I really enjoyed this, even when it made me feel somewhat repulsed and uncomfortable. My American sense of morality, too, made me think, "I would just kill him." I love it when a piece of fiction lets me see the characters as if I'm in the room, instead of filtered through someone else's eyes. Houzelle remains nonjudgmental towards her characters, leaving me free to judge them for myself.
Jackie Campbell replied on Mon, 10/18/2010 - 03:53pm
The tone of this story held my interest, the narrator seems to take refuge in her intellect from a lack of feeling. I recognize this way of looking at things. The life she has is apparently physically agreeable but quite sad. The Bohemian free-living rival seems not only very unattractive but stupid as well, so much so that I suppose we can think of the narrator as biased by some sense of threat to her own marriage. The children, in their wonderfully flexible playful way, are surviving well, though Elodie seems destined for a long struggle with the craziness of her upbringing.
Renee Watkins replied on Mon, 10/18/2010 - 11:44pm
Excellent story that involved me from the beginning. I loved the visuals and the clear distinction of the characters. The pace of the story allowed me to care about the central character, even though she participates in a lifestyle that wouldn't work for me. The eloquence of Houzelle's language and characters makes me want to read more from this author!
I loved the mixture of the deadpan tone in a story relating quite dramatic events. I also loved the narrator character's sense of style, her strive for living aesthetically, and the way she analyzes and suppresses her emotions.
I love the main character. She's as chilly as the title of the book she's reading, but not calculating. She's bright and sees through disguise. So what is equality then, and how does it play out in our lives--or play with our lives?
I read so much that I see the patterns in stories and in language quickly--sometimes too quickly to allow me to enjoy the story--but I read every word of "Égalité." Despite the subject matter and characters evoking people and situations I'm intimate with, I was surprised and delighted by every word. Morality, in literature, is so often unsubtly presented. Houzelle's account of individuals struggling with morality, relationship, and human need, is as surprising as it is true. Thank you, Marie Houzelle.
I really enjoyed this, even when it made me feel somewhat repulsed and uncomfortable. My American sense of morality, too, made me think, "I would just kill him." I love it when a piece of fiction lets me see the characters as if I'm in the room, instead of filtered through someone else's eyes. Houzelle remains nonjudgmental towards her characters, leaving me free to judge them for myself.
The tone of this story held my interest, the narrator seems to take refuge in her intellect from a lack of feeling. I recognize this way of looking at things. The life she has is apparently physically agreeable but quite sad. The Bohemian free-living rival seems not only very unattractive but stupid as well, so much so that I suppose we can think of the narrator as biased by some sense of threat to her own marriage. The children, in their wonderfully flexible playful way, are surviving well, though Elodie seems destined for a long struggle with the craziness of her upbringing.
Excellent story that involved me from the beginning. I loved the visuals and the clear distinction of the characters. The pace of the story allowed me to care about the central character, even though she participates in a lifestyle that wouldn't work for me. The eloquence of Houzelle's language and characters makes me want to read more from this author!
I loved the mixture of the deadpan tone in a story relating quite dramatic events. I also loved the narrator character's sense of style, her strive for living aesthetically, and the way she analyzes and suppresses her emotions.
I love the main character. She's as chilly as the title of the book she's reading, but not calculating. She's bright and sees through disguise. So what is equality then, and how does it play out in our lives--or play with our lives?
I read so much that I see the patterns in stories and in language quickly--sometimes too quickly to allow me to enjoy the story--but I read every word of "Égalité." Despite the subject matter and characters evoking people and situations I'm intimate with, I was surprised and delighted by every word. Morality, in literature, is so often unsubtly presented. Houzelle's account of individuals struggling with morality, relationship, and human need, is as surprising as it is true. Thank you, Marie Houzelle.