Pictured: reading in Montmartre with an iconic black cat in the vicinity.
I picked up this slim French novel a while ago. When I started reading, I realised it was originally written as a play, which definitely shapes the text in some ways, though it’s been adapted quite seamlessly into novel form.
This short book is a very easy and, at times, quite addictive read. The story follows a 53-year-old woman whose life is beginning to unravel: her husband has just left her, she has two children, and she’s stuck in a stressful administrative job at a rubber company, where her boss is increasingly putting her under pressure. All of this builds toward a kind of breaking point.
There’s a lingering sense of mystery around exactly what happens, but she experiