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肖邪薪褎邪薪: 袙褗谢薪芯谢芯屑褗褌 薪邪 褋褌褉邪褋褌褌邪
袪芯屑邪薪 蟹邪 褋懈谢邪褌邪 薪邪 谢褞斜芯胁褌邪. 袪械泻芯褉写 锌芯 锌褉芯写褗谢卸懈褌械谢薪芯褋褌 胁 泻谢邪褋邪褑懈懈褌械 薪邪 薪邪泄-褌褗褉褋械薪懈褌械 泻薪懈谐懈 胁褗胁 肖褉邪薪褑懈褟. 袧芯胁 锌褗褌械胁芯写懈褌械谢 胁 锌芯褋褌械褉芯褌懈蟹屑邪, 薪邪褉械褔械薪 芯褌 泻褉懈褌懈泻邪褌邪 袣邪屑邪 小褍褌褉邪 薪邪 胁褗蟹写褗褉卸邪薪懈械褌芯
229 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1990
31 people are currently reading
618 people want to read
About the author
Alexandre Jardin
95听books122听followersAlexandre Jardin, n茅 le 14 avril 1965 脿 Neuilly-sur-Seine, est un 茅crivain et un cin茅aste fran莽ais.
Il est le fils de Pascal Jardin, 茅crivain et sc茅nariste et le petit-fils de Jean Jardin (1904-1976), homme politique, 茅minence grise de Pierre Laval. Il a 2 fr猫res et une demi s艙ur. Il se marie 脿 l'芒ge de 23 ans et a cinq enfants.
Il 茅crit 脿 20 ans son premier roman, intitul茅 Bille en t锚te (1985) (prix du 1er Roman en 1986). Il obtient en 1986 son dipl么me de Sciences po. Il est r茅alisateur de plusieurs films dont Bille en t锚te ou Fanfan, mais a aussi 茅t茅, 脿 l'茅poque chroniqueur au Figaro.
En 1988 il re莽oit le prix F茅mina pour son livre : Le Z猫bre. Ouvrage qui sera adapt茅 au cin茅ma par Jean Poiret en 1992 (avec Thierry Lhermitte dans le r么le principal).
Il a 茅t茅 chroniqueur litt茅raire pour Canal+ dans l'茅mission Nulle part ailleurs (avec Philippe Gildas et Antoine de Caunes).
En tant qu'茅crivain, ses principaux th猫mes sont l'amour 脿 la Feydeau et la p茅dagogie. Il aborde la peur de la monotonie et le regain de la premi猫re flamme amoureuse. Une particularit茅 remarqu茅e, des enfants 茅merveill茅s sont souvent mis en sc猫ne.
En 1999, il est 脿 l'origine de la cr茅ation de l'association 芦 Lire et faire lire 禄 avec le journaliste Pascal Gu茅n茅e.
En 2002, il poursuit son engagement associatif avec la cr茅ation de l'association Mille Mots pour laquelle des b茅n茅voles retrait茅s interviennent en prison. Il est 茅galement parrain de l'association Unis-Cit茅 qui propose un service civil volontaire aux jeunes 芒g茅s entre 18 et 25 ans.
En 2004 il 茅crit une s茅rie d'ouvrages destin茅s aux adolescents, Les Colori茅s.
Il publie le 1er avril 2008, Chaque femme est un roman, une s茅rie de portraits de femmes.
Son dernier roman, Quinze ans apr猫s, sort en Octobre 2009 chez les 脡ditions Grasset.[
From Wikipedia
Il est le fils de Pascal Jardin, 茅crivain et sc茅nariste et le petit-fils de Jean Jardin (1904-1976), homme politique, 茅minence grise de Pierre Laval. Il a 2 fr猫res et une demi s艙ur. Il se marie 脿 l'芒ge de 23 ans et a cinq enfants.
Il 茅crit 脿 20 ans son premier roman, intitul茅 Bille en t锚te (1985) (prix du 1er Roman en 1986). Il obtient en 1986 son dipl么me de Sciences po. Il est r茅alisateur de plusieurs films dont Bille en t锚te ou Fanfan, mais a aussi 茅t茅, 脿 l'茅poque chroniqueur au Figaro.
