Status
Available
Genres
Publication
Pantheon (1998), Edition: 1st Pantheon paperback ed, 128 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML:An international best-seller with more than one million copies in print and a winner of France's Prix Goncourt, The Lover has been acclaimed by critics all over the world since its first publication in 1984. Set in the prewar Indochina of Marguerite Duras's childhood, this is the haunting tale of a tumultuous affair between an adolescent French girl and her Chinese lover. In spare yet luminous prose, Duras evokes life on the margins of Saigon in the waning days of France's colonial empire, and its representation in the passionate relationship between two unforgettable outcasts. This edition of The Lover includes a new introduction by Maxine Hong Kingston that looks back at Duras's world from an intriguing new perspective??that of a visitor to Vietnam tod… (more)
Media reviews
"L'Amant" de Marguerite Duras, publié en 1984, est un roman semi-autobiographique qui se déroule dans le Vietnam colonial français des années 1920. L'histoire suit la liaison illicite et passionnée entre une jeune fille française issue d'une famille en difficulté financière et un riche
La protagoniste anonyme, appelée simplement "la fille", est issue d'une famille dysfonctionnelle, et sa relation avec l'amant est marquée par les tabous sociaux, les différences culturelles et les divisions brutales de la société coloniale. Le récit explore les thèmes de l'amour, du désir, de la dynamique du pouvoir et de l'impact des attentes de la société sur les relations personnelles.
Duras utilise un style d'écriture dépouillé et évocateur, qui permet de saisir les émotions intenses et les complexités des personnages. La structure non linéaire et la narration fragmentée du roman contribuent à son caractère onirique et poétique.
"L'Amant" est célèbre pour son exploration des lignes floues entre l'amour et l'exploitation, ainsi que pour sa description poignante de l'éveil sexuel d'une jeune femme et des dures réalités de la vie coloniale. Le roman a reçu le prestigieux prix Goncourt en France et est devenu l'une des œuvres les plus acclamées de Marguerite Duras.
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amant chinois plus âgé.La protagoniste anonyme, appelée simplement "la fille", est issue d'une famille dysfonctionnelle, et sa relation avec l'amant est marquée par les tabous sociaux, les différences culturelles et les divisions brutales de la société coloniale. Le récit explore les thèmes de l'amour, du désir, de la dynamique du pouvoir et de l'impact des attentes de la société sur les relations personnelles.
Duras utilise un style d'écriture dépouillé et évocateur, qui permet de saisir les émotions intenses et les complexités des personnages. La structure non linéaire et la narration fragmentée du roman contribuent à son caractère onirique et poétique.
"L'Amant" est célèbre pour son exploration des lignes floues entre l'amour et l'exploitation, ainsi que pour sa description poignante de l'éveil sexuel d'une jeune femme et des dures réalités de la vie coloniale. Le roman a reçu le prestigieux prix Goncourt en France et est devenu l'une des œuvres les plus acclamées de Marguerite Duras.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member Pummzie
I loved this novella. The Lover is about the reflections of an older Parisian woman on pivotal moments in her adolescence both in Saigon and Paris. Except, true to life but rare in novels, these events are hazy, misremembered and haphazard and her recollections jump around from memory to aside to
Her style is moreish and I really admire the delicate handling of growing up around domestic instability and this child's precociousness and vulnerability.
The Lover is a masterclass in how to do an awful lot with deceptively sparse writing.
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self-analysis. I found myself waiting for the things I knew she would not tell me. Duras gives us enough to keep us hooked but leaves you with a great many questions.Her style is moreish and I really admire the delicate handling of growing up around domestic instability and this child's precociousness and vulnerability.
The Lover is a masterclass in how to do an awful lot with deceptively sparse writing.
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LibraryThing member gbill
There are flashes of poetic brilliance in ‘The Lover’, and it has a pretty strong ending, evoking sentimental memories of first love and time gone by. Unfortunately, the narrative style, which has Duras sifting through her memories and writing almost conversationally, is hit and miss. The story
Quotes:
On aging:
“One day, when I was already old, in the entrance of a public place a man came up to me. He introduced himself and said, ‘I’ve known you for years. Everyone says you were beautiful when you were young, but I want to tell you I think you’re more beautiful now than then. Rather than your face as a young woman, I prefer your face as it is now. Ravaged.”
On death:
“It was a mistake, and the momentary error filled the universe. The outrage was on the scale of God. My younger brother was immortal and they hadn’t noticed. Immortality had been concealed in my brother’s body while he was alive, and we hadn’t noticed that it dwelt there. Now my brother’s body was dead, and immortality with it. And the world went on without that visited body, and without its visitation. It was a complete mistake. And the error, the outrage, filled the whole universe.”
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is of a fifteen year old French girl from a poor and dysfunctional family who has an affair with a Chinese man in his thirties in Saigon. At home, she has a bad relationship with her mother, her oldest brother is a profligate, and tragedy awaits her other brother. At boarding school, she fantasizes over another girl, and awaits being picked up by her lover’s limousine. Their physical relations give her pleasure, but there is a creepiness about them, beyond the fact that she’s underage. Overall, the book has a vagueness and a malaise to it, which was perhaps the intended effect, and honest to Duras’s true experience, as the book is autobiographical. It doesn’t always make for pleasant reading though. Quotes:
On aging:
“One day, when I was already old, in the entrance of a public place a man came up to me. He introduced himself and said, ‘I’ve known you for years. Everyone says you were beautiful when you were young, but I want to tell you I think you’re more beautiful now than then. Rather than your face as a young woman, I prefer your face as it is now. Ravaged.”
On death:
“It was a mistake, and the momentary error filled the universe. The outrage was on the scale of God. My younger brother was immortal and they hadn’t noticed. Immortality had been concealed in my brother’s body while he was alive, and we hadn’t noticed that it dwelt there. Now my brother’s body was dead, and immortality with it. And the world went on without that visited body, and without its visitation. It was a complete mistake. And the error, the outrage, filled the whole universe.”
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LibraryThing member tigermel
A little book, barely 100 pages, packed with so much emotion and imagery i don't even know how to describe it. It is intense, in a way i haven't read in a while. Technically it is a story of a very poor French teenager, in Vietnam in the 1920's, who takes as her lover a wealthy Chinese man.
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Character-wise, he doesn't seem much more than a boy himself, though he is in his late 20's. But we get so much more information about the girl's life than we do about her affair. We hear about her mother, essentially a crazy woman, about both her brothers and their lives and deaths. The girl, who never gives her name, is weirdly detached from everyone but seems to be able to understand people deeply. The descriptions are lush and exotic. It seems to be a novel full of yearning and need. I am going to put it aside for a month or so and then read it again to see how i feel about it then. Show Less
LibraryThing member Praj05
Dearest Marguerite,
I know it is awfully late now, to write to you. I could not resist though. I thought about you the other day; as her eyes scanned the Chinese gentleman for the first time, on the ferry to Mekong. The demure young features veiled under a mannish hat, gave away precocious
As the movie played on my screen, I searched for your book and there it lay among the dusty pile of old books, a slight tattered at the cover page. An affair of a pubescent girl with a 27-year old affluent Chinese man brings variation in one’s perception. Over the years, the book was disparaged for its pedophilic nature and the overtly sexual display of a young girl romanticizing to the term 'prostitutes'. The girl’s impecunious and abusive family history, they said was a convenient backdrop to pen a fragile child pornographic literary piece. From the time I read the book as an 12 year old, when I accidentally “borrowed” the book from my cousin’s library stock to those several occasions, I comprehended the writings as an adult, all I observed was a power struggle of an adolescent who naively used her sexuality to find a sense of belonging and in some way gain control over her existence. The story is far more complicated than just the exterior of a love affair. It delineates a distorted notion of true love (if the term is applicable here), the hypocrisy of social mores and the chaos derived from infidelity and wealth.
I have cherished the book for decades now, and words fail me in expressing my heartwarming thankfulness for bursting my initial deluded bubble of an idyllic Nancy Drew utopia, exposing the discrepancies of a flawed society and sullied emotions. Life unexpectedly became a rational place to live in.
R.I. P. – Ms. Duras.
From,
The 7th grader, who once scribbled ‘orgasm’ for the very first time in her history textbook and became wiser.
I know it is awfully late now, to write to you. I could not resist though. I thought about you the other day; as her eyes scanned the Chinese gentleman for the first time, on the ferry to Mekong. The demure young features veiled under a mannish hat, gave away precocious
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impression of a 15 year old girl as he offered her a cigarette. The statuesque Chinaman who exuded charm and eloquence was besotted by her as she was by him. He was to be her lover; an escape from the abhorrent and impoverished life. On the brink of her sexual exploration, she yearned for the pleasure of his touch, his embrace; a world that was beyond the imagination of a young school girl. As she pressed her red-stained lips on the cold glass of his car, he knew he could never marry her, a fact that he told her several times, but would always love her, for “A love like this, so strong, it never happens again in a lifetime…never.”As the movie played on my screen, I searched for your book and there it lay among the dusty pile of old books, a slight tattered at the cover page. An affair of a pubescent girl with a 27-year old affluent Chinese man brings variation in one’s perception. Over the years, the book was disparaged for its pedophilic nature and the overtly sexual display of a young girl romanticizing to the term 'prostitutes'. The girl’s impecunious and abusive family history, they said was a convenient backdrop to pen a fragile child pornographic literary piece. From the time I read the book as an 12 year old, when I accidentally “borrowed” the book from my cousin’s library stock to those several occasions, I comprehended the writings as an adult, all I observed was a power struggle of an adolescent who naively used her sexuality to find a sense of belonging and in some way gain control over her existence. The story is far more complicated than just the exterior of a love affair. It delineates a distorted notion of true love (if the term is applicable here), the hypocrisy of social mores and the chaos derived from infidelity and wealth.
I have cherished the book for decades now, and words fail me in expressing my heartwarming thankfulness for bursting my initial deluded bubble of an idyllic Nancy Drew utopia, exposing the discrepancies of a flawed society and sullied emotions. Life unexpectedly became a rational place to live in.
R.I. P. – Ms. Duras.
From,
The 7th grader, who once scribbled ‘orgasm’ for the very first time in her history textbook and became wiser.
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LibraryThing member justine
brilliant, spare language, but sad
LibraryThing member Lampe102
Marguerite Duras, as a feminist author, tried to write a feminist novel which defies the patriarchal parts of a typical novel such as linear plot and archetypes. However, she did not succeed. Instead, she almost defeated her own purpose.
Duras tried to proved that women can write a novel as good
The non-linear plot used in The Lover portrays a view of women that is very stereotypical of what men think of women. The stereotype of women is that they are irrational, emotional, and unfocused. The Lover’s plot is also all three of these things so, by labeling it as a feminist novel, Duras continued this negative stereotype of women. Duras jumps from place to place, memory to memory, with no real semblance of order. While it is true that this is how a person remembers their own memories, it is not how people understand other’s memories. So while Duras may easily know what is going on in the story, other readers must work very hard to follow what is going on and that does not make most readers feel comfortable.
