This Belgian modern classic from 1937 was referenced by famous French feminist, Simone de Beauvoir, and has been more recently rediscovered and made into a film.
It’s a book about sexual passion and a painful love triangle set in a rather modest Belgian home in Liège. Elisa is married to Gilles, and she is literally quivering at the idea of him coming home from work. Pregnant and mother to their twins, Elisa is a devoted (even obsessive) wife to her strong and dynamic husband.
Cue domestic drama: her younger, unmarried sister. How will Gilles cope with his sudden feelings of desire towards Victorine? How will Elisa cope with her husband sliding away? How does Victorine really feel about the situation?
You have to cope with some hyperbole in this book, but you also get used to its intense, emotional style.
An intelligent domestic horror that hurtles towards a point of no return. A rousing description of betrayal.
One word: heady.
Leave a Comment