En 1988 il re莽oit le prix F茅mina pour son livre : Le Z猫bre. Ouvrage qui sera adapt茅 au cin茅ma par Jean Poiret en 1992 (avec Thierry Lhermitte dans le r么le principal).
Il a 茅t茅 chroniqueur litt茅raire pour Canal+ dans l'茅mission Nulle part ailleurs (avec Philippe Gildas et Antoine de Caunes).
En tant qu'茅crivain, ses principaux th猫mes sont l'amour 脿 la Feydeau et la p茅dagogie. Il aborde la peur de la monotonie et le regain de la premi猫re flamme amoureuse. Une particularit茅 remarqu茅e, des enfants 茅merveill茅s sont souvent mis en sc猫ne.
En 1999, il est 脿 l'origine de la cr茅ation de l'association 芦 Lire et faire lire 禄 avec le journaliste Pascal Gu茅n茅e.
En 2002, il poursuit son engagement associatif avec la cr茅ation de l'association Mille Mots pour laquelle des b茅n茅voles retrait茅s interviennent en prison. Il est 茅galement parrain de l'association Unis-Cit茅 qui propose un service civil volontaire aux jeunes 芒g茅s entre 18 et 25 ans.
En 2004 il 茅crit une s茅rie d'ouvrages destin茅s aux adolescents, Les Colori茅s.
Il publie le 1er avril 2008, Chaque femme est un roman, une s茅rie de portraits de femmes.
Son dernier roman, Quinze ans apr猫s, sort en Octobre 2009 chez les 脡ditions Grasset.[
From Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
January 2, 2021
Tutku 眉zerine nefis bir romand谋 鈥楩anfan鈥�. Jardin鈥檇en okudu臒um ikinci kitap oldu. Karakterimiz a艧k谋n ba艧lang谋c谋n谋 sonsuza dek uzatmak istiyor. Ve i艧ler giderek kar谋艧谋yor... Tek solukta okudum. Her ne kadar finalinde daha b眉y眉k bi鈥� 莽谋lg谋nl谋k beklediysem de ve bu kitaba daha 莽谋lg谋n bir finalin daha 莽ok yak谋艧aca臒谋n谋 d眉艧眉nsem de yine de 莽ok sevdim 鈥楩anfan鈥櫮�. Kitab谋n bask谋s谋 bildi臒im kadar谋yla yok, benim gibi sahaftan bulabilirsiniz.
September 10, 2013
Sans doute une des plus belles histoires d'amour. Je l'ai lu encore adolescent, alors il est possible que mon opinion serait diff茅rente si je le lisais maintenant, ce que je vais me garder de faire afin d'en conserver un tendre souvenir.
January 23, 2021
I am so surprised that this book's rating is as low as it is as I thought it was fab! The dynamic of a love story written by a man is so interesting and refreshing. Whenever I read the reviews for books by Alexandre Jardin I think that people often miss the point... they're not meant to be taken at the first degree and I have likened his books before to thought experiments. The part with the wall where he can see into Fanfan's apartment, think of it less as a peeping Tom and more him looking into her world, understanding her. I don't think anyone would say that it was acceptable behaviour in real life but this is a book- by its very nature it is fantasy! What do you think you would discover if you really looked into your spouse / crush's life- would you maybe understand them better? Alexandre Jardin is playing out the experiment for you in his book so that you don't have to do it in real life. Also, the idea that you love someone so much that you don't actually want to be with them and spoil it... how romantic?! For anyone who loves romance novels and reading in French this is a must!
(Read in French)
(Read in French)
July 3, 2009
This book is all kinds of nutty鈥攕ometimes fun, sometimes downright bizarre. It is entertaining though.
August 7, 2014
A perverse romance from the point of view of a young man who is a terrible tease and a peeping Tom. The language was fun, but the guy creeped me out.
January 12, 2022
Roman qui d茅guise une histoire de masculinit茅 toxique en histoire d'amour.
October 6, 2021
A艧k谋 ve tutkuyu en derinden ya艧amak i莽in farkl谋 bir yol se莽mi艧 Alexandre Crusoe.