Duras also objectifies herself sexually in The Lover. She doesn’t use first person when discussing her own sexuality as if she is embarrassed of herself. She instead uses “she” to reference herself which shows her want (or need) to detach from her sexual self. Even as a self-proclaimed feminist, she still writes from the male perspective that a women’s sexuality is a bad thing. She is also trying to define her identity and adulthood throughout the novel, but she does so by sleeping with an older man.
The final way the Duras falls short of her goal to be a feminist writer is that she still uses the same archetypes that a male author would. She still has an ogre/villain (her older brother), a temptress (Helene) and an innocent virgin (also Helene). She does try to defy them by putting the temptress and innocent virgin both into Helene and having the female be the dominant person in the sexual relationship rather than the older man. However, she is still using the same archetypes which, most feminist authors believe, are inherently male. Duras tried to defy a part of stories that isn’t male, but is human. All story-tellers since the beginning of known history are used these archetypes. For Duras to try to defy them isn’t anti-male, but anti-human.
Duras tried write The Lover to be different from the established male novel. However, she either falls short in her attempts (such as with the archetypes), simply follows the patriarchal system (as she does with her discussion of her sexuality) or succeeds so well she pushes away the average reader (as she does with her non-linear plot).
Duras tried to proved that women can write a novel as good
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as a novel written by a man without using the patriarchal linear plot. However, this book is confusing and off-putting to many typical readers, which pushes those readers away from feminist authors. Pushing a reader away from a feminist author (and probably back towards a patriarchal male author) defeats the purpose of writing a feminist novel. More educated readers may be more interested in this novel, but educated readers of literature are become fewer and farther between. The non-linear plot used in The Lover portrays a view of women that is very stereotypical of what men think of women. The stereotype of women is that they are irrational, emotional, and unfocused. The Lover’s plot is also all three of these things so, by labeling it as a feminist novel, Duras continued this negative stereotype of women. Duras jumps from place to place, memory to memory, with no real semblance of order. While it is true that this is how a person remembers their own memories, it is not how people understand other’s memories. So while Duras may easily know what is going on in the story, other readers must work very hard to follow what is going on and that does not make most readers feel comfortable.
Duras also objectifies herself sexually in The Lover. She doesn’t use first person when discussing her own sexuality as if she is embarrassed of herself. She instead uses “she” to reference herself which shows her want (or need) to detach from her sexual self. Even as a self-proclaimed feminist, she still writes from the male perspective that a women’s sexuality is a bad thing. She is also trying to define her identity and adulthood throughout the novel, but she does so by sleeping with an older man.
The final way the Duras falls short of her goal to be a feminist writer is that she still uses the same archetypes that a male author would. She still has an ogre/villain (her older brother), a temptress (Helene) and an innocent virgin (also Helene). She does try to defy them by putting the temptress and innocent virgin both into Helene and having the female be the dominant person in the sexual relationship rather than the older man. However, she is still using the same archetypes which, most feminist authors believe, are inherently male. Duras tried to defy a part of stories that isn’t male, but is human. All story-tellers since the beginning of known history are used these archetypes. For Duras to try to defy them isn’t anti-male, but anti-human.
Duras tried write The Lover to be different from the established male novel. However, she either falls short in her attempts (such as with the archetypes), simply follows the patriarchal system (as she does with her discussion of her sexuality) or succeeds so well she pushes away the average reader (as she does with her non-linear plot).
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LibraryThing member varwenea
I believe we all have memories like these – distant, random, mixed with pain, mixed with joy, a purposeful vagueness that is possibly self-induced. The thoughts are disclosed like word-puke, somewhat jumbled, non-linear, occasionally repetitive as though to reinforce the thought, colored with
It’s 1929. The fifteen-and-a-half-year-old girl is in Saigon with her mom, a headmistress in a local school who is a manic-depressive widow, an elder brother who is violent, cruel, and a thief, and an elder brother who is referred to as ‘younger brother’ who is kind and gentle but lives in fear of the elder brother’s fist. They are broke and are known as the ‘layabouts’. On a ferry, the girl meets a 30-something wealthy Chinese-Vietnamese that evolves into a year and a half affair. Though wealthy, he is controlled by his father who owns the family’s money and forbids any consideration of their union. The affair ends when she leaves Saigon returning to France.
The emotions are complex as I am sure it was for Duras then and at the time of writing (published in 1984) and for the reader. Needless to say, there is an ickiness with the underage relationship. But it’s more than that with a certain amount of reciprocation and desire on her part – he was her temporary (hours at a time) escape from her reality. She is not seeking pity, yet her words draw you into her darkness. There is an economy of words in her lack of details, but there is also an excess of words to provide a certain dreaminess, that poetic feeling. But as the reader, we know there is nothing pleasant here and that just adds to the ickiness. The narrator speaks of “I”, but also regularly speaks of the protagonist in the third person – the girl, the white girl, the girl with a man’s hat, as though these memories are detachments and denials, not of hers, not of her fifteen to seventeen-year-old self. She also wrote of her lust for her beautiful classmate, her best friend, lusting of her body, of her breasts. She recognizes her own sexual ‘perverseness’ but ignores her sexual confusion.
Perhaps the above is what makes this an award-winning book – that a nearly seventy-year old self can converge her complex teenage years into a haunting tale. Alas, it is not for me. Lastly, I was annoyed with the stereotype description of the Chinese male, his lack of masculinity, his softness, his weeping. Even though I know it’s her truth and likely the truth of that time, it’s still rather off-putting.
Some quotes:
On Beauty – and it’s one heck of a pickup line for a mature lady:
“One day, when I was already old, in the entrance of a public place a man came up to me. He introduced himself and said, ‘I’ve known you for years. Everyone says you were beautiful when you were young, but I want to tell you I think you’re more beautiful now than then. Rather than your face as a young woman, I prefer your face as it is now. Ravaged.”
On Desire:
“You didn’t have to attract desire. Either it was in the woman who aroused it or it didn’t exist. Either it was there at first glace or else it had never been. It was instant knowledge of sexual relationship or it was nothing. That too I knew before I experienced it.”
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poetic prose, incomplete but the feeling is confirmed. This is what I felt reading Duras’ ‘The Lover’, an autobiographical novel of her youth in Saigon, particularly of her Lover.It’s 1929. The fifteen-and-a-half-year-old girl is in Saigon with her mom, a headmistress in a local school who is a manic-depressive widow, an elder brother who is violent, cruel, and a thief, and an elder brother who is referred to as ‘younger brother’ who is kind and gentle but lives in fear of the elder brother’s fist. They are broke and are known as the ‘layabouts’. On a ferry, the girl meets a 30-something wealthy Chinese-Vietnamese that evolves into a year and a half affair. Though wealthy, he is controlled by his father who owns the family’s money and forbids any consideration of their union. The affair ends when she leaves Saigon returning to France.
The emotions are complex as I am sure it was for Duras then and at the time of writing (published in 1984) and for the reader. Needless to say, there is an ickiness with the underage relationship. But it’s more than that with a certain amount of reciprocation and desire on her part – he was her temporary (hours at a time) escape from her reality. She is not seeking pity, yet her words draw you into her darkness. There is an economy of words in her lack of details, but there is also an excess of words to provide a certain dreaminess, that poetic feeling. But as the reader, we know there is nothing pleasant here and that just adds to the ickiness. The narrator speaks of “I”, but also regularly speaks of the protagonist in the third person – the girl, the white girl, the girl with a man’s hat, as though these memories are detachments and denials, not of hers, not of her fifteen to seventeen-year-old self. She also wrote of her lust for her beautiful classmate, her best friend, lusting of her body, of her breasts. She recognizes her own sexual ‘perverseness’ but ignores her sexual confusion.
Perhaps the above is what makes this an award-winning book – that a nearly seventy-year old self can converge her complex teenage years into a haunting tale. Alas, it is not for me. Lastly, I was annoyed with the stereotype description of the Chinese male, his lack of masculinity, his softness, his weeping. Even though I know it’s her truth and likely the truth of that time, it’s still rather off-putting.
Some quotes:
On Beauty – and it’s one heck of a pickup line for a mature lady:
“One day, when I was already old, in the entrance of a public place a man came up to me. He introduced himself and said, ‘I’ve known you for years. Everyone says you were beautiful when you were young, but I want to tell you I think you’re more beautiful now than then. Rather than your face as a young woman, I prefer your face as it is now. Ravaged.”
On Desire:
“You didn’t have to attract desire. Either it was in the woman who aroused it or it didn’t exist. Either it was there at first glace or else it had never been. It was instant knowledge of sexual relationship or it was nothing. That too I knew before I experienced it.”
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LibraryThing member fieldnotes
The tone of this book is emotionally flatlined. Terror, physical ecstasy, hatred and depression all file past in the same abstracted, languorous fashion: mentioned, but not really written. We know that the early part of this narrator's life was characterized by withdrawal and passive observation
The few times that the prose seemed to snap into greater focus, were around cherished objects (a fedora, some shoes) or images; but these are static things and however much meaning they are forced to carry, they cannot be as lively as multi-dimensional characters. And "The Lover" is not full of multi-dimensional characters. It has, at most, two. The narrator is somewhat nuanced, the mother is bipolar and everyone else is essentially a drive towards something and a flaw (desire and weakness; power and selfishness; tranquility and terror). I tire of the stereotypical wastrel brother, of the speechless cowering brother and also of the precious and spineless lover himself.
But, I did enjoy this book. It came close to being quite good. I just wish that it flexed more or grappled harder or pulled itself together; though, again, I understand that the narrative style could be interpreted as the logical outcome of the storyteller's upbringing. However, and lastly, I can't really abide by the two or three intrusive semi-portraits of society ladies in France; these seemed poorly integrated and diverting--even the appearance of Hellene in the novella seemed under-managed. If she had not existed as a mute alternative and object of desire, she might have been a more interesting collection of words.Finally, if the girl's age were given as 18 or older, I doubt the book would have been so successful.
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and that she has taken to drinking in her middle age (we also know this is a French novella from the end of the 20th century); but these facts don't entirely justify the loosely structured and vaguely experienced narrative.The few times that the prose seemed to snap into greater focus, were around cherished objects (a fedora, some shoes) or images; but these are static things and however much meaning they are forced to carry, they cannot be as lively as multi-dimensional characters. And "The Lover" is not full of multi-dimensional characters. It has, at most, two. The narrator is somewhat nuanced, the mother is bipolar and everyone else is essentially a drive towards something and a flaw (desire and weakness; power and selfishness; tranquility and terror). I tire of the stereotypical wastrel brother, of the speechless cowering brother and also of the precious and spineless lover himself.
But, I did enjoy this book. It came close to being quite good. I just wish that it flexed more or grappled harder or pulled itself together; though, again, I understand that the narrative style could be interpreted as the logical outcome of the storyteller's upbringing. However, and lastly, I can't really abide by the two or three intrusive semi-portraits of society ladies in France; these seemed poorly integrated and diverting--even the appearance of Hellene in the novella seemed under-managed. If she had not existed as a mute alternative and object of desire, she might have been a more interesting collection of words.Finally, if the girl's age were given as 18 or older, I doubt the book would have been so successful.
