, and resident of Thailand. We get a thorough understanding of the life choices each has made. There is,however, a nagging question- What if the Holograms had been a successful band on the scale of the Rolling Stones?
"French Rhapsody" by Antoine Laurain encourages the reader to flash back to a time of cassettes, fewer TV channels, and correspondence by snail mail. The world has changed and life as Alain and bandmates knew it has faded away replaced by a fast paced techno world. My favorite character is JBM. JBM is a reassuring, calm man who can measure the pulse of the economic pendulum. A most enjoyable read.
Thank you Gallic Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "French Rhapsody". -
ARC review
[3.5] Light pop fiction in unexpected political commentary shocker.
Having a substantial queue of large/serious books I need[ed] to get read for the Netgalley stats was not a logical reason to lengthen that queue with smaller fluffier books I wasn't too sure about (and I'm still working through the lot months later). But this was a pleasant surprise: not a cheesy chicklit romance like the author's last translated title, The Red Notebook, nor is it, as one might expect from a novel about middle-aged former band members, just a French Nick Hornby. Though, as Laurain is trying out that favoured contemporary lit mode, the polyphonic cast of multiple narrators (alongside third-person interludes) it has its moments of both.
I've said a few times in recent months, on GR and off, that France sounds dystopian now. I perceived Laurain as an escapist popular writer who would make little or no mention of the stuff that contributes to that, assumed that his book would seem like a little dreamworld that probably pre-dated the late 00s recession if it seemed to be anywhen at all... So if even Antoine Laurain is getting into
déclinisme, and alluding to the rise of the far right in the first couple of chapters of his new book, things have got to be serious, right? People who aren't usually political are starting to get concerned and stand up for their views. (I'd love to hear about the reception of this book in France. In Britain or the US, it would be easy to characterise or denigrate as the creative classes - even if they don't produce the most highbrow works - being a class apart from the right-wing voters who have different values... but art and culture has always been a lot more mainstream in France. At any rate, having this material presented in such a light novel - along with a pretty large amount of French pop-culture and political references from the last few decades - gives a sense, illusory or real, I don't know, of a view from the inside, that perhaps this is how average centre-left French people see things now.)
Yes, there are the storylines one would expect from a mainstream novel about people who were in a band that didn't quite make it 33 years earlier - ageing, lost loves, people growing up and growing apart, and the romance of fame that could have been. But Laurain also seems to be getting his satirical chops on to have a dig at a fellow author with a considerably darker view of France's possible future, via the straggly-haired balding keyboard player who now lives in Thailand with his younger fiancee and unappealing personal habits. Meanwhile, the bassist is now the leader of a French far right activist group that has grown substantially in recent years, and their amateur manager is now a tech tycoon with an uncanny knack for timing investments, a likeable but reserved man of high public popularity and ascetic habits, who later in the novel reveals he is an admirer of the highly principled former Paraguayan President
Mujica.
Rhapsodie Francaise was first published in France in January 2016; it's evidently had at least a little bit of editing, because this ARC from August 2016 (official English language publication date was Oct 2016) mentions the death of Prince - as well as that of Bowie, which it's not totally impossible was in the original, if it was added right on the wire before an end-of-Jan printing. Hard to tell just how much else has been changed or added, but even as a book pre-dating the election of Trump it's fairly prescient - even more so if it was in something very close to its current form 12 months ago, before the Brexit vote, and before Trump was seen as a serious candidate and it was so clear that the public was hungry for candidates from outside the political establishment and the recent status quo. So this may or may not be a relatively different novel from the French original; if my French were better, I might order an early French edition and find out.
In juxtaposing two of the characters above, I've probably made the book sound rather more predictable than I found it until perhaps 2/3 of the way through - because for me the political element, and the amount of story it took up, was unexpected. It could be easy to deride as liberal wish fulfilment (and some of it, on the right and the left, includes improbable policies that simply don't fit contemporary global strategic or environmental conditions . The West Wing, a far more substantial body of work, was criticised by cynics as just that sort of pie-in-the-sky. But now, at a time when both the news and a great deal of new writing, both fiction and non-, is dystopian, it's a lovely and refreshing change, to spend a short time in a fictional world where things might work out differently. It's an alternative way of writing escapist fiction, one which doesn't neglect present realities, and I have to say it rather works.