Anne ve babas谋n谋nki gibi bir evlili臒i olmamas谋 i莽in gen莽 ya艧ta kendine kurallar koymu艧, hedefledi臒i evlili臒e do臒ru giderken kar艧谋na Fanfan'谋n 莽谋kmas谋yla ger莽ek a艧k谋 ve tutkuyu tan谋yor Alexandre. Bunun bir s眉re sonra yok olup gitmemesi, 枚lene kadar s眉rmesi i莽in kendince planlar谋 var.
Fanfan'a bay谋ld谋m. Alexandre sen ger莽ekten yordun...
Sonu莽 olarak merakla okudu臒um bir kitap oldu. A艧ka farkl谋 bir bak谋艧 ve d眉艧眉nce馃
Anne ve babas谋n谋nki gibi bir evlili臒i olmamas谋 i莽in gen莽 ya艧ta kendine kurallar koymu艧, hedefledi臒i evlili臒e do臒ru giderken kar艧谋na Fanfan'谋n 莽谋kmas谋yla ger莽ek a艧k谋 ve tutkuyu tan谋yor Alexandre. Bunun bir s眉re sonra yok olup gitmemesi, 枚lene kadar s眉rmesi i莽in kendince planlar谋 var.
Fanfan'a bay谋ld谋m. Alexandre sen ger莽ekten yordun...
Sonu莽 olarak merakla okudu臒um bir kitap oldu. A艧ka farkl谋 bir bak谋艧 ve d眉艧眉nce馃
October 3, 2021
"Sars谋nt谋n谋n ad谋 Fanfan'd谋. Onu ne 枚zg眉rce sevebiliyor, ne bir ba艧ka kad谋na bakabiliyor, ne de onu sevmekten vazge莽ebiliyordum pek tabi..."
馃専
馃専
November 19, 2022
Lecture agr茅able, fluide, divertissante mais sans plus, peu profonde. Avis mitig茅 donc, d鈥檃utant plus qu鈥檌l y a une morale 脿 cette histoire que l鈥檃uteur semble vouloir nous faire passer, mais d鈥檜ne mani猫re peu subtile.
April 16, 2025
pur茅e qu鈥檈st-ce que c鈥檈st bien 茅crit
en revanche le gars est compl猫tement zinzard ????? 莽a va pas ou quoi
en revanche le gars est compl猫tement zinzard ????? 莽a va pas ou quoi
October 29, 2011
The book takes you to the depths of a crazy relationship. You will be waiting to see what happens next and if they are gonna end up together. The plot is exciting, surprising and shocking at some point. You will not see Alexandre next actions coming. Loved the end of the book鈥�
September 10, 2009
Good fun light romantic comedy with a dash of wit
December 15, 2022
un peu bizarre, beaucoup de masculinit茅 toxique et peu profond. pourtant l'id茅e 茅tait bonne mais certains d茅tails m'ont beaucoup g锚n茅e . j'avais espoir au d茅but...
May 1, 2025
J鈥檃i moyennement aim茅 ce livre. Autant, je l鈥檃i facilement lu, mais l鈥檋istoire en tant que tel me laisse un peu mitig茅e. C鈥檈st l鈥檋istoire d鈥橝lexandre Cruso茅 qui d茅cide de r茅sister au d茅sir que lui inspire Fanfan et de ne jamais avouer sa passion pour maintenir la flamme entre eux. Il commence alors 脿 lui faire la cour sans fl茅chir鈥鈥檃i donc eu du mal 脿 m鈥檃ttacher 脿 ce personnage, qui par moment 茅tait assez d茅testable. Fanfan, de son c么t茅, fait alors tout pour l鈥檕bliger 脿 renoncer 脿 sa r茅solution. Mais on s鈥檃ttend plus 脿 une r茅volte, une prise de conscience ferme de sa part鈥ui n鈥檃rrive pas. L茅g猫re d茅ception du coup.
June 9, 2019
...pr铆jemn茅 oddychov茅 膷铆tanie, zauj铆mav媒 poh木ad na l谩sku, dospievanie, ....
May 17, 2023
Incroyable, on est tenu en haleine tout le long, l鈥檋istoire est terriblement bien 茅crite, le d茅nouement est coh茅rent.