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LibraryThing member joshberg
I didn't love The Lover, but as a fan of all things Vietnamese I'm glad I read this semi-autobiographical story of Duras growing up in French Indochina. The loose, episodic narrative--about a teenage girl, her unstable family, and her older Chinese lover--requires some comfort with ambiguity as
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well as patience to put the pieces of the plot together. The narrator somehow manages to be emotionally overwrought and indifferent at the same time; an American reader is likely to find her exceptionally French. But to Duras' credit, The Lover is knowingly brief and often poetic; it feels something like an experimental but successful prose poem. Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlus
This beautifully-written slender volume is neither conventional fictional novel nor usual factual autobiography. Rather, it is an intensely artistic narration by the author based on a number of isolated but significant periods and people from her life. The mode of telling is closest to
Overall it is the story of a nameless French woman, arguably Duras herself who, as a 15-year-old teenager from a poor and dysfunctional French family, deliberately attracts the attention of a young man, scion of a wealthy Chinese family, in French Indo-China in the 1930s. Her original purpose might have been family support through child prostitution, but it develops that the man's wealth is not yet available to him and a torrid and illegal love affair develops instead. Or are they only "in lust," instead of "in love?" The reader will have to try to decide the question based only on the passionate events described; their individual feelings, passions and thoughts are artfully kept from the reader in the author's quirky manner of narrating only the exteriors of visible scenes.
After a while the scene shifts as she leaves for school in Paris and spends the remainder of her life there. The unnnamed lover is left behind and a number of women from Duras' own life during WW II float onto center stage, again with narrative purpose difficult to discern.
The story is difficult to follow, but close reading can reassemble the pieces in proper order. Nevertheless, this reader was left with the feeling that this was very much a story of self-revelation, told by a narrator who was reluctant to be revealed -- especially with respect to her inner feelings. If this oxymoronic nature of the story does not put you off, or you are up to reading literary puzzles posed by a famous author, then by all means accept the challenge of this book and enjoy pages and pages of beautiful narrative description of life and love in a past time and a historical place along the Mekong River.
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stream-of-consciousness, as individually recollected scenes are frequently presented out of normal sequence in isolated and unconnected vignettes.Overall it is the story of a nameless French woman, arguably Duras herself who, as a 15-year-old teenager from a poor and dysfunctional French family, deliberately attracts the attention of a young man, scion of a wealthy Chinese family, in French Indo-China in the 1930s. Her original purpose might have been family support through child prostitution, but it develops that the man's wealth is not yet available to him and a torrid and illegal love affair develops instead. Or are they only "in lust," instead of "in love?" The reader will have to try to decide the question based only on the passionate events described; their individual feelings, passions and thoughts are artfully kept from the reader in the author's quirky manner of narrating only the exteriors of visible scenes.
After a while the scene shifts as she leaves for school in Paris and spends the remainder of her life there. The unnnamed lover is left behind and a number of women from Duras' own life during WW II float onto center stage, again with narrative purpose difficult to discern.
The story is difficult to follow, but close reading can reassemble the pieces in proper order. Nevertheless, this reader was left with the feeling that this was very much a story of self-revelation, told by a narrator who was reluctant to be revealed -- especially with respect to her inner feelings. If this oxymoronic nature of the story does not put you off, or you are up to reading literary puzzles posed by a famous author, then by all means accept the challenge of this book and enjoy pages and pages of beautiful narrative description of life and love in a past time and a historical place along the Mekong River.
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LibraryThing member jbushnell
A story of a young girl in French Indochina, her Chinese lover, and her family, The Lover collapses barriers and distinctions until love, cruelty, pleasure, and madness all seem like different names for the same emotional concentrate. Sounds melodramatic—but in fact, Duras undertakes this project
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with eerie, almost morbid detachment. I'd say it's more terrifying than erotic, but I'm no longer sure that there's a meaningful difference between the two. Show Less
LibraryThing member lee319
To be honest, I was COMPLETELY lost throughout the first half of the book because of how different it was from all the other books I was used to reading. It definitely confuses the reader at first since there’s a constant view change of first to third, but eventually they get used to the change
First off, the structure of the book is certainly very different that the sections of the book are not sectioned in chapters, instead its separated from space that is around an inch or so long. Not only that but it constantly changes setting, time, point of view; that it almost seems like you are not actually supposed to take as if one is reading an essay, where there are connections and transitions to each idea. It is more like pulling out a photograph and commenting on what could have or did happen in that photo. These “photos” the narrator comments on are surely subjective, the reader cannot exactly know if the narrator is basing it off from previous knowledge or it being a simulacra, made up in her mind based off from the pictures . It is the same for people as well. They may think something occurs in one way but in actuality the outcome was totally different. Basically the reader has to take what the author may be trying to say with a grain of salt.
Remember how I said that the book should be in its own genre? Well, in terms of organization there is no particular order. It jumps from one memory to another, separated in paragraphs. The plot appears to be typical with the whole teenager having a lover ten years her senior however there is more than what meets the eye. Unfortunately, even if this book depicts a part of her life, some of the parts are fiction as well. Duras even mentions that she does not even know if she was wearing gold lame shoes, rather she put it there because it makes her look good.
Speaking of the narrator (or Duras herslf),the characters in the book show an example or role reversal, at least in some cases. The narrator, even though as a teenage girl she is manipulative, has sexual desires for Helene and the Chinese lover, controlling, can be quite brass, but at the same time she is not in control of everything, her falls in love with the lover, and although she knows her older brother’s weakness is her, her brother is able to be superior. Then there is the older brother himself. He leeches off anyone he can, ranging from his mother to the servants. It does not matter. His life relies on people, he cannot support himself financially or physically and that makes him very weak. And although both his mother and sister know the fact that he is violent and is considered a loser, they remain trapped in his web and allow him to steal and take, making him the dominant figure. Ironically, the Chinese lover, who is in some respects the same as him. The son of a millionaire who relies on his daddy to live, and without it, he would not be able to survive. So that makes him very weak because he does not want his money threatened to be taken away and ultimately is a marionette that is controlled by anyone. Even though these three characters personalities are supposedly reversed from normal people, it all comes back to the idea that males dominate in the end.
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in point of view. As it is mentioned in Jeffery Staley and Laurie Edson’s essay, Duras’ book is considered to be her autobiography, but with a fiction twist or simply “authorfiction.” Even the forward mentions that “The Lover” talks about her life through words. By writing, I feel as though Duras can express the feelings she has been suppressing for so long because the weight of her family members. The scene where she is on the ferry is crucial because that is where she is able to move on from all that has happened in her life. There are a lot of elements that puts this book in a category of its own. The structure, the organization, and the characters makes “The Lover” so unique and what I thought made this book something worth reading.First off, the structure of the book is certainly very different that the sections of the book are not sectioned in chapters, instead its separated from space that is around an inch or so long. Not only that but it constantly changes setting, time, point of view; that it almost seems like you are not actually supposed to take as if one is reading an essay, where there are connections and transitions to each idea. It is more like pulling out a photograph and commenting on what could have or did happen in that photo. These “photos” the narrator comments on are surely subjective, the reader cannot exactly know if the narrator is basing it off from previous knowledge or it being a simulacra, made up in her mind based off from the pictures . It is the same for people as well. They may think something occurs in one way but in actuality the outcome was totally different. Basically the reader has to take what the author may be trying to say with a grain of salt.
Remember how I said that the book should be in its own genre? Well, in terms of organization there is no particular order. It jumps from one memory to another, separated in paragraphs. The plot appears to be typical with the whole teenager having a lover ten years her senior however there is more than what meets the eye. Unfortunately, even if this book depicts a part of her life, some of the parts are fiction as well. Duras even mentions that she does not even know if she was wearing gold lame shoes, rather she put it there because it makes her look good.
Speaking of the narrator (or Duras herslf),the characters in the book show an example or role reversal, at least in some cases. The narrator, even though as a teenage girl she is manipulative, has sexual desires for Helene and the Chinese lover, controlling, can be quite brass, but at the same time she is not in control of everything, her falls in love with the lover, and although she knows her older brother’s weakness is her, her brother is able to be superior. Then there is the older brother himself. He leeches off anyone he can, ranging from his mother to the servants. It does not matter. His life relies on people, he cannot support himself financially or physically and that makes him very weak. And although both his mother and sister know the fact that he is violent and is considered a loser, they remain trapped in his web and allow him to steal and take, making him the dominant figure. Ironically, the Chinese lover, who is in some respects the same as him. The son of a millionaire who relies on his daddy to live, and without it, he would not be able to survive. So that makes him very weak because he does not want his money threatened to be taken away and ultimately is a marionette that is controlled by anyone. Even though these three characters personalities are supposedly reversed from normal people, it all comes back to the idea that males dominate in the end.
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LibraryThing member Laurenwuvsu01
Often times critiques argue that “The Lover” by Marguerite Duras acts as a feminist work of literature to promote the woman’s role within society. Duras utilizes unconventional structure within her novel to convey a dissonance from the traditional style of writing, coined by white male
Power commences with confidence in oneself, however Duras lacks any self confidence, and struggles with the process of self individuation. A feminist article depicts women that behold individuation, and see themselves as the most important person as opposed to exterior influences that impact the self. However Duras crosses paths with many people whom influence her perceived individuation, making her unable to find individuation, because she consistently masks her inner self, with impulsive drive. Duras attempts to make a feminist approach to “The Lover” by composing her character of masculine characteristics,
“He gives me my shower, washes me, rinses me, he adores that, he puts my make-up on and dresses me, he adores me” (Duras, 63), clearly Duras depicts the male as inferior to the woman since he seems to wait on her hand and foot. However inversely, Duras can be portrayed as reliant upon her lover, she shows a woman that needs a man to carry out basic forms of health care for her, due to her reliance on men. Therefore men play the role of a mask in Duras attempt to find self individuation. However Duras’ journey leads her astray and towards the end of the novel she does not find her individuation, yet the reader sees that the tone of the book transitions from nostalgic and gloomy, toward a feeling of satisfaction on account of the phone call the lover pays to Duras, “…That he still loved her, he could never stop loving her, that he’d love her until death” (117). Self-individuation infers that the self is the most important thing, however Duras allows her lover to determine her own self worth and happiness.
Additionally a feminist book illustrates a separation from traditional society. However according to, “Objectifying the Subjective: The Autobiographical Act of Duras’ the Lover” claims that Duras novel speaks to the lost sense of identity Duras beholds. Duras states, “From the beginning of my life the problem, for me, has been one of knowing who was speaking when I spoke in my books” (Cohen,7), the separation between the inner and outer self represents the message Philip K. Dick portrays within his novel, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”. Duras consistently produces a plethora of novels feeding from the experiences she encountered throughout her life. Due to the consistent reproductions of her novel, Duras fails to decipher reality from fiction. Similarily, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” utilizes Androids as a symbol of dissonance with reality. The Androids become prevalent to the point where the fake can be mistaken for the real. Therefore Duras seems to coincide with the demands of society, and therefore loses her credibility as a proponent of feminism because she becomes lost within the masses of society.