Unfortunately the soapier elements of the novel have some of the usual silliness that can afflict this sort of story; drama prolonged by people not telling each other stuff for no good reason, general fancifulness, a silly twist; all of which means I wouldn't quite round it up to four stars (it was also better than the 3-star effort I expected). There aren't a huge number of people on my friendslist who'd read a book like this, but if you are looking for a silly, escapist light read that doesn't contain too much romance, and which is frank about the state of contemporary politics, and especially if you've ever cared a lot about pop music, this may be worth a look.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Gallic Books, for this free advance review copy. -
4.5 stars
Antoine Laurain continues to craft creative, timely stories that will delight his audience while also making his readers think about what is happening in the world around them. While The President’s Hat remains my favorite of his books, French Rhapsody was a fantastic read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Paris physician Alain Massoulier receives what would have been a life changing letter in the mail 33 years after it was sent to him. With a number of other individuals that we slowly get to know, Alain had been in a band called The Holograms in the 1980’s. After receiving little encouragement from the music industry, the group had broken up and gone their separate ways. The delayed letter offered the group a recording contract. This letter sets in motion a chain of events that alters the lives of several of the individuals originally associated with the Holograms. Laurain explores the idea that one event or happenstance can cause a ripple that impacts the lives of many individuals. The plot was not predictable, and several events occurred that I most definitely did not see coming. I always love when an author can surprise me with a plot twist, and there were several in French Rhapsody that really moved the story along. The book was wonderful from start to finish.
Laurain makes some very relevant statements about issues facing a number of countries today such as the refugee crisis and the impact on Europe and the United States. As these countries attempt to integrate refugees into their societies, there has been an increase in extreme xenophobic right wing groups advocating hatred and intolerance. His French Trump-like character is symbolic of individuals trying to gain power in a number of these countries and the length these individuals will go to in order to try and succeed. On a lighter note, Laurain pokes fun at the contemporary art scene and the attitudes of some of these contemporary artists. A particularly hilarious scene results from this storyline – I can’t say more without spoiling the event, but it was fantastic.
While I was intrigued by almost all of the characters, JBM was my favorite character by far. Every country could use a JBM, and I certainly wish the United States had someone like that right now.
I highly recommend this novel and his previous two books also. Laurain has a lot to say, and it is worth listening to him. Thanks to NetGalley and Gallic Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. -
I just finished what I think is going to be my favorite book of all times!
I read Laurain's two other translated books and loved them! I knew I'd enjoy this one too, but there's just something so perfect about French Rhapsody that I am not sure I can articulate my thoughts. The charm, humor, character development and the French culture Laurain has shared with the reader is precious. Perhaps it's just me, my love of Paris and my desire to live there but I felt so much a part of the story - laughing out loud as art moved through air, tearing up as family connections were discovered...this story will last in my heart. Thank you to Antoine Laurain for writing such an intelligent and whimsical story! -
Ich mag die Bücher von Antoine Laurain und war daher sehr neugierig, zumal der Klappentext eine charmante Geschichte versprach – leider hat er mich ein wenig in die Irre geführt, und das Buch entwickelte sich ganz anders als erwartet, trotzdem aber hat es mich gut unterhalten können.
Alain ist Arzt und erhält mit 30 Jahren Verspätung den Brief einer Plattenfirma, die ihm und seiner damaligen Band einen Vertrag anbietet – zu den ehemaligen Bandmitgliedern hat er keinen Kontakt mehr, aber was wäre geworden, wenn der Brief ihn damals rechtzeitig erreicht hätte? Alain schwelgt in Erinnerungen und macht sich auf die Suche nach seinen ehemaligen Freunden.
Man könnte meinen es ist Alain, der im Mittelpunkt des Buches steht, dem ist aber nicht so – vielmehr lernt man jedes einzelne Bandmitglied in seinem aktuellen Umfeld kennen und erhält so einen interessanten Spiegel der heutigen Gesellschaft vorgehalten. Dass es jeder der ehemaligen Musiker zu einer hohen Position gebracht hat, fand ich ein wenig unrealistisch, trotzdem aber war es interessant, einen Blick in die ganz unterschiedlichen Lebensweisen zu werfen. Dabei sind die Charaktere nicht alle sympathisch und es erstaunt, was aus ihnen geworden ist, sie sind aber alle sehr gut gezeichnet. Da gibt es einen Präsidentschaftskandidaten, einen Künstler, einen rechtsradikalen Politiker, einen Aussteiger und einen Computerfreak – als Leser wartet man natürlich auf das Zusammentreffen, doch es kommt dann alles ganz anders.