Je suis pas un adepte des livres ax茅s romance, mais lui, il faut le lire.
Je suis pas un adepte des livres ax茅s romance, mais lui, il faut le lire.
April 23, 2024
help c'茅tait trop beau
December 26, 2023
Histoire d'amour tr猫s creepy
June 28, 2023
Quelle belle 茅loge 脿 l鈥檋茅t茅ronormativit茅 et l鈥檋omonormativit茅 莽a commence bien et 莽a finit ils v茅curent heureux et eurent beaucoup d鈥檈nfant vomi wash
July 9, 2018
2/5 茅toiles
*Spoilers*
J'ai 茅t茅 d茅莽ue par ce livre. Je le met de c么t茅 depuis plus d'un an parce que c'茅tait le dernier livre d'Alexandre Jardin que je poss茅dais et que je n'avais pas encore lu. Le truc, c'est que j'aime 茅norm茅ment l'oeuvre d'Alexandre Jardin et ce depuis que j'ai lu les Colori茅s 脿 l'芒ge de 13 ans. Je consid猫re le Petit Sauvage comme un de mes romans pr茅f茅r茅s. Par cons茅quent, je m'attendais 脿 aimer Fanfan. Pourtant, c'est le contraire qui c'est produit.
Ce roman 茅tait frustrant et probl茅matique. Il est incroyablement sexiste. La fa莽on dont les femmes sont trait茅es tout au long de cette histoire est inacceptable. Elles n'existent qu'en fonction du personnage principal qui les traite de fa莽on cruelle. Fanfan est une "manic pixie dream girl". Elle est simplement un arch茅type. J'ai malheureusement l'impression que c'est probablement commun aux livres d'Alexandre Jardin, mais que je ne commence que maintenant 脿 m'en rendre compte.
De plus, ce n'est clairement pas une histoire d'amour. Comme mentionn茅 auparavant, Alexandre Cruso茅 traite les femmes dans sa vie de fa莽on cruelle, malgr茅 ses "bonnes" intentions. Pourquoi est-ce que Fanfan accepterait de le marier sachant qu'il la "stalkait" depuis je ne sais combien de moi? C'est juste creepy. Voyons! C'est un psychopathe: il la regarde par un miroir de son appartement et ce cache sous son lit. C'est d茅finitivement un thriller plus qu'une romance.
Ce qui a "sauv茅" (c'est un grand mot, on s'entend rien ne peu compenser le sexisme pr茅sent dans ce roman) son roman c'est la morale (j'aime vraiment la fa莽on dont Alexandre Cruso茅 r茅alise qu'il a 茅t茅 dans le champ toute sa vie) et le style d'茅criture (Alexandre Jardin 茅crit tellement bien, son style est 茅l茅gant, sans 锚tre pr茅tentieux et dr么le).
Bref, ce livre 茅tait une d茅ception et m'a fait remettre en question mon appr茅ciation d'Alexandre Jardin.
*Spoilers*
J'ai 茅t茅 d茅莽ue par ce livre. Je le met de c么t茅 depuis plus d'un an parce que c'茅tait le dernier livre d'Alexandre Jardin que je poss茅dais et que je n'avais pas encore lu. Le truc, c'est que j'aime 茅norm茅ment l'oeuvre d'Alexandre Jardin et ce depuis que j'ai lu les Colori茅s 脿 l'芒ge de 13 ans. Je consid猫re le Petit Sauvage comme un de mes romans pr茅f茅r茅s. Par cons茅quent, je m'attendais 脿 aimer Fanfan. Pourtant, c'est le contraire qui c'est produit.
Ce roman 茅tait frustrant et probl茅matique. Il est incroyablement sexiste. La fa莽on dont les femmes sont trait茅es tout au long de cette histoire est inacceptable. Elles n'existent qu'en fonction du personnage principal qui les traite de fa莽on cruelle. Fanfan est une "manic pixie dream girl". Elle est simplement un arch茅type. J'ai malheureusement l'impression que c'est probablement commun aux livres d'Alexandre Jardin, mais que je ne commence que maintenant 脿 m'en rendre compte.