Feminism relies on the idea of woman being able to produce a change, however Duras allocates power to society, and becomes defeated by the process of individuation. The process of individuation consumes her novel, “The Lover” and conveys the life of a struggling woman, and the detrimental impacts of society.
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writers. Despite Duras’ attempts to promote feminism through her writing, she herself ultimately conforms to the society that encompasses herself. “The Lover” elucidates Duras’ lack of self awareness, and a longing to find herself through her novel, which critiques hypothesize that the novel serves as a means of therapy for Duras (Stanley and Edson). “The Lover” cannot fulfill the role of a feminist novel due to the struggle with identity that Marguerite posses. A feminist book typically acts to promote women’s role within society, and assert the power with which women should posses. Power commences with confidence in oneself, however Duras lacks any self confidence, and struggles with the process of self individuation. A feminist article depicts women that behold individuation, and see themselves as the most important person as opposed to exterior influences that impact the self. However Duras crosses paths with many people whom influence her perceived individuation, making her unable to find individuation, because she consistently masks her inner self, with impulsive drive. Duras attempts to make a feminist approach to “The Lover” by composing her character of masculine characteristics,
“He gives me my shower, washes me, rinses me, he adores that, he puts my make-up on and dresses me, he adores me” (Duras, 63), clearly Duras depicts the male as inferior to the woman since he seems to wait on her hand and foot. However inversely, Duras can be portrayed as reliant upon her lover, she shows a woman that needs a man to carry out basic forms of health care for her, due to her reliance on men. Therefore men play the role of a mask in Duras attempt to find self individuation. However Duras’ journey leads her astray and towards the end of the novel she does not find her individuation, yet the reader sees that the tone of the book transitions from nostalgic and gloomy, toward a feeling of satisfaction on account of the phone call the lover pays to Duras, “…That he still loved her, he could never stop loving her, that he’d love her until death” (117). Self-individuation infers that the self is the most important thing, however Duras allows her lover to determine her own self worth and happiness.
Additionally a feminist book illustrates a separation from traditional society. However according to, “Objectifying the Subjective: The Autobiographical Act of Duras’ the Lover” claims that Duras novel speaks to the lost sense of identity Duras beholds. Duras states, “From the beginning of my life the problem, for me, has been one of knowing who was speaking when I spoke in my books” (Cohen,7), the separation between the inner and outer self represents the message Philip K. Dick portrays within his novel, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”. Duras consistently produces a plethora of novels feeding from the experiences she encountered throughout her life. Due to the consistent reproductions of her novel, Duras fails to decipher reality from fiction. Similarily, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” utilizes Androids as a symbol of dissonance with reality. The Androids become prevalent to the point where the fake can be mistaken for the real. Therefore Duras seems to coincide with the demands of society, and therefore loses her credibility as a proponent of feminism because she becomes lost within the masses of society.
Feminism relies on the idea of woman being able to produce a change, however Duras allocates power to society, and becomes defeated by the process of individuation. The process of individuation consumes her novel, “The Lover” and conveys the life of a struggling woman, and the detrimental impacts of society.
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LibraryThing member wendyrey
Short and clever story about a young, French woman of fifteen living in French Indo-China (now Viet-nam I think) in difficult family circumstances. She has a passionate relationship with a Chinese man which cannot end happily (she is underage for a start and both cultures would be horrified at
Entertaining
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their relationship).Entertaining
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LibraryThing member 4book
This is an ok book, it tells the story about Duras affair as a young teenager, with an older Chinese man. During the account Duras changes between past and present tense. She also sometimes write about herself as "I" and sometimes in third person, I haven't really figured out why she makes these
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changes. The matarial of this book one supposes could actually be developed into a real moving novel, I don't know why Duras kept the story in this short form. Perhaps she was lazy? As it stand now it somewhat has a sketchy form, which perhaps is ok? But I think I would have prefered if she had made a longer and more elaborated novel out of the material. And those inconsistencies I mentioned in the start (about past and present tense and I account and third person) Well maybe the book would have been better without those litterary experiments? Show Less
LibraryThing member sarasegal
The Lover by Marguerite Duras is a semi autobiographical novel set in prewar Indochina. It is the story of a young woman (likely Duras) who engages in an affair with a much older Chinese man. This has been called a feminist work but I disagree. Instead of a triumphant tale of sexual liberation, I
The main character in the story is essentially a little girl with no roots. She is French and living in Vietnam with her mother and two brothers. Instead of supporting each other in this foreign country, the family in in shambles. The mother is basically rendered absent as a result of her terrible depression; a “deep despondency about living” (14). The girl is an outsider, and the closest example of a woman she has is a mother who is terribly unhappy and unavailable. The mother at one point in the novel buys a house “for absolutely no reason” (15) and as the girl talks about it one gets the impression that the mother buys the house as an act of reaching out to grasp something; something that might make her happy, might give her some worth. She wants something to hold on to. She wants roots. Similarly the girl buys a hat and gold shoes which she values very highly even though in reality they have little worth at all.
The girls mother puts extreme importance on her getting a math degree. It does not matter to her mother that she does not like math and she is not even very good at it. And it certainly does not matter that she wants to write. The girl tells the reader that her mother has already squashed this dream by telling her that she must get her math degree first. She says that writing is “nonsense […] A childish idea” (21). This statement implies that, for a young girl to do what she wants to do is silly and childish. She takes away all credibility and importance of her daughter and her feelings. The mother wants the girl to do math, or be a human calculator. She wants her to forgo her own passion in favor of serving a direct purpose. She is basically saying that despondency, unhappiness, and unfair compromise is part of womanhood, going after your dreams is childish.
So it is no surprise that this trapped young girl goes to someone else who is in a similar situation in order to feel more validated. The lover is male but he is a Chinese man living in Vietnam and he is forced to live as his father wants in order to inherit his money. It makes sense that the girl would turn to sex in order to feel important. The lover cares deeply for the girl and envelopes her in passion, all she has to do is spread her legs. On page 45 the girl describes a conversation between her and her lover. She is naked as she is speaking and the lover is watching her, she says, “perhaps he’s not listening, I don’t know” (45). She would not be receiving this attention if she had not turned to a sexual relationship in order to get it. This girl’s position in life, the invalidation of her own passion and will, the lack of a home and a family, and the knowledge that her fate is to end up like her mother, drives this girl to find validation and love in a relationship that is purely based on sex.
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read a sad story of yet another trapped young girl. She is a girl has been taken away from her home in France and has very little support and validation from her family, most importantly, from her mother.The main character in the story is essentially a little girl with no roots. She is French and living in Vietnam with her mother and two brothers. Instead of supporting each other in this foreign country, the family in in shambles. The mother is basically rendered absent as a result of her terrible depression; a “deep despondency about living” (14). The girl is an outsider, and the closest example of a woman she has is a mother who is terribly unhappy and unavailable. The mother at one point in the novel buys a house “for absolutely no reason” (15) and as the girl talks about it one gets the impression that the mother buys the house as an act of reaching out to grasp something; something that might make her happy, might give her some worth. She wants something to hold on to. She wants roots. Similarly the girl buys a hat and gold shoes which she values very highly even though in reality they have little worth at all.
The girls mother puts extreme importance on her getting a math degree. It does not matter to her mother that she does not like math and she is not even very good at it. And it certainly does not matter that she wants to write. The girl tells the reader that her mother has already squashed this dream by telling her that she must get her math degree first. She says that writing is “nonsense […] A childish idea” (21). This statement implies that, for a young girl to do what she wants to do is silly and childish. She takes away all credibility and importance of her daughter and her feelings. The mother wants the girl to do math, or be a human calculator. She wants her to forgo her own passion in favor of serving a direct purpose. She is basically saying that despondency, unhappiness, and unfair compromise is part of womanhood, going after your dreams is childish.
So it is no surprise that this trapped young girl goes to someone else who is in a similar situation in order to feel more validated. The lover is male but he is a Chinese man living in Vietnam and he is forced to live as his father wants in order to inherit his money. It makes sense that the girl would turn to sex in order to feel important. The lover cares deeply for the girl and envelopes her in passion, all she has to do is spread her legs. On page 45 the girl describes a conversation between her and her lover. She is naked as she is speaking and the lover is watching her, she says, “perhaps he’s not listening, I don’t know” (45). She would not be receiving this attention if she had not turned to a sexual relationship in order to get it. This girl’s position in life, the invalidation of her own passion and will, the lack of a home and a family, and the knowledge that her fate is to end up like her mother, drives this girl to find validation and love in a relationship that is purely based on sex.
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LibraryThing member patri104
Throughout the novel, The Lover, author Marguerite Duras challenges the gender roles and norms prevalent in society. Her representation of the main character, a French adolescent girl living in Indochina and her interactions with others provides a commentary on feminist theory, and represents a
In the beginning of the novel, the girl expresses her concern over women’s obsession over beauty. The girl believes that “You didn’t have to attract desire. Either it was in the woman who aroused it or it didn’t exist…It was an instant knowledge of sexual relationship or it was nothing” (19). The girl essentially believes that it is the woman who holds the power within herself. The power does not come from the ability to attract men, but it is simply inherent within a woman. Further, power is held within the knowledge of sexual relationship. As the novel progresses, the girl begins to exercise the power within herself through her sexual relationships with others.
After encountering her Chinese lover, the girl begins to objectify him as a man who objectifies a woman. She believes that “From the first moment…he’s at her mercy. And therefore that others besides him may be at her mercy too if the occasion arises” (35). The girl is fully aware of the power she holds in the relationship, and the potential power she has to implement in other relationships. She starts by taking power away from him in their sexual relationship, and therefore exemplifies a reversal of gender roles.
After entering a sexual relationship with the lover, the girl maintains control over the relationship, exclaiming that she “likes the idea of his having many women, the idea of [her] being one of them, indistinguishable” (42). By giving her lover the permission to view her as an object, the girl takes away power from him. He has no ability to objectify her, because she has objectified herself first. Further, the girl allows herself to become the dominating figure in their sexual relationship. This represents a reversal of roles, as she is herself empowered in the process of taking power from the lover. She explains that the lover is “weak, probably a helpless prey to insult, vulnerable” (38). By viewing the lover as a weak and helpless creature, the girl reverses the gender norm common to women and portrays that norm onto men. In addition to objectifying men, the girl displays power in her relationships with women.
Throughout the novel, the girl experiences a desire for her friend Helene Lagonelle. The girl begins to objectify Helene, and finds power in the potential to make other women objects. The girl is “worn out with desire for Helene Lagonelle…[She’d] like to give Helene Lagonelle to the man who does that to [her] so he may do it in turn to her. [She] wants it to happen in [her] presence” (74). By desiring to see Helene as an object in her presence, and hold power over her, the girl is challenging the traditional views of women as passive and subordinate. She describes Helene in terms of her body, and focuses on her physical attributes. For example, she describes Helen’s body as “heavy, innocent still, her skin’s as soft as that of certain fruits, you can almost grasp her” (73). The girl’s obsession of Helen’s body reverses the gender role of women as the object, and replaces that role with the person objectifying. Further, the girl finds pleasure in knowing she holds power over the relationships in her life.
