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Rating: 
Summary: This book...
Review: ...like life, and like death, defies review. Some of its best thoughts are not even written; they surface between the pages, or months, even years, after the last page is read. In The Life Before Us, Gary touches places in the mind that went unnoticed before, but were always waiting to be found. It is as though one were watching a video of all the dreams that were dreamt too long before waking to be remembered, but, now seen, entirely familiar.
Rating:
Summary: Tears & Laughter
Review: This is by far the best book that I have read in a very long time. I wasn't familiar with Romain Gary until I read a little book called "Darkness Visible - A Memoir of Madness" by the great author William Styron. In "Darkness Visible" Styron describes his crippling depression and near suicide and speaks of Camus and Romain Gary with great affection. He knew Gary and his wife Jean Seberg. (Styron almost met Camus - he had a dinner engagement with him when he learned he was killed in an auto accident.) Styron saw Romain Gary in his deepest state of depression only to experience serious depression himself later. Styron was deeply affected when he found out that Jean had committed suicide and later so did Romain Gary. It is disturbing how we often lose so many of our great artists by their own hand. And Romain Gary was certainly one of the greatest. In "The Life Before Us" Romain Gary tells the story of Madame Rosa from the viewpoint of little "Momo". This was the first time I had ever read a novel where I was literally laughing from humour and crying from sadness at the same time. It is amazing how the same exact sentence can inspire both humour and sadness. But Gary accomplished this and much more with this very touching novel. There are many tender Truths in this work. A touching quote: "'Monsieur Hamil, can somebody live without love?''Yes', he said, and bowed his head in shame. I burst into tears." Another is: "'It's where I hide when I'm afraid.' 'Afraid of what, Madame Rosa?' 'You don't need reasons to be afraid, Momo.' I've never forgotten those words, because they were the truest words I've ever heard." This novel is about life and what it means to be human. It is profoundly touching, disturbing, sad, funny, and honest. You will look at the world differently after reading this novel. It is sad that Romain Gary is gone from our world, but my how he enriched it.
Rating:
Summary: Tears & Laughter
Review: This is by far the best book that I have read in a very long time. I wasn't familiar with Romain Gary until I read a little book called "Darkness Visible - A Memoir of Madness" by the great author William Styron. In "Darkness Visible" Styron describes his crippling depression and near suicide and speaks of Camus and Romain Gary with great affection. He knew Gary and his wife Jean Seberg. (Styron almost met Camus - he had a dinner engagement with him when he learned he was killed in an auto accident.) Styron saw Romain Gary in his deepest state of depression only to experience serious depression himself later. Styron was deeply affected when he found out that Jean had committed suicide and later so did Romain Gary. It is disturbing how we often lose so many of our great artists by their own hand. And Romain Gary was certainly one of the greatest. In "The Life Before Us" Romain Gary tells the story of Madame Rosa from the viewpoint of little "Momo". This was the first time I had ever read a novel where I was literally laughing from humour and crying from sadness at the same time. It is amazing how the same exact sentence can inspire both humour and sadness. But Gary accomplished this and much more with this very touching novel. There are many tender Truths in this work. A touching quote: "'Monsieur Hamil, can somebody live without love?''Yes', he said, and bowed his head in shame. I burst into tears." Another is: "'It's where I hide when I'm afraid.' 'Afraid of what, Madame Rosa?' 'You don't need reasons to be afraid, Momo.' I've never forgotten those words, because they were the truest words I've ever heard." This novel is about life and what it means to be human. It is profoundly touching, disturbing, sad, funny, and honest. You will look at the world differently after reading this novel. It is sad that Romain Gary is gone from our world, but my how he enriched it.
Rating:
Summary: an eternal book
Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read or ever will read! It tells the story of a young Arab kid (from his point of view)living with an aging ex-prostitute ,Rosa ,in paris. Rosa raises the children of prostitutes.I know it doesn't sound like much but believe me, you won't be sorry! It is almost a poetic book.It's certainly one of the most humain books you'll ever come across. People that read and loved "Angela's ashes" and "Cacher in the rye",will love this book also.The book is a little sad but most of the time it's very funny, it's a book about people,the little people.The author, Romain Gary is very well known all over Europe and it saddens me that he's almost anonimus in the states.He deserves the recognition in the states and the Americans deserve to know this great writer.I hope he will be published again and won't be out of print.In case you do want to read it,I think you can buy it at amazon.uk.
Rating:
Summary: an eternal book
Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read or ever will read! It tells the story of a young Arab kid (from his point of view)living with an aging ex-prostitute ,Rosa ,in paris. Rosa raises the children of prostitutes.I know it doesn't sound like much but believe me, you won't be sorry! It is almost a poetic book.It's certainly one of the most humain books you'll ever come across. People that read and loved "Angela's ashes" and "Cacher in the rye",will love this book also.The book is a little sad but most of the time it's very funny, it's a book about people,the little people.The author, Romain Gary is very well known all over Europe and it saddens me that he's almost anonimus in the states.He deserves the recognition in the states and the Americans deserve to know this great writer.I hope he will be published again and won't be out of print.In case you do want to read it,I think you can buy it at amazon.uk.
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