De plus, ce n'est clairement pas une histoire d'amour. Comme mentionn茅 auparavant, Alexandre Cruso茅 traite les femmes dans sa vie de fa莽on cruelle, malgr茅 ses "bonnes" intentions. Pourquoi est-ce que Fanfan accepterait de le marier sachant qu'il la "stalkait" depuis je ne sais combien de moi? C'est juste creepy. Voyons! C'est un psychopathe: il la regarde par un miroir de son appartement et ce cache sous son lit. C'est d茅finitivement un thriller plus qu'une romance.
Ce qui a "sauv茅" (c'est un grand mot, on s'entend rien ne peu compenser le sexisme pr茅sent dans ce roman) son roman c'est la morale (j'aime vraiment la fa莽on dont Alexandre Cruso茅 r茅alise qu'il a 茅t茅 dans le champ toute sa vie) et le style d'茅criture (Alexandre Jardin 茅crit tellement bien, son style est 茅l茅gant, sans 锚tre pr茅tentieux et dr么le).
Bref, ce livre 茅tait une d茅ception et m'a fait remettre en question mon appr茅ciation d'Alexandre Jardin.
February 2, 2024
Robinson Crusoe'nun uzaktan akrabas谋 olan 20 ya艧谋ndaki Alexandre, 莽uvalla sevgilileri olan anne babas谋na benzememeye kararl谋d谋r. S谋k谋c谋 ama istikrarl谋 bir hatunla ni艧anlanm谋艧t谋r, b枚ylece ebeveynlerine d枚n眉艧memeyi, basit fakat huzur dolu bir ya艧am s眉rmeyi garantiye alm谋艧t谋r s枚zde. Derken Fanfan'la tan谋艧谋r ve bu muzip, 枚zg眉r ve serseri ruhlu gen莽 film yap谋mc谋s谋na deli gibi a艧谋k olur. Hem Laure'a (ni艧anl谋s谋) ihanet etmemenin, hem de Fanfan'a olan tutkusunun s枚n眉p gitmemesinin yolunu, Fanfan'谋 g枚rmeye devam etmekte, ama onunla ili艧kiye girmemekte bulur. A艧klar谋, ancak seks yapmad谋klar谋 ve birbirleri i莽in ula艧谋lmaz kald谋klar谋 takdirde s眉recektir.
Romanda, a艧ka dair gelenekleri ters y眉z ediyor Alexandre. Bir 枚m眉r boyunca nas谋l ayn谋 kad谋n sevilir, bu konuda bir hayli al谋艧谋lmad谋k fikirlere sahip. Monogaminin monotonluk getirece臒ine kesinkes inanan kahraman谋m谋z, bunun kendi ba艧谋na gelmemesi i莽in, Fanfan'谋n evinin bir duvar谋n谋 y谋kt谋rarak karakollardaki sorgu odalar谋ndakine benzer bir ayna yerle艧tirmeye (k谋zca臒谋z kendi taraf谋ndan sadece bir ayna g枚r眉rken, Alexandre Fanfan'谋 izliyor) kadar g枚t眉r眉yor i艧i. B枚ylece, Alexandre'谋n hastal谋kl谋 say谋labilecek ama e臒lenceli beynine g枚re tabii, birlikte ya艧ayacaklar (daha do臒rusu Alexandre Fanfan'la ya艧ayacak), ama ili艧kileri eskimeyecek, sadece en g眉zel 艧eyleri payla艧acaklar, hi莽bir zaman birlikte olmayarak da arzunun asla yitip gitmemesini sa臒layacaklar; s谋radan bir ili艧ki ya艧ay谋p birka莽 senede s谋k谋lmaktansa, beklenti ve bilinmezlik onlar谋 (ya da sadece Alexandre'谋) 莽ok daha mutlu edecek.
Can Yay谋nlar谋'n谋n sitesinde tan谋tt谋臒谋 gibi "erotik bir komedi" diye adland谋rmak zor bu roman谋. Tutku ve al谋艧kanl谋臒谋n 莽eli艧kisiyle ilgili zarif bir masal diyebiliriz belki. 脟ok orijinal, o y眉zden okumaya de臒er.
