It’s been another week of house renovation which is proving to be the never-ending drama that we didn’t ask for but certainly did receive.
One of the builders has stolen hundreds of Euros from their boss, so everyone was fired as no one would own up. I can’t say that it has slowed progress as I don’t believe it is even possible for things to be moving any more of a glacial pace than they already are. We then found out that the boss has been lying to us about the prices of everything. He probably could have gotten away with it if he hadn’t said to me that every drawer costs 200€ which was simply so ludicrous I had to fact check it on the spot, opening a big can of worms.
It has meant that we had to go and source materials and appliances ourselves, so my reading time has been quite limited this week.
Bonjour Tristesse & A Certain Smile by Françoise Sagan
I enjoyed both novels, although I definitely preferred A Certain Smile. They share number of themes: the absence and loss of mother figures, depression, morality, sexuality, and the complicated, often selfish decisions people make in the pursuit of happiness.
Both are set, at least in part, over the summer, with the warmth and apparent freedom of the season providing the perfect backdrop for characters drifting through moments of desire, uncertainty, and emotional upheaval. Sagan’s writing style really appealed to me too. It’s elegant and understated, whilst remaining incredibly readable.
However, I did spot this hilarious comment on Goodreads, and I have to say I could not agree more!
On Sunday I started The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas- not for the challenge but as part of a slow read with Pauliina from The Bookaholic Dreamer. I’ve had this on my TBR since the end of last year, after getting firmly back into reading classics. The book is going through a bit of a revival these days and I am happy to join in on a trend when it’s reading a big old book. I recently watched this video by Man Carrying Thing, which I found highly amusing but also informative.
This week I will be finishing Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and starting the book I am most nervous to read: The Girl With No Reflection by Keshe Chow. Given the number of negative reviews my expectations for this one are quite low. But it wouldn’t be the first time that my opinions differ from the general consensus on a book.
I am really enjoying getting back into writing for this blog and am happy that I’m keeping up with it so far! I will be back next Wednesday for general chitchat and Week 3 of The Summer TBR Challenge.
Read While It Rains 