Anfangs fand ich es verwirrend mit den vielen verschiedenen Personen und Namen, zumal die Erzählstränge lange Zeit parallel laufen und erst spät zueinander finden. Die letzten 100 Seiten werden dann aber richtig spannend, und hier konnte ich das Buch auch schlecht aus der Hand legen – das Finale hat mich dann kalt erwischt und auf charmante Weise überrascht.
Der verlorenen gegangene Brief oder auch die Musik spielen nicht so eine große Rolle, wie es der Klappentext einen glauben lässt. Vielmehr sind es die Schicksale der einzelnen, die überraschen und interessante Wege und Wendungen einschlagen, der Brief und auch die Musik sind da eher der Aufhänger für die Geschichte.
Toll fand ich wieder mal den Schreibstil, der charmant und ironisch, schelmisch und einfach sehr französisch ist – das muss man mögen. Ich gehöre zu denen, die französische Romane und ihre ganz eigene Atmosphäre lieben – und so habe ich mich auch hier wieder sehr wohl gefühlt. Die eine oder andere Länge konnte ich so dann doch verschmerzen, insgesamt gebe ich daher 3,5 von 5 Sternen.
Mein Fazit
Der Klappentext hat mich ein wenig in die Irre geführt, denn es ist nicht die Musik, die im Mittelpunkt der Geschichte steht – es sind vielmehr verschiedene ehemalige Bandmitglieder, die man begleitet und die in ihrer Vielfältigkeit fast schon ein gesellschaftliches Spiegelbild darstellen. Anfangs verwirren die verschiedenen Erzählstränge, am Ende laufen sie aber doch zusammen und der Leser wird durch ein tolles Finale überrascht. Mich hat vor allem der Schreibstil wieder überzeugt, die Geschichte selber erst auf den letzten 100 Seiten – daher gebe ich 3,5 von 5 Sternen. -
The initial idea is good and the story starts well but soon becomes very dull. Like a series of interviews with uninteresting people you've never heard of.
-
This is the fourth novel by Laurain I have read. This one has an interesting story idea and fun twists, making it rank above "The Portrait." But it isn't as cohesive and held my attention less then both "The President's Hat" and "The Red Notebook." Should you read it? Yes, but only after you've read "The Red Notebook" and "The President's Hat." And I recommend you borrow a copy from the library or a friend, instead of purchasing a copy for your shelf to sit beside the two I said to read first.
-
When a long lost letter is delivered thirty years late, the music group it was addressed to has long since dissolved, so the offer of a meeting about a recording contract is meaningless. But, what if? The former guitarist who gets the letter can’t let it go, and a lively, funny comic jaunt ensues.
3.5 stars -
Un autre très bon roman d'Antoine Laurain. Bien écrit, plein d'humour.
Un peu lent à démarrer, cependant. -
I'm not sure exactly why, but I loved this book. It's an effortless read and very entertaining.
Alain Massoulier is a middle-aged doctor who leads a comfortable, if perhaps predictable, life in Paris.
Out of the blue he receives a potentially life-changing letter that had been posted 33 years earlier and had languished in the French postal system all these years. In 1983 he had been a member of a band The Holograms and the letter was from Polydor offering them a recording contract – 33 years too late as having failed to make a name for themselves as a band, they all went their separate ways.
Alain is thrown by this letter and becomes quite nostalgic, searching the house for a box of band photos and a cassette recording, desperately wanting to listen to a particular track that had been playing in his head since the letter's arrival.
As he reminisces we learn how the five band members from very diverse backgrounds got together to form the band. The more he thinks of the past and the letter, the more he experiences feelings of fury and injustice. He has thoughts of what might have been. I liked the lines in the book, “You think you have buried your youthful dreams, that they've dissolved in the fog of passing years and then you realise it's not true! The corpse is still there, terrifying and unburied.” He decides to search for his former bandmates and try to make contact to tell them what has transpired. He is also hoping that one of them will have a copy of “Such Stuff as Dreams Are Made On”, the track that had impressed the record company.
I was never in a band, I'm not a doctor, I'm not even in my 50s (I'm older than that) but somehow I could connect with the story – maybe it's wondering what might have been if another path had been taken? The book is funny, nostalgic, charming and at there's a bit of satire in there too. It's well written and has some great characters.