Romanda, a艧ka dair gelenekleri ters y眉z ediyor Alexandre. Bir 枚m眉r boyunca nas谋l ayn谋 kad谋n sevilir, bu konuda bir hayli al谋艧谋lmad谋k fikirlere sahip. Monogaminin monotonluk getirece臒ine kesinkes inanan kahraman谋m谋z, bunun kendi ba艧谋na gelmemesi i莽in, Fanfan'谋n evinin bir duvar谋n谋 y谋kt谋rarak karakollardaki sorgu odalar谋ndakine benzer bir ayna yerle艧tirmeye (k谋zca臒谋z kendi taraf谋ndan sadece bir ayna g枚r眉rken, Alexandre Fanfan'谋 izliyor) kadar g枚t眉r眉yor i艧i. B枚ylece, Alexandre'谋n hastal谋kl谋 say谋labilecek ama e臒lenceli beynine g枚re tabii, birlikte ya艧ayacaklar (daha do臒rusu Alexandre Fanfan'la ya艧ayacak), ama ili艧kileri eskimeyecek, sadece en g眉zel 艧eyleri payla艧acaklar, hi莽bir zaman birlikte olmayarak da arzunun asla yitip gitmemesini sa臒layacaklar; s谋radan bir ili艧ki ya艧ay谋p birka莽 senede s谋k谋lmaktansa, beklenti ve bilinmezlik onlar谋 (ya da sadece Alexandre'谋) 莽ok daha mutlu edecek.
Can Yay谋nlar谋'n谋n sitesinde tan谋tt谋臒谋 gibi "erotik bir komedi" diye adland谋rmak zor bu roman谋. Tutku ve al谋艧kanl谋臒谋n 莽eli艧kisiyle ilgili zarif bir masal diyebiliriz belki. 脟ok orijinal, o y眉zden okumaya de臒er.
January 12, 2021
J鈥檃vais tellement d鈥檃ttentes pour ce livre. Je dois lui accorder qu鈥檌l est bien 茅crit, 莽a se lit tout seul. Par contre, le personnage principal est extr锚mement probl茅matique et d茅testable. C鈥檈st impossible de s鈥檡 attacher ou de souhaiter que son projet se r茅alise. Pour ce qui est de Fanfan, on attend d鈥檈lle jusqu鈥櫭� la derni猫re seconde une vraie r茅volte, une prise en charge des choses.. Rien. Elle n鈥檈xiste que pour exciter l鈥檋omme et amplifier ses d茅sirs.
L鈥檌d茅e de d茅part du roman me semblait tr猫s prometteuse, mais ce fut une grande d茅ception pour ma part.
L鈥檌d茅e de d茅part du roman me semblait tr猫s prometteuse, mais ce fut une grande d茅ception pour ma part.
May 11, 2024
A la fin de la lecture, j'茅tais plut么t mitig茅e. D'un c么t茅, l'茅criture de l'auteur est tr猫s jolie, et tous les propos qui touchaient sur la peur de l'engagement ou la peur de s'inscrire dans le m锚me sch茅ma que ses parents 茅taient int茅ressants, voire touchants. D'un autre c么t茅, j'ai moins aim茅 le protagoniste que je trouve tr猫s probl茅matique. M锚me si il est tr猫s romantique, il a un comportement si malsain que c'en devient embarrassant. J'avais sinc猫rement h芒te de finir le bouquin.
November 16, 2011
en fait, c'est une histoire ou il ne se passe rien... j'ai arr锚t茅 脿 la moiti茅 tellement j'茅tait tann茅 de cette platitude inutile. Le personnage se demande tout le temps ce qu'il va faire et finit par ce rendre compte 脿 la fin de chaque chapitre qu'il doit s茅duire Fanfan sans faire les premiers pas... Je ne recommande absolument pas!
February 3, 2012
I usually read in english, and the books they make us read at school, I can't get into them.
But this one I actually wanted to read on my free time.
Donc je recommande D脡FINITIVEMENT ce livre si vous aimez les histoires d'amour *de plage* comme je les appelles.
Les gar莽ons, apprenez de ce livre.
But this one I actually wanted to read on my free time.
Donc je recommande D脡FINITIVEMENT ce livre si vous aimez les histoires d'amour *de plage* comme je les appelles.