Overall, The Lover offers a critique of gender norms by reversing the role of women as weak and passive, to strong and powerful. The main character exercises her power over others by treating them as objects, and maintaining control over her relationships; further suggesting the continual struggle for women and their struggle for equality.
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reversal of roles. Through her writing, Duras suggests a challenge of women’s role as an object, and exemplifies a regaining of power for women.In the beginning of the novel, the girl expresses her concern over women’s obsession over beauty. The girl believes that “You didn’t have to attract desire. Either it was in the woman who aroused it or it didn’t exist…It was an instant knowledge of sexual relationship or it was nothing” (19). The girl essentially believes that it is the woman who holds the power within herself. The power does not come from the ability to attract men, but it is simply inherent within a woman. Further, power is held within the knowledge of sexual relationship. As the novel progresses, the girl begins to exercise the power within herself through her sexual relationships with others.
After encountering her Chinese lover, the girl begins to objectify him as a man who objectifies a woman. She believes that “From the first moment…he’s at her mercy. And therefore that others besides him may be at her mercy too if the occasion arises” (35). The girl is fully aware of the power she holds in the relationship, and the potential power she has to implement in other relationships. She starts by taking power away from him in their sexual relationship, and therefore exemplifies a reversal of gender roles.
After entering a sexual relationship with the lover, the girl maintains control over the relationship, exclaiming that she “likes the idea of his having many women, the idea of [her] being one of them, indistinguishable” (42). By giving her lover the permission to view her as an object, the girl takes away power from him. He has no ability to objectify her, because she has objectified herself first. Further, the girl allows herself to become the dominating figure in their sexual relationship. This represents a reversal of roles, as she is herself empowered in the process of taking power from the lover. She explains that the lover is “weak, probably a helpless prey to insult, vulnerable” (38). By viewing the lover as a weak and helpless creature, the girl reverses the gender norm common to women and portrays that norm onto men. In addition to objectifying men, the girl displays power in her relationships with women.
Throughout the novel, the girl experiences a desire for her friend Helene Lagonelle. The girl begins to objectify Helene, and finds power in the potential to make other women objects. The girl is “worn out with desire for Helene Lagonelle…[She’d] like to give Helene Lagonelle to the man who does that to [her] so he may do it in turn to her. [She] wants it to happen in [her] presence” (74). By desiring to see Helene as an object in her presence, and hold power over her, the girl is challenging the traditional views of women as passive and subordinate. She describes Helene in terms of her body, and focuses on her physical attributes. For example, she describes Helen’s body as “heavy, innocent still, her skin’s as soft as that of certain fruits, you can almost grasp her” (73). The girl’s obsession of Helen’s body reverses the gender role of women as the object, and replaces that role with the person objectifying. Further, the girl finds pleasure in knowing she holds power over the relationships in her life.
Overall, The Lover offers a critique of gender norms by reversing the role of women as weak and passive, to strong and powerful. The main character exercises her power over others by treating them as objects, and maintaining control over her relationships; further suggesting the continual struggle for women and their struggle for equality.
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LibraryThing member RVonbengfort
Keeping an open mind to literature, movies or any other medium has always been my approach to putting myself in a story. I went into this novel having high expectations, not extremely high, just averagely high. However for most of the novel I had no idea what was going on. I was at a total loss
To my dull surprise I learned what had already happened in I think the next couple of paragraphs. It’s like the story began and finished within maybe the first twenty pages or less and then in continued on. I felt like the book was telling me, “Hey you know the story already and now I’m going to give you some random facts about this girl’s life, whether you like it or not.” Needless to say, like it I did not!
Considering the page count, which is very small to begin with, I honestly believe this could’ve been a short story. I was not a fan of the out of order stream of conscious writing. Although I do like reading novels that happen within the character’s head, I just need continuity! I can accept flashbacks since flashbacks further the story. However this book did not contain flashbacks. I don’t even know what it contained. The honest feeling I got while reading the novel was me, stuck in this little, big or whatever girl’s head. The girl had to sneeze and I was blown out of her nose but at the last minute she plugged her nostrils. Then I was hurled back inside her brain, somebody turned on the flush and was spun out of control. I had to push myself to be free of this woman.
Well with that out of the way I guess the next thing to address is the sexuality. What I mostly do not understand is where all the sex is in this book? Not that I care to see it. Although again, I came into the book thinking, “oh great so basically I’m reading a porno.” Well it wasn’t, and there might have been lines in the book where she wrote, “and he caressed me and we made love”. That is all I could remember from this shambled book. Actually there was one scene where she talked about her lover washing her after they first had sex and she was a virgin. Although I’m not sure why that was necessary in the book. It served no purpose at all. She had already stated before that it hurt when the first did it so we really did not need that particular scene. It just furthers my frustration with the book.
I would much rather read Philip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” again then have to read this shamble of a book. After I read Androids I sat back in my chair or bed or wherever I was and thought about it for a while. I absolutely did not do that with “The Lover”. In fact I’m almost positive I threw it down on the ground and never touched it again. Actually, I’m positive I did this because right before I wrote this review, I picked it up from underneath my bed along with some of my dirty clothes.
In conclusion I am not a fan of “The Lover” although I won’t hold it against you if you do happen to like it. It is just not my thing. If you love romances and weird out of order writing, then go ahead and jump into this story and read it, reflect on it, review it and etc. Just promise me one thing. Do not talk to me about it.
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throughout the whole thing. As soon as Marcuerite Duras wrote about this girl’s run-in with a wealthy Chinese man, who was considerably older then her I had somewhat of an idea to where the novel was going. To my dull surprise I learned what had already happened in I think the next couple of paragraphs. It’s like the story began and finished within maybe the first twenty pages or less and then in continued on. I felt like the book was telling me, “Hey you know the story already and now I’m going to give you some random facts about this girl’s life, whether you like it or not.” Needless to say, like it I did not!
Considering the page count, which is very small to begin with, I honestly believe this could’ve been a short story. I was not a fan of the out of order stream of conscious writing. Although I do like reading novels that happen within the character’s head, I just need continuity! I can accept flashbacks since flashbacks further the story. However this book did not contain flashbacks. I don’t even know what it contained. The honest feeling I got while reading the novel was me, stuck in this little, big or whatever girl’s head. The girl had to sneeze and I was blown out of her nose but at the last minute she plugged her nostrils. Then I was hurled back inside her brain, somebody turned on the flush and was spun out of control. I had to push myself to be free of this woman.
Well with that out of the way I guess the next thing to address is the sexuality. What I mostly do not understand is where all the sex is in this book? Not that I care to see it. Although again, I came into the book thinking, “oh great so basically I’m reading a porno.” Well it wasn’t, and there might have been lines in the book where she wrote, “and he caressed me and we made love”. That is all I could remember from this shambled book. Actually there was one scene where she talked about her lover washing her after they first had sex and she was a virgin. Although I’m not sure why that was necessary in the book. It served no purpose at all. She had already stated before that it hurt when the first did it so we really did not need that particular scene. It just furthers my frustration with the book.
I would much rather read Philip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” again then have to read this shamble of a book. After I read Androids I sat back in my chair or bed or wherever I was and thought about it for a while. I absolutely did not do that with “The Lover”. In fact I’m almost positive I threw it down on the ground and never touched it again. Actually, I’m positive I did this because right before I wrote this review, I picked it up from underneath my bed along with some of my dirty clothes.
In conclusion I am not a fan of “The Lover” although I won’t hold it against you if you do happen to like it. It is just not my thing. If you love romances and weird out of order writing, then go ahead and jump into this story and read it, reflect on it, review it and etc. Just promise me one thing. Do not talk to me about it.
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LibraryThing member gille108
I’m a fan of structure. I cling to it like a lifeline. It’s probably why I wear a watch all the time, and why when I’m on a senior thesis set doing sound, I’m hounding the assistant director about how long before we go for a take. I guess you can say I’m a little OCD. When I saw a DVD of
The Lover, by Marguerite Duras, is lacking in structure… or at least the structure I like. It has its own structure: the structure of the mind. The mind has a random structure: one random thought leads to another in some form, whether by word or image. The Lover is written like how one thinks when looking through I box of random photos. The photos are organized in one way: a certain time period. They are not in chronological order, nor are they grouped together by the subjects within the photos. It’s like the author is just picking them up and like your grandma pointing out people, naming them, telling you her age… and unless the story she has to tell is interesting you don’t particularly care. But you nod your head politely and silently beg for her to move on.
I’m not saying that The Lover wasn’t interesting. I have to admit that it’s style was interesting. Ironically, I may like structure, but I can’t write poetry because it’s TOO structured for me. I sometimes like pieces that are written in different ways… and I didn’t mind The Lover being like that… as long as I didn’t read it the whole time, and took breaks every so often.
Despite the random order of events that could get confusing at times, I was able to pick out the story. I had to really pay attention. It was like one of those “put the images in chronological order” activities. In fact, I was even able to track down “the crossing of the threshold” as part of the Hero’s Journey: the day on the ferry where she meets her Chinese lover.
Racism was VERY easy to identify in this novel as well. Or at least racism on part of the minor characters. As the white girl, the girl is treated differently, and the fact that she’s having an affair with a Chinese man is blasphemy. There’s even one part where she says she can’t cry, because it’s wrong to cry over a Chinese man. Essentially, he’s not worthy of a white girl’s tears. However, in bed together, they’re more equal. He displays a small amount of male dominance, yet at the same time worships her. In that situation, she CAN cry over a Chinese man. No one can stop her.
It’s been said that The Lover is a feminist text… and in some ways, I can see that. She’s a strong female character who’s not letting anyone dictate what she does with her life. I wouldn’t say that it’s thickly feminist… more of a memoir that you can find feminism in… or make feminist by interpretation. I don’t believe that the goal of the text was to BE feminist.
Truth is, I didn’t really enjoy The Lover. There was a lot of times where I couldn’t make head nor tail of it. The lack of chronological order makes it difficult to remember parts in the novel. It feels like one of those novels you have to read a few times in order to really get it. I don’t HATE the novel. There were points where I thought it was interesting, such as the story behind the Chinese lover. However, like mentioned, to me it was like sitting with your grandmother as she goes through a box of old photos and recounts memories… and only some of the memories are interesting, only some of the memories wake you up and make you go, “Wait… what?!”
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Syd Field (essentially a screenwriting god) laying out a diagram for how a typical story is structured, I clung to it. The Lover, by Marguerite Duras, is lacking in structure… or at least the structure I like. It has its own structure: the structure of the mind. The mind has a random structure: one random thought leads to another in some form, whether by word or image. The Lover is written like how one thinks when looking through I box of random photos. The photos are organized in one way: a certain time period. They are not in chronological order, nor are they grouped together by the subjects within the photos. It’s like the author is just picking them up and like your grandma pointing out people, naming them, telling you her age… and unless the story she has to tell is interesting you don’t particularly care. But you nod your head politely and silently beg for her to move on.