The characters are all very diverse. Some have made a name for themselves in the 33 years that have passed. They are all interesting and well drawn. I love how the present and the past are interwoven almost seamlessly. Oh yes, and there are a couple of nice twists in the story.
[Thanks to NetGalley and Gallic Books for the ARC] -
Really more of a 3.5 if I’m honest, but since Goodreads STILL doesn’t allow for half-stars, I’ll round up.
Laurain May be my favorite new-to-me author of 2018. This is the second book of his I’ve read, and while it had less whimsy than the romantic The Red Notebook, this novel similarly explores a lot of feelings and delivers a thoughtful and well-crafted story in a relatively short number of pages. I really liked the structure of this book and how it occasionally abandoned the main plot line to allow a secondary character to speak for a chapter. A great example of the power nostalgia can have over us (or contrarily, the fight some of us put up against it), and the intersections our lives make with each other. -
Laurain cleverly addresses several topical subjects in his latest novel. Politics, aging, art, music and lifelong dreams dovetail nicely in this story about a missing letter, a missed opportunity, a missing tape, and a missing father. Mining the 80's for material, Laurain creates characters who will keep you interested to the final pages, when you'll be rewarded with a surprise ending. Lovely.
-
Ich habe bis auf “Liebe mit zwei Unbekannten” bisher jedes ins Deutsche übersetzte Buch von Antoine Laurain gelesen. Mittlerweile bin ich ein regelrechter Fan von des Autors. Was ich jedoch mit der Zeit gelernt habe ist, dass irgendwie jedes Buch von Laurain nicht das ist, was ich erwarte und jedes Buch mich trotzdem überzeugen kann. Allein schon deshalb, weil jedes Buch für sich eine ganze eigene Dynamik an den Tag legt und nicht mit den anderen Büchern des Autors zu vergleichen ist, so wie man es manchmal bei Autoren macht (oder machen kann).
Man kann zunächst meinen, dass es bei einem Buch mit dem Titel „Die Melodie meines Lebens“ nur um Musik und die altbekannte Nostalgie für die Vergangenheit geht. Aber es geht natürlich um einiges mehr. Um verpasste Chancen und verlorene Lieben, Freundschaften, die sich auseinanderleben, um Fragen wie „Was hätte sein können?“ und „Was wäre, wenn…?“. Eben genau darum, wie das Leben nun mal spielt und dabei offenbar seine eigene Melodie und den eigenen Takt vorgibt.
Eigentlich geht es hier nämlich nicht groß um die Musik. Sicherlich, als Alain, der ein ruhiges Leben als Arzt führt, den Brief einer Plattenfirma mit 33 Jahren Verspätung erhält, steht sein geordnetes Leben zunächst Kopf. Angetrieben von den Erinnerungen, sucht er die anderen Bandmitglieder, in der Hoffnung, dass einer von ihnen noch eine Kopie des damaligen Demobandes hat. Tatsächlich geht es dann aber eher um die einzelnen Bandmitglieder an sich. Darum, wie sie sich entschieden haben ihr Leben zu leben und wie diese Entscheidungen möglicherweise andere beeinflussen können. Niemand der ehemaligen Bandmitglieder ist der Musik treu geblieben, sondern sie haben in den 30 Jahren, die vergangen sind, völlig unterschiedliche Richtungen eingeschlagen. Herauszufinden, wie sich jeder Einzelne nach dem Scheitern von „The Hologrammes“ entwickelte, überlasse ich an dieser Stelle euch, denn es ist in Anbetracht der kurzen Romane von Laurain eh schon immer etwas kritisch, eine Rezension zu schreiben, bei der nicht allzu viel verraten wird.
Wie ich schon sagte, jeder Roman des Autors entwickelt eine ganz eigene Dynamik, die mich in den Bann zieht. So ist „Die Melodie meines Lebens“ teilweise humorvoll aber auch genauso sanft und einfühlsam, versehen mit etwas Melancholie für Vergangenes. Aber man bewegt sich auch viel in der Gegenwart und darum, wie die einzelnen Bandmitglieder ihr Leben heute leben. Und damit dieser Roman auch absolut zeitgemäß wird, bietet Laurain gleichzeitig immer wieder einen kritischen Blick auf die heutige Politik. Zudem ist es immer wieder interessant, wie das Leben von Menschen sich manchmal zufällig oder absichtlich schneiden kann. Gerade in solchen Geschichten ist der Autor sehr gut, was er schon einige Male unter Beweis gestellt hat.