Les gar莽ons, apprenez de ce livre.
November 15, 2011
A wonderful love story. I can recommend to read also other stories by Alexandre Jardin such as Le petit Sauvage and Le Zebre.
June 16, 2013
Je l'est aim茅, car il me rappelle combien il est important dans la vie d'une femme d'avoir le statut d'un homme !
June 13, 2016
This book was soo weird like what? I didn't like it :(
May 8, 2021
What a weird book. The main character was unlikable and creepy but his thoughts were very interesting to follow.
September 7, 2024
*Fanfan* by Alexandre Jardin is a whimsical and romantic novel that delves into the complexities of love, desire, and the idealization of relationships. Set in Paris, the story follows the protagonist, Alexandre, as he embarks on a rather unusual love affair with Fanfan, a woman he believes is the embodiment of his romantic ideals. From the outset, the novel plays with the concept of love as a thrilling, unpredictable adventure, one that Alexandre is determined to savor without ever fully consummating his relationship with Fanfan. His deliberate choice to avoid physical intimacy becomes the central plot device, representing a form of emotional escape where anticipation and fantasy take precedence over reality.
Jardin鈥檚 prose is light, breezy, and poetic, which adds charm to the narrative, but the novel also suffers from some shortcomings that keep it from being entirely satisfying. One of the key strengths of *Fanfan* is its whimsical tone and the playful exploration of love as a game. Jardin excels at portraying the heady sensation of infatuation and the thrill of pursuit. The reader is drawn into Alexandre鈥檚 world, where he meticulously orchestrates elaborate scenarios designed to keep Fanfan tantalizingly close, yet always just out of reach. This approach taps into the idealized notion of romantic love, where longing is more powerful than possession. The novel feels like a tribute to the enchantment of courtship, and Jardin uses Paris, the city of love, as an evocative backdrop that enhances the dreamlike quality of the story.
However, despite its enchanting premise, *Fanfan* begins to falter as the narrative progresses. While the novel sets out to challenge conventional ideas of romance by embracing fantasy and anticipation, it gradually becomes repetitive and, at times, frustrating. Alexandre鈥檚 decision to keep Fanfan at arm鈥檚 length, while initially intriguing, eventually feels contrived and emotionally unsustainable. His obsession with preserving the "perfect" love becomes more of a self-indulgent exercise than a meaningful exploration of intimacy. As the plot stretches on, readers may find it difficult to empathize with Alexandre鈥檚 refusal to let reality intrude on his fantasy. His inability to evolve or deepen the relationship leads to a sense of stagnation, leaving the reader wanting more substance and development from the characters.
The character of Fanfan, though alluring and full of life, ultimately feels underdeveloped. She is depicted as the idealized object of Alexandre鈥檚 affection, but her own motivations and desires remain somewhat elusive throughout the novel. Fanfan seems to exist largely as a projection of Alexandre鈥檚 romantic fantasies rather than as a fully realized individual with her own complexity. While this may be intentional on Jardin鈥檚 part, it detracts from the emotional depth of the story, making it difficult to fully invest in the relationship between the two characters. The imbalance between the vividness of Alexandre's thoughts and the lack of insight into Fanfan's inner world creates a one-sided dynamic that weakens the overall narrative.
Another issue is the novel's pacing. While Jardin鈥檚 style is lyrical and often captivating, the plot itself moves slowly, with many scenes focused on Alexandre鈥檚 internal musings and the continuous avoidance of consummation. The tension that arises from this refusal to act loses its impact after a while, as the narrative seems to circle the same themes without much variation. What starts as a quirky exploration of love鈥檚 illusions becomes repetitive, and by the end, readers may feel that the emotional payoff is lacking. There is a sense that the novel is more in love with the idea of love than with the characters themselves, which leads to a somewhat hollow conclusion.
That being said, *Fanfan* is not without its merits. Jardin鈥檚 prose is undeniably beautiful, and there are moments of genuine insight into the nature of love, passion, and human relationships. The novel鈥檚 celebration of romance as an adventure filled with wonder and mystery will resonate with readers who enjoy stories about love in its most poetic form. Jardin鈥檚 ability to capture the allure of infatuation and the magic of anticipation is admirable, and his depiction of Paris is filled with charm, adding a layer of enchantment to the narrative.
