Book 10 - William Maxwell "The Château"
Feb. 7th, 2015 11:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jazzy_daveWilliam Maxwell "The Château" (The Harvill Press)
The Chateau is part unscripted mystery, part travel journal, part piercing cultural study. The premise-- an American couple traveling in France after WWII only to find things less perfect and picturesque than expected-- is interesting enough. But, it is Maxwell's writing that really carries this book from a 3 star to a 4 1/2 star novel. He perfectly captures so many personal, yet universal moments in language that is subtle, moving, even ethereal.
The real treat of the book (besides the writing) is the very unconventional "Part II: Some Explanations" aka the last 50 pages of the book. Here, in an entirely different tone, which is a Q&A between himself and a reader, Maxwell explains the many stories behind the story-- the French story. Knowing this part was coming did help me through some of the more agonizing parts of the plot in Part I.
If you are hoping for an action packed plot, The Chateau will disappoint, but there is a plot; it is very carefully doled out much as life's plot is, and is delivered in such beautiful prose you won't want it to end. It is a pity that Maxwell's works seem to be largely unknown/
The Chateau is part unscripted mystery, part travel journal, part piercing cultural study. The premise-- an American couple traveling in France after WWII only to find things less perfect and picturesque than expected-- is interesting enough. But, it is Maxwell's writing that really carries this book from a 3 star to a 4 1/2 star novel. He perfectly captures so many personal, yet universal moments in language that is subtle, moving, even ethereal.
The real treat of the book (besides the writing) is the very unconventional "Part II: Some Explanations" aka the last 50 pages of the book. Here, in an entirely different tone, which is a Q&A between himself and a reader, Maxwell explains the many stories behind the story-- the French story. Knowing this part was coming did help me through some of the more agonizing parts of the plot in Part I.
If you are hoping for an action packed plot, The Chateau will disappoint, but there is a plot; it is very carefully doled out much as life's plot is, and is delivered in such beautiful prose you won't want it to end. It is a pity that Maxwell's works seem to be largely unknown/
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