The Girl Who Reads On The Metro
The Girl Who Reads On The Metro
By Christine Féret-Fleury
Book Review. No Spoilers I swear.
Published in 2019 by Mantle and translated by Ros Schwartz.
Originally published in France as La fille qui lisait dans le metro (2017) by Denoel, Paris
Well, this is a lovely, charming book that all readers will love. Translated from French to English, this is the first of Féret-Fleury's adult novels to be translated into English.
Blurb:
When Juliette takes the Metro to her loathed office job each morning, her only escape is in books- she avidly reads on her journey and imagines what her fellow commuters' choices might say about them.
But when, one day, she decides to alight the train a few stops early and meets Soliman, the mysterious owner of the most enchanting bookshop Juliette has ever seen, her world will never be the same again...
For Soliman also believes in the power in the power of books to change the course of a life- entrusting his passeurs with the task of presenting the perfect book to the person who needs it the most- and he thinks Juliette is up for the job.
And so, leaving her old life behind, Juliette will discover the true power a book can have...
My Thoughts:
Only 197 pages long, this is a quick, charming read full of all things bookish. Juliette is a character all readers can relate too, for she has the characteristic of anyone who is a bookworm. Buying books because she feels sorry for them, walking endlessly around a bookstore just to feel the comfort of home. Juliette is quite a sheltered character, she rarely does anything unexpected and likes to stick to routine, so when chance comes along, she takes it. Soliman to me, is the representation of the person who introduced us bookworms to the world of books. The guy who knows what book we should read without even knowing what we like. Soliman opens Juliette's eyes and heart to a whole world of adventures and reading for pleasure and with this, teaches the power of a book and the influence it can have on ones life. Soliman is a quirky character and is brilliantly written, the other characters are sweet and genuine, not only do you get a feel for these characters but you also find yourself relating to them.
Set in the beauty that is France, this is a great book to escape. The description of locations made me feel like I was walking alongside the characters and was apart of their world. Not only did this book not end or go the way I thought it would, it was a book that has realism. The realities of life itself and how although it may not go the way we planned, it doesn't mean it has to end. If anything, it just means we have to find another path.
This is nothing short of a love letter to the world of books, a thank you to authors for their stories that encourage, empower and liberate us as readers. A lovely, charming read filled with heart, loss and discovering what you want from life.
Rating: 3* out of 5
The only reason why I have given it a 3 is because sometimes I felt lost and didn't understand what was happening. Perhaps that was because I didn't pay the book enough attention or just how it was translated. However, I stand by what I said, this is a lovely book filled with love, loss and books!
Have you read this book?
After all tomorrow is another day spent reading,
Till next time,
Phoebe x
Available to buy from:
Waterstones (£12.99 Hardback)
Amazon (£8.99 paperback) (£7.99 Kindle)