ABSCHLUSSWORTE
“Die Melodie meines Lebens” ist ein einfühlsamer Roman über das Leben und die verschiedenen Entscheidungen, die man trifft. Ein Roman, über den eigenen Takt des Lebens mit verpassten Chancen und der Nostalgie, die die Vergangenheit irgendwann im Laufe des Lebens mit sich bringt. Aber auch ein Roman, der von der Gegenwart lebt und sich darum dreht, wie die das Leben von Personen sich ändert und entwickelt. Einen zeitgemäßen Blick bietet dabei auch die kritische Sicht auf die heutige Politik. Auch wenn ich zwischendrin kurzzeitig Stellen hatte, die mich langweilten oder die für mich unwichtig waren, so ist „Die Melodie meines Lebens“ gesamt gesehen wieder ein gelungener Roman des französischen Autors. -
Even the most staid people can have an amusing and fun life in their youth. Such is the case of Doctor Alain Massoulier, who in his middle age receives a letter that has been lost in the mail for more than 30 years.
Alain was the guitarist for the new wave group "The Holograms", and sent a tape to a record company, never receiving an answer. Now, so many years later, he learns that the company was interested in them. The band broke up as nothing ever happened to encourage them to keep on playing, but now Alain is determined to find them and rebuild the group.
The book portrays all of the group members and hangers on, who have taken separate and quite dissimilar paths: there´s a right wing extremist, an artist, a hotel owner, a new age guru, an antiquarian, and a businessman.
The book portrays not only French Society, but modern society in general. As Im about the same age as the characters in the group are, I related 100% with the description of the 80's, the music, the clothes, etc. It's deep and light at the same time, and can be quite funny. When you think things are on a certain path, the plot will turn and leave you quite surprised.
Great book!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
Mehr als 30 Jahre zu spät erreicht den Arzt Alain ein Brief, in welchem seiner Band The Hologrammes die Möglichkeit auf einen Plattenvertrag in Aussicht gestellt wird. Alain erinnert sich seiner Zeiten in der Band und versucht, die übrigen Bandmitglieder und insbesondere ein Tape ihrer Songs ausfindig zu machen.
Die Idee zur Geschichte klang gut und das erste Kapitel gefiel mir erstmal ausgezeichnet. Anders als erwartet folgt die Erzählung dann aber nicht Alain auf seiner Suche, sondern fokussiert wechselnd einige andere Bandmitglieder, insbesondere zwei von ihnen, während andere kaum Erwähnung finden und fast unter den Tisch fallen. Dies alles ließ sich sehr nett und unterhaltsam lesen, erschien mir aber insgesamt etwas zufällig. -
See more of my book reviews on my blog,
Literary Flits
On spotting French Rhapsody at a campsite book exchange I remembered how much I had enjoyed reading Antoine Laurain's previous novel, The Red Notebook, so eagerly picked it out. Unfortunately French Rhapsody didn't appeal to me anywhere near as much, actually leaving me more feeling like I did after reading A Long Blue Monday by Erhard von Buren. There are similarities to The Red Notebook in that Laurain explores ideas of what might have been and the narrative is again driven by a lost object, but Laurain didn't seem to employ the same light whimsy touch that I previously appreciated. There are humorous moments, but also a lot of slow scenes where aging men bemoan how the success they achieved isn't the success they wanted. I could have done without several pages of a far right extremist's speech as well. Initially Laurain seems to ridicule this character's bigotry, but by the end of the novel I had a suspicion that we readers might actually be being asked to sympathise with it. -
It's thirty-three years late, but Alain Massoulier has received a letter. It's the letter he was waiting for, a letter offering a recording contract for him and his band, the Holograms. It's been a long, long time, and Alain no longer is a musician. Where are the other members of his band now? Would any of them still have a copy of the recording the band made? What would the others think of this turn of events?
A genuinely fun little read. -
I’ve read most of Laurain’s other books and enjoyed them very much but this one fell short for me. It seemed disjointed, though at the end it all pulled together, but it didn’t quite have the charm of the other books.
-
Not as good as The Red Notebook or President's Hat but still pretty enjoyable. I definitely preferred some characters points of view to others which made the novel a bit of an up and down read. But wrapped up nicely in the end!
