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Amelie Nothomb is a phenomenon! She's curd, ruthless and honest to the core. Her books are all more less biographical, but I always wonder to what intent. She triggers and she enjoys it. So she's no author for thin-skinned people. In this book she portrays the world at war. Children at war. And a toxic relationship. Nothomb puts her finger into world politics, but the actors are children.

#BacklistReadathon @Clwojick @TheAromaofBooks

Marie liked her name.
#firstlinefridays
@ShyBookOwl

This book was written in 1937 by Belgian #feminist author, Madeleine Bourdouxhe. Translated from French by Faith Evans. The story is a timeless "she loves him, but he loves another, who loves someone else" tale. It rings just as true today as it did 80+ years ago. The 'Femme', Elisa, stands by her man and her family throughout her husband's affair, but at what cost? Is the cold, empty heart of her husband enough for Elisa?
#Belgium

This book was written over 80 years ago and is still relatable today. The story takes place in pre WW2 Belgium and is the story of a love triangle of Elisa, who is the wife of Gilles, who has an affair with Victorine, who also happens to be Elisa's youngest sister. Madeleine Bourdouxhe is a Belgian author whose rise to success was delayed due to WW2. She never stopped writing, and her work was rediscovered in the 1980s.
#Belgium #feminism

I was enchanted by every city we visited on our cruise four (!) years ago, but Bruges was by far the most picturesque. It has a bell tower, a cathedral, a canal with swans, a palace, quaint shops and cafes…

There‘s also quirky public art, such as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Don‘t ask me which one this is, because I couldn‘t read the Dutch sign with tiny writing.

#darkhorse #volumesandvocals

An easy read. Short and entertaining but totally forgettable.

I‘m not sure why I keep reading Toussaint‘s work. His novels are short and at times concentrate on descriptions of mundane activities by average characters, yet once in a while he hits a nerve describing a feeling or a situation we‘ve all experienced, but have never quite put into words, such as the encounter you have with someone at a party alone, sharing awkward anecdotes while other guests randomly stop by and leave your conversation, bored.

This is Toussaint‘s first novel about a man who seems to be aloof from society, wishing to spend his days in his bathtub. Unwanted visits from painters and spouse spur him to flee to a hotel in Italy and then later to a hospital where he never has the surgery he was slated for. Toussaint is a master of depicting imagery and emotion. If you combined Proust with a Kafka plot, this novel would result. It‘s absurd, funny, serious and insightful.

“After dinner I went into the lounge and sat in front of the television for a parade of silent, incomprehensible images of catastrophe. Images without sounds are powerless to express horror. If the last few seconds of life of the ninety billion humans who have died since the earth was formed could be filmed and shown in succession in a movie theater, the spectacle would, I think, soon pall...“

These are some of my favorite episodes, sad as they are. #Poirot #Belgian #detective #FinalCurtain