In conclusion, I would rate *Fanfan* a 3/5. It is a novel filled with promise, offering a playful and imaginative take on romantic love, but it ultimately falls short in delivering a satisfying, emotionally rich story. While Jardin's writing is elegant and often poetic, the novel's central conceit becomes repetitive, and the lack of character development weakens its impact. Readers looking for a light, whimsical romance may find enjoyment in *Fanfan*, but those seeking deeper emotional complexity may come away feeling unfulfilled.
Jardin鈥檚 prose is light, breezy, and poetic, which adds charm to the narrative, but the novel also suffers from some shortcomings that keep it from being entirely satisfying. One of the key strengths of *Fanfan* is its whimsical tone and the playful exploration of love as a game. Jardin excels at portraying the heady sensation of infatuation and the thrill of pursuit. The reader is drawn into Alexandre鈥檚 world, where he meticulously orchestrates elaborate scenarios designed to keep Fanfan tantalizingly close, yet always just out of reach. This approach taps into the idealized notion of romantic love, where longing is more powerful than possession. The novel feels like a tribute to the enchantment of courtship, and Jardin uses Paris, the city of love, as an evocative backdrop that enhances the dreamlike quality of the story.
However, despite its enchanting premise, *Fanfan* begins to falter as the narrative progresses. While the novel sets out to challenge conventional ideas of romance by embracing fantasy and anticipation, it gradually becomes repetitive and, at times, frustrating. Alexandre鈥檚 decision to keep Fanfan at arm鈥檚 length, while initially intriguing, eventually feels contrived and emotionally unsustainable. His obsession with preserving the "perfect" love becomes more of a self-indulgent exercise than a meaningful exploration of intimacy. As the plot stretches on, readers may find it difficult to empathize with Alexandre鈥檚 refusal to let reality intrude on his fantasy. His inability to evolve or deepen the relationship leads to a sense of stagnation, leaving the reader wanting more substance and development from the characters.
The character of Fanfan, though alluring and full of life, ultimately feels underdeveloped. She is depicted as the idealized object of Alexandre鈥檚 affection, but her own motivations and desires remain somewhat elusive throughout the novel. Fanfan seems to exist largely as a projection of Alexandre鈥檚 romantic fantasies rather than as a fully realized individual with her own complexity. While this may be intentional on Jardin鈥檚 part, it detracts from the emotional depth of the story, making it difficult to fully invest in the relationship between the two characters. The imbalance between the vividness of Alexandre's thoughts and the lack of insight into Fanfan's inner world creates a one-sided dynamic that weakens the overall narrative.
Another issue is the novel's pacing. While Jardin鈥檚 style is lyrical and often captivating, the plot itself moves slowly, with many scenes focused on Alexandre鈥檚 internal musings and the continuous avoidance of consummation. The tension that arises from this refusal to act loses its impact after a while, as the narrative seems to circle the same themes without much variation. What starts as a quirky exploration of love鈥檚 illusions becomes repetitive, and by the end, readers may feel that the emotional payoff is lacking. There is a sense that the novel is more in love with the idea of love than with the characters themselves, which leads to a somewhat hollow conclusion.
That being said, *Fanfan* is not without its merits. Jardin鈥檚 prose is undeniably beautiful, and there are moments of genuine insight into the nature of love, passion, and human relationships. The novel鈥檚 celebration of romance as an adventure filled with wonder and mystery will resonate with readers who enjoy stories about love in its most poetic form. Jardin鈥檚 ability to capture the allure of infatuation and the magic of anticipation is admirable, and his depiction of Paris is filled with charm, adding a layer of enchantment to the narrative.
In conclusion, I would rate *Fanfan* a 3/5. It is a novel filled with promise, offering a playful and imaginative take on romantic love, but it ultimately falls short in delivering a satisfying, emotionally rich story. While Jardin's writing is elegant and often poetic, the novel's central conceit becomes repetitive, and the lack of character development weakens its impact. Readers looking for a light, whimsical romance may find enjoyment in *Fanfan*, but those seeking deeper emotional complexity may come away feeling unfulfilled.
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