I’m not saying that The Lover wasn’t interesting. I have to admit that it’s style was interesting. Ironically, I may like structure, but I can’t write poetry because it’s TOO structured for me. I sometimes like pieces that are written in different ways… and I didn’t mind The Lover being like that… as long as I didn’t read it the whole time, and took breaks every so often.
Despite the random order of events that could get confusing at times, I was able to pick out the story. I had to really pay attention. It was like one of those “put the images in chronological order” activities. In fact, I was even able to track down “the crossing of the threshold” as part of the Hero’s Journey: the day on the ferry where she meets her Chinese lover.
Racism was VERY easy to identify in this novel as well. Or at least racism on part of the minor characters. As the white girl, the girl is treated differently, and the fact that she’s having an affair with a Chinese man is blasphemy. There’s even one part where she says she can’t cry, because it’s wrong to cry over a Chinese man. Essentially, he’s not worthy of a white girl’s tears. However, in bed together, they’re more equal. He displays a small amount of male dominance, yet at the same time worships her. In that situation, she CAN cry over a Chinese man. No one can stop her.
It’s been said that The Lover is a feminist text… and in some ways, I can see that. She’s a strong female character who’s not letting anyone dictate what she does with her life. I wouldn’t say that it’s thickly feminist… more of a memoir that you can find feminism in… or make feminist by interpretation. I don’t believe that the goal of the text was to BE feminist.
Truth is, I didn’t really enjoy The Lover. There was a lot of times where I couldn’t make head nor tail of it. The lack of chronological order makes it difficult to remember parts in the novel. It feels like one of those novels you have to read a few times in order to really get it. I don’t HATE the novel. There were points where I thought it was interesting, such as the story behind the Chinese lover. However, like mentioned, to me it was like sitting with your grandmother as she goes through a box of old photos and recounts memories… and only some of the memories are interesting, only some of the memories wake you up and make you go, “Wait… what?!”
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LibraryThing member watki108
This is an amazing story that has many more in-depth meanings underneathe the book itself. The book tells of a little girl who seduces an older Chinese man and is a not-so-typical love story with them separating in the end. This takes you through a long journey of themes questioning femonism, love
"Very early in my life it was too late. At eighteen it was already too late. I aged. This aging was brutal. It spread over my features, one by one. I saw this aging of my face with the same sort of interest I might have taken, for example, in the reading of a book. That new face, I kept it. It's kept the same contours, but it's like it is destroyed. I have a destroyed face."
So already you can see that this girl is wise beyond her years. This story takes place in 1929, when a 15 year old girl is on a ferry going across the Mekong Delta, coming home from a holiday at her families home in the town of Sa Dec, to her new boarding school in Saigon. She starts mingling with a 27 year old Chinese business man, who has lots of wealth and a fortune that one can bearly dream of. He sees her walking, is immediately attracted to her, and offers her a ride in his limousine. From that point on, is where the love story begins.
The conflict is that this wealthy Chinese man's father, has a lot of power, and anything that is not fit to his high standards, will not fly with his father. The young girl, has a widowed, manic-depressive mother, and her family is extremely poor. Those are two major reason why the young girl goes off with the Chinese man. However, at the end of the stoy, that is the whole reason they must depart from one another. The Chinese man's father does not approve of the young girl, so the Chinese man decides to bow to his father's decision, and chooses not to be with her. In a way, he is choosing wealth over "love."
Now that you have the plot and story line of the book, we can discuss what is going on underneathe all of the cracks of the ground. The writer uses a "feminist", and a "7/8 of the iceburg" technique (which I love) to demonstrate some underlying issues.
In my opinion, I believe that the author is, in a way, searching for herself. After writing this book, many years later, she admits that she, herself, was the little girl in the story. So when she is writing this, many years in the future, she can go back and write things how she wants to. We talked about this is class, how you can have a memory, (or at least, think you have one) and create it in a way how you want it to go or be carried out. This is what I believe Duras does in this journal. I believe she wants to think of herself as this girl, giving her all power, not getting attached, being extremely gorgeous and materialistic, but in real-life, I believe she is much more different than that. I believe she is re-creating a past that is not the whole truth. This technique is referred to as "subjective memory." I think many of us do similiar things when we are telling stories, giving scenerios, ect. We tend to over-exxagerate a little bit.
She also tries to tie in the whole, "love vs. lust" idea into the journal. She tries to demonstrate the role reversal in how men normally deal with sex, how they can just not care and have sex with many girls and never get attached, or just with one girl many times and not get attached. She gives that power to the young girl in this story. The young girl here, seduces the older Chinese man many times and has the Chinese man crazy about her, while she acts as the normal "guy" in modern day society. Who knows how the story really went way back when. However, something we never really touched on in class, is how odd it is how the young girl (who normally wouldn't even dream of having sexual relations) has sexual relations with the man, and she is so damn young, to not have any feelings whatsoever for him! I just find that a little bit odd.
So in the end of the story, the girl must leave the man because of the Chinese father's decisions. Now, throughout the whole book, the girl has shown little emotion towards the man, and even when they depart. However, when she gets on that train and realizes she will probably never see him again, she starts weeping heavily. I love how the author throughout the whole book tries to make it seem that love and lust do not come hand in hand, but in the final moment of the girl finally disappearing, she finally ties it in. She waits until the very last second of when you think the girl is just heartless! And ties it in that she really was "in love" with the Chinese man. All in all, this is a great book. I recommend you read it, and see for yourself the things that go on underneathe the writing, maybe you can find some things that we did not!
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vs. lust, and whether they come hand in hand or not, as well as even role reversal. The book begins with the main character, who is nameless, saying:"Very early in my life it was too late. At eighteen it was already too late. I aged. This aging was brutal. It spread over my features, one by one. I saw this aging of my face with the same sort of interest I might have taken, for example, in the reading of a book. That new face, I kept it. It's kept the same contours, but it's like it is destroyed. I have a destroyed face."
So already you can see that this girl is wise beyond her years. This story takes place in 1929, when a 15 year old girl is on a ferry going across the Mekong Delta, coming home from a holiday at her families home in the town of Sa Dec, to her new boarding school in Saigon. She starts mingling with a 27 year old Chinese business man, who has lots of wealth and a fortune that one can bearly dream of. He sees her walking, is immediately attracted to her, and offers her a ride in his limousine. From that point on, is where the love story begins.
The conflict is that this wealthy Chinese man's father, has a lot of power, and anything that is not fit to his high standards, will not fly with his father. The young girl, has a widowed, manic-depressive mother, and her family is extremely poor. Those are two major reason why the young girl goes off with the Chinese man. However, at the end of the stoy, that is the whole reason they must depart from one another. The Chinese man's father does not approve of the young girl, so the Chinese man decides to bow to his father's decision, and chooses not to be with her. In a way, he is choosing wealth over "love."
Now that you have the plot and story line of the book, we can discuss what is going on underneathe all of the cracks of the ground. The writer uses a "feminist", and a "7/8 of the iceburg" technique (which I love) to demonstrate some underlying issues.
In my opinion, I believe that the author is, in a way, searching for herself. After writing this book, many years later, she admits that she, herself, was the little girl in the story. So when she is writing this, many years in the future, she can go back and write things how she wants to. We talked about this is class, how you can have a memory, (or at least, think you have one) and create it in a way how you want it to go or be carried out. This is what I believe Duras does in this journal. I believe she wants to think of herself as this girl, giving her all power, not getting attached, being extremely gorgeous and materialistic, but in real-life, I believe she is much more different than that. I believe she is re-creating a past that is not the whole truth. This technique is referred to as "subjective memory." I think many of us do similiar things when we are telling stories, giving scenerios, ect. We tend to over-exxagerate a little bit.
She also tries to tie in the whole, "love vs. lust" idea into the journal. She tries to demonstrate the role reversal in how men normally deal with sex, how they can just not care and have sex with many girls and never get attached, or just with one girl many times and not get attached. She gives that power to the young girl in this story. The young girl here, seduces the older Chinese man many times and has the Chinese man crazy about her, while she acts as the normal "guy" in modern day society. Who knows how the story really went way back when. However, something we never really touched on in class, is how odd it is how the young girl (who normally wouldn't even dream of having sexual relations) has sexual relations with the man, and she is so damn young, to not have any feelings whatsoever for him! I just find that a little bit odd.
So in the end of the story, the girl must leave the man because of the Chinese father's decisions. Now, throughout the whole book, the girl has shown little emotion towards the man, and even when they depart. However, when she gets on that train and realizes she will probably never see him again, she starts weeping heavily. I love how the author throughout the whole book tries to make it seem that love and lust do not come hand in hand, but in the final moment of the girl finally disappearing, she finally ties it in. She waits until the very last second of when you think the girl is just heartless! And ties it in that she really was "in love" with the Chinese man. All in all, this is a great book. I recommend you read it, and see for yourself the things that go on underneathe the writing, maybe you can find some things that we did not!
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LibraryThing member kandrus12
Women have been fighting for full equality for a long time and one of their ways of showing other women how strong they can be through literature. It allows the author to portray his/her characters in any way that he/she wants. The Lover, by Marguerite Duras, is considered a feminist text for many
Even though the lead female character is young she still takes a more commanding role and dominates other characters. She is portrayed as a very masculine female who uses the power of manipulation. Even though the typical hero’s journey includes a lead male character, the use of such a strong female character allows an easy change in role reversal. It also shows how the young girl goes against the social norms that we expect through stereotypes. She is able to intimidate and put a sense of fear in the male characters. The fact that Duras makes the male characters seem weak in comparison, “…he’s hairless, nothing masculine about him but his sex, he’s weak, probably a helpless prey to insult, vulnerable” (Duras 38). This just adds to the role reversal and puts the woman in an even greater spot of power. Duras also empowers women when it comes to the bedroom as well. The graphic love making scenes show another aspect in which the younger women still dominates in a typically male dominated situation. The character feels that men are only men because of their genetics rather than their actual traits because then women could be considered men in such a case like this. The Lover gets labeled a feminist novel because it gives women what are considered masculine traits.
Duras also wrote this novel as an autobiography as a means to objectify herself. She may not have been trying to empower her readers, but also empowering herself. She uses the novel to get in touch with herself and on her struggles of sexism and the lack of respect towards women. By using this autobiography style of writing it allows her to switch back and forth between first and third person. It gives Duras complete control over her novel and portrays herself in any way that she would want. By using two different points of view it enhances the reader’s experience and shows the in depth look into the young girl’s mind. Not only do you see the world from the young girl’s perspective, but third person gives a different and broader view on situations in the novel. It allows for a deeper understanding into the actions of the young girl and reveals her maturity. Even though she is young she is able to prioritize and be independent. It is a common misconception that just because a woman writes a book it should be thought of as feminine. It would be to say that men could not write a feminine novel. People can make their literature be about anything they want and can empower whoever they want. Duras being a woman does not imply The Lover is a feminist novel. However, Duras using the novel as an autobiography and empowering the young girl in her novel classifies it as a feminist text. It is not who writes the novel, but rather the actually content of the novel itself.
The Lover takes a younger woman and gives her dominating power over the men in her life. Women have struggled for equality and literature has become a way of voicing their protest. Duras’s use of role reversal, empowerment of women, and objectifying herself in the novel illuminates the underlying message that this is a feminist text.
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reasons, and in particular the empowerment of women. Even though the lead female character is young she still takes a more commanding role and dominates other characters. She is portrayed as a very masculine female who uses the power of manipulation. Even though the typical hero’s journey includes a lead male character, the use of such a strong female character allows an easy change in role reversal. It also shows how the young girl goes against the social norms that we expect through stereotypes. She is able to intimidate and put a sense of fear in the male characters. The fact that Duras makes the male characters seem weak in comparison, “…he’s hairless, nothing masculine about him but his sex, he’s weak, probably a helpless prey to insult, vulnerable” (Duras 38). This just adds to the role reversal and puts the woman in an even greater spot of power. Duras also empowers women when it comes to the bedroom as well. The graphic love making scenes show another aspect in which the younger women still dominates in a typically male dominated situation. The character feels that men are only men because of their genetics rather than their actual traits because then women could be considered men in such a case like this. The Lover gets labeled a feminist novel because it gives women what are considered masculine traits.
Duras also wrote this novel as an autobiography as a means to objectify herself. She may not have been trying to empower her readers, but also empowering herself. She uses the novel to get in touch with herself and on her struggles of sexism and the lack of respect towards women. By using this autobiography style of writing it allows her to switch back and forth between first and third person. It gives Duras complete control over her novel and portrays herself in any way that she would want. By using two different points of view it enhances the reader’s experience and shows the in depth look into the young girl’s mind. Not only do you see the world from the young girl’s perspective, but third person gives a different and broader view on situations in the novel. It allows for a deeper understanding into the actions of the young girl and reveals her maturity. Even though she is young she is able to prioritize and be independent. It is a common misconception that just because a woman writes a book it should be thought of as feminine. It would be to say that men could not write a feminine novel. People can make their literature be about anything they want and can empower whoever they want. Duras being a woman does not imply The Lover is a feminist novel. However, Duras using the novel as an autobiography and empowering the young girl in her novel classifies it as a feminist text. It is not who writes the novel, but rather the actually content of the novel itself.
The Lover takes a younger woman and gives her dominating power over the men in her life. Women have struggled for equality and literature has become a way of voicing their protest. Duras’s use of role reversal, empowerment of women, and objectifying herself in the novel illuminates the underlying message that this is a feminist text.
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LibraryThing member shaml101
“The Lover” by Marguerite Duras is certainly a unique read. I have to admit that it was a slightly painful process trying to get through the first twenty pages. It is not that Duras is a horrible writer; on the contrary, her writing is exceptional. It is simply the way she chose to structure
One of the first elements that pops out in this particular piece of writing is the structure and style. It is almost like Duras took her life, chopped it up into little pieces and then scattered them at random throughout the novel. The ambiguity caused by this structural choice, however, is perfect because it is meant to be a recollection of Duras’ life; she, like many I’m sure, remembers pieces or snapshots of her past. A linear structure would not be an authentic representation of how she remembers her past. The random structure of the piece also hints at a feminist writing style in that it pulls away from the masculine, standard, autobiographical writing style. Another interesting quality in Duras’ piece is her chose to switch between first and third person. Duras seems to incorporate this viewpoint switch to choose where in her past she wishes to part take or define as herself and which points she believes to not be her. In some ways, it is like the girl in the story is a completely separate entity from herself but then at certain moments represents or is herself once again. This continual connection and almost disassociation throughout the novel builds to the overall feeling of searching for self.
A notable theme throughout the story was the role reversal between the author and her past Chinese lover. Duras describes her desire to be with the Chinese mine to be purely out of desire for his money, his objects. He, however, wishes to be with her because he loves her. She uses her sexuality as a source of power. Overall, her character challenges the stereotypical gender roles. Both the feminine and masculine roles exist in the text, however, the Chinese man is portrayed with more feminine emotions and desires whereas Duras plays a more masculine position of power. Another interesting societal component explored in the book was the exploration of sexuality. The setting of the story takes place in a time period where women were not thought to enjoy or like sex. However, the story goes against this sentiment. The main character not only explores her sexuality but enjoys it as well. This does cause some guilt in the author though due to the social standards implemented on women. Her guilt does not stop her though from continuing her passionate relationship with her Chinese lover.
Overall this book is difficult to get into and may require a few rereads. However, it is worth it in the end. The search for self-discovery throughout the text is authentically relatable. Upon first glance, the novel appears to be a simply discombobulated autobiography but upon closer look and consideration one can see that it is truly a reflective journey through Duras’ search for self affirmation.
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this particular piece of text that made it difficult (at least in the beginning) to get through. However, as the book progresses, the story becomes easier to follow and thus more enjoyable to read. An element of the book that I found most interesting, and that was assisted by the structure of the text, was the subtle feminist quality throughout the book. In the quest to find herself, Marguerite Duras uses a sporadic structure as well as role reversal and unexpected characterization to make an intriguing piece of relatable feminist literature.One of the first elements that pops out in this particular piece of writing is the structure and style. It is almost like Duras took her life, chopped it up into little pieces and then scattered them at random throughout the novel. The ambiguity caused by this structural choice, however, is perfect because it is meant to be a recollection of Duras’ life; she, like many I’m sure, remembers pieces or snapshots of her past. A linear structure would not be an authentic representation of how she remembers her past. The random structure of the piece also hints at a feminist writing style in that it pulls away from the masculine, standard, autobiographical writing style. Another interesting quality in Duras’ piece is her chose to switch between first and third person. Duras seems to incorporate this viewpoint switch to choose where in her past she wishes to part take or define as herself and which points she believes to not be her. In some ways, it is like the girl in the story is a completely separate entity from herself but then at certain moments represents or is herself once again. This continual connection and almost disassociation throughout the novel builds to the overall feeling of searching for self.
A notable theme throughout the story was the role reversal between the author and her past Chinese lover. Duras describes her desire to be with the Chinese mine to be purely out of desire for his money, his objects. He, however, wishes to be with her because he loves her. She uses her sexuality as a source of power. Overall, her character challenges the stereotypical gender roles. Both the feminine and masculine roles exist in the text, however, the Chinese man is portrayed with more feminine emotions and desires whereas Duras plays a more masculine position of power. Another interesting societal component explored in the book was the exploration of sexuality. The setting of the story takes place in a time period where women were not thought to enjoy or like sex. However, the story goes against this sentiment. The main character not only explores her sexuality but enjoys it as well. This does cause some guilt in the author though due to the social standards implemented on women. Her guilt does not stop her though from continuing her passionate relationship with her Chinese lover.
Overall this book is difficult to get into and may require a few rereads. However, it is worth it in the end. The search for self-discovery throughout the text is authentically relatable. Upon first glance, the novel appears to be a simply discombobulated autobiography but upon closer look and consideration one can see that it is truly a reflective journey through Duras’ search for self affirmation.
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LibraryThing member riley116
The Lover, by Marguerite Duras, is novel that has been arguably labeled as “an act of autobiography”. However, I think one has to read this novel themselves to be able to determine weather that is true or not. This novel is filled symbols that exhibit the technique famously used by Hemmingway
A way this young girl gains power is by dictating those around her. The role reversal of her and the Chinese man shows her obsession for power. Instead of her being the one who is controlled by love, it is the other way around where the Chinese man is the one being manipulated. This is shown by the Chinese mans weeping as he loves her. Another example of role reversal is the way the little French girl is the one living in poverty while the Chinese man is the wealthy one. However, despite the usual power that comes with having money, the young girl is the one who holds the power over the Chinese man. The Chinese man is nothing but an object to her. Furthermore, she allows herself two be an object of lust as a way to protect herself and demonstrate her independence. She contradicts the idea that women cannot separate emotion and intimacy.
The young girl knows she is beautiful and flaunts it well. She wears clothes that attract men twice her age. This is evident when she says, “I’m used to people looking at me…people have been looking at me for the past three years…looking at me in the streets, and my mother’s friends have been kindly asking me to have tea with them while their wives are out playing tennis at the Sporting Club”. Her clothes symbolize power. By the way she dresses she “already knows how to divert the interest in her to the interest she takes in money”. She has self-control by being able to control her image she is able to control the attention of men. The fedora hat she wears shows mystery and promiscuity to her onlookers. The make-up and red lipstick shows she is earnestly trying to grow up and have adult experiences. Also, her lame´gold heels show her flirtatious attitude and lack of modesty. By dressing in such a way she invites attention rather than diverting it.
The author’s use of flashbacks gives the reader an experience rarely used in most novels. It is this approach that gives this novel such a unique flavor. The use of flashbacks demonstrates the autobiographical sense of the novel. The constant back and forth or events gives the reader a more realistic feel to story. The author tells revisits times in her life that were dramatic and even painful at times. This shows how the author can find herself by revisiting certain past times. Often it is past experiences that define us. Sometimes these experiences are those we want to forget but, nevertheless, they help define us.
From this novel, lessons can also be learned. Figuratively speaking, in the way that Duras used literature to unveil her identity, we can also. This shows how one can learn from past experiences and discover new things about one self. It also serves as a form of reconciling with the past. The passion felt from the novel can be used in other ways like pursuing ones dreams. Duras’ main goal was to write and she found a way to do that no matter what. She knew what she wanted in life and made sure nothing would get in her way, even love.
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called, “the 7/8 of the iceberg”. If you take this novel for its face value you will miss all the hidden desires and ambitions demonstrated by the author. In my opinion this text was an outlet for Duras to finally tell her life story and all of the feelings that accompanied her life experiences. By doing so she is able to discover her identity and share her unique adolescence with others. The author uses the young girls relationship, her clothing, and the nonlinear structure of the novel to portray the passion filled life story. A way this young girl gains power is by dictating those around her. The role reversal of her and the Chinese man shows her obsession for power. Instead of her being the one who is controlled by love, it is the other way around where the Chinese man is the one being manipulated. This is shown by the Chinese mans weeping as he loves her. Another example of role reversal is the way the little French girl is the one living in poverty while the Chinese man is the wealthy one. However, despite the usual power that comes with having money, the young girl is the one who holds the power over the Chinese man. The Chinese man is nothing but an object to her. Furthermore, she allows herself two be an object of lust as a way to protect herself and demonstrate her independence. She contradicts the idea that women cannot separate emotion and intimacy.
The young girl knows she is beautiful and flaunts it well. She wears clothes that attract men twice her age. This is evident when she says, “I’m used to people looking at me…people have been looking at me for the past three years…looking at me in the streets, and my mother’s friends have been kindly asking me to have tea with them while their wives are out playing tennis at the Sporting Club”. Her clothes symbolize power. By the way she dresses she “already knows how to divert the interest in her to the interest she takes in money”. She has self-control by being able to control her image she is able to control the attention of men. The fedora hat she wears shows mystery and promiscuity to her onlookers. The make-up and red lipstick shows she is earnestly trying to grow up and have adult experiences. Also, her lame´gold heels show her flirtatious attitude and lack of modesty. By dressing in such a way she invites attention rather than diverting it.
The author’s use of flashbacks gives the reader an experience rarely used in most novels. It is this approach that gives this novel such a unique flavor. The use of flashbacks demonstrates the autobiographical sense of the novel. The constant back and forth or events gives the reader a more realistic feel to story. The author tells revisits times in her life that were dramatic and even painful at times. This shows how the author can find herself by revisiting certain past times. Often it is past experiences that define us. Sometimes these experiences are those we want to forget but, nevertheless, they help define us.
From this novel, lessons can also be learned. Figuratively speaking, in the way that Duras used literature to unveil her identity, we can also. This shows how one can learn from past experiences and discover new things about one self. It also serves as a form of reconciling with the past. The passion felt from the novel can be used in other ways like pursuing ones dreams. Duras’ main goal was to write and she found a way to do that no matter what. She knew what she wanted in life and made sure nothing would get in her way, even love.
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LibraryThing member schwi101
In “The Lover” Marguerite Duras depicts an autobiography of herself, intertwining her memories, which she states could not be the actual truth because she has told the story so many times and “the story of her life doesn’t exist” (Duras 8). Throughout the novel the main character switches
Throughout the novel the main character is constantly wishing to become a women and will do anything to become one. She reflects back on memories remembering how she wore “a sleeveless dress with a very low neck” and “the famous pair of gold lamé high heels” (11). The dress the author depicts herself in is evidence of the fact she wishes to be older. She remembers herself in clothes women would wear, not girls. As well, the main character makes it clear that an important part of life and growing up is experiencing pleasure. Without this, you are weak, dependent, and childlike. She depicts these thoughts through her thoughts of her mother, stating “[her] mother never knew pleasure” (39). Since she has so much desire to experience this pleasure she constantly wishes for the first sexual act to be over so that she can consider herself a women.
She uses “I” and “she” to look back on to her life and find her identity. “I” is used to reflect back on her memories, but the third person is used during sexual interactions. When reflecting on her memories she expresses that this is the first time she can really say everything she wishes since her family is a deceased. Before, when she told her story she was unable to portray her family in the negative light she believed they deserved to be in. Her main objective seems to be to escape her awful family life and become a women of her own. The only person within her family she seems to care for is her younger brother, who dies. She believes her mother to be a childlike women, lacking worldly and sexual experiences who is dependent on her oldest son. Due to her mother’s actions the main character is constantly trying to not be dependent on a man which seems to be one of the reasons that the main character is so dominant over her lover. Another reason the main character seems to have this role reversal to become the dominant male is due to her oldest brother. He is a mommas boy who tries to take the role of the father figure. Since her older brother is so dominating and the main character seems to be too fearful of him to rebel against him, she accepts his demands and rebels towards her lover. When looking back on these memories of her family she is able discover herself and understand the reasons she did certain things.
The main women character uses “she” during these sexual interactions to de-attach herself from the experience. It is a method for her to step outside herself and makes her believe she has not done the actual deed. She seems to do this because she is ashamed of what she has done and does not want to remember herself doing this act. The reason she seems to be ashamed and embarrassed is due to her lack of understanding why she acts in such a manner. These reactions are not usual from a girl her age but she wishes to become older. Through these experiences and using “she” she is able to step back, look, and understand her actions. She realizes that she physically desires the man and does in fact love him. She finally understands that she wishes to be treated like any other women a man sleeps with and in turn this helps her comprehend her own sexuality.
Through the novel, Duras uses the story told to depict her coming of age. And uses the story told to decipher her own identity and sexuality.
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from using “I” to “she” to differentiate different experiences. Duras uses this novel to reflect back on her experiences and discover herself. The story Duras tells is her coming of age. Throughout the novel the main character is constantly wishing to become a women and will do anything to become one. She reflects back on memories remembering how she wore “a sleeveless dress with a very low neck” and “the famous pair of gold lamé high heels” (11). The dress the author depicts herself in is evidence of the fact she wishes to be older. She remembers herself in clothes women would wear, not girls. As well, the main character makes it clear that an important part of life and growing up is experiencing pleasure. Without this, you are weak, dependent, and childlike. She depicts these thoughts through her thoughts of her mother, stating “[her] mother never knew pleasure” (39). Since she has so much desire to experience this pleasure she constantly wishes for the first sexual act to be over so that she can consider herself a women.
She uses “I” and “she” to look back on to her life and find her identity. “I” is used to reflect back on her memories, but the third person is used during sexual interactions. When reflecting on her memories she expresses that this is the first time she can really say everything she wishes since her family is a deceased. Before, when she told her story she was unable to portray her family in the negative light she believed they deserved to be in. Her main objective seems to be to escape her awful family life and become a women of her own. The only person within her family she seems to care for is her younger brother, who dies. She believes her mother to be a childlike women, lacking worldly and sexual experiences who is dependent on her oldest son. Due to her mother’s actions the main character is constantly trying to not be dependent on a man which seems to be one of the reasons that the main character is so dominant over her lover. Another reason the main character seems to have this role reversal to become the dominant male is due to her oldest brother. He is a mommas boy who tries to take the role of the father figure. Since her older brother is so dominating and the main character seems to be too fearful of him to rebel against him, she accepts his demands and rebels towards her lover. When looking back on these memories of her family she is able discover herself and understand the reasons she did certain things.
The main women character uses “she” during these sexual interactions to de-attach herself from the experience. It is a method for her to step outside herself and makes her believe she has not done the actual deed. She seems to do this because she is ashamed of what she has done and does not want to remember herself doing this act. The reason she seems to be ashamed and embarrassed is due to her lack of understanding why she acts in such a manner. These reactions are not usual from a girl her age but she wishes to become older. Through these experiences and using “she” she is able to step back, look, and understand her actions. She realizes that she physically desires the man and does in fact love him. She finally understands that she wishes to be treated like any other women a man sleeps with and in turn this helps her comprehend her own sexuality.
Through the novel, Duras uses the story told to depict her coming of age. And uses the story told to decipher her own identity and sexuality.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MorganHelmstetter
I found “The Lover” to be one of the most interesting books we have read all year. The way the author, Marguerite Duras wrote, really made the story of a young girl just telling her life through her own perspective and another perspective very interesting. I’ve never read a book where the
While I enjoyed the book, there were certain details that made up the novel, hard to follow. As I mentioned before, the switching of the 1st to 3rd was very interesting, but at times very hard to follow. I would be reading about how she thought the story went and then it would switch to someone else giving details about the exact same moment. This brought me to think that possibly she was recollecting on her childhood, and made me picture her flipping through a photo album and explaining each story, no matter the order. When one reminisces on the past, the story at times may seem out of wack because you remember what you can, while bits of more information is remembered.
Earlier we discussed one of the controversial topics of the novel, being that it is a feminist text or not? While one may argue that it is not, I give great reason to think that it is. While set in French Indochina, pre Vietnam War, the roles are constantly switched within the genders. Not only did a female write the novel, but it also portrayed many of the same traits that a feminist novel portrays. The main character, played by a girl, goes out into the world and put on a tough exterior, in order to not be played by the men in her life. The first time she goes to the lover’s house, she basically tells him to have sex with her. Usually this would never come out of a young girl’s mouth, but Duras liked to put a new twist on the meaning of a female. This also leads into the introduction to sexuality within the characters. The girl becomes friends with a girl name Helene, who is described to be very beautiful but very innocent, This leads to the topic of “loss of innocence” in the fact that this girl does not even know she is beautiful and is even being admired and loved by her own good friend. She is described to have a woman’s body on this small frame, but the main character talks of “devouring her breasts”. This section confused me because while describing this girl’s body, she is also busy talking about her Chinese lover. In the end, I found the novel to be one that I would probably have to read over again, to analyze the hidden information, but overall I enjoyed the novel very much.
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author switches from 3rd to 1st person, obviously showing that there is meaning behind what she is writing. The novels main theme to me was the “loss of innocence” between almost every character. It starts out with the main girl, who is never named, with great detail of her hat and shoes. She was always told to dress up, in order to look older and more mature. While the first few chapters focused on her hat and shoes, it was soon not discussed after she met her lover. The lover, Chinese man, played a type of character that did not stand up to what he felt was right and at times came off as very weak. While his father was a slumlord, he was able to live off his riches, therefore not making him worldly or strong. In America, men are seen as the more masculine figure, and throughout this novel, Dura’s switches gender roles quite often. Another example of switched gender roles is the role of the mother. The mother comes off throughout the novel as a very strong woman, who doesn’t take slack from anyone, especially not her own daughter. An instance in the novel where this takes place is when the family is introduced to “the lover” and all they do is sit quietly and never make direct eye contact with him. He is therefore seen as very weak, not demanding the eye contact with the women of her family. While I enjoyed the book, there were certain details that made up the novel, hard to follow. As I mentioned before, the switching of the 1st to 3rd was very interesting, but at times very hard to follow. I would be reading about how she thought the story went and then it would switch to someone else giving details about the exact same moment. This brought me to think that possibly she was recollecting on her childhood, and made me picture her flipping through a photo album and explaining each story, no matter the order. When one reminisces on the past, the story at times may seem out of wack because you remember what you can, while bits of more information is remembered.
Earlier we discussed one of the controversial topics of the novel, being that it is a feminist text or not? While one may argue that it is not, I give great reason to think that it is. While set in French Indochina, pre Vietnam War, the roles are constantly switched within the genders. Not only did a female write the novel, but it also portrayed many of the same traits that a feminist novel portrays. The main character, played by a girl, goes out into the world and put on a tough exterior, in order to not be played by the men in her life. The first time she goes to the lover’s house, she basically tells him to have sex with her. Usually this would never come out of a young girl’s mouth, but Duras liked to put a new twist on the meaning of a female. This also leads into the introduction to sexuality within the characters. The girl becomes friends with a girl name Helene, who is described to be very beautiful but very innocent, This leads to the topic of “loss of innocence” in the fact that this girl does not even know she is beautiful and is even being admired and loved by her own good friend. She is described to have a woman’s body on this small frame, but the main character talks of “devouring her breasts”. This section confused me because while describing this girl’s body, she is also busy talking about her Chinese lover. In the end, I found the novel to be one that I would probably have to read over again, to analyze the hidden information, but overall I enjoyed the novel very much.
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Subjects
Awards
PEN Translation Prize (Winner — 1986)
Scott Moncrieff Prize for French Translation (Winner — 1986)
Prix Goncourt (Gewinner — 1984)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1984 (original French)
Physical description
128 p.; 5.19 inches
ISBN
9780375700521
Local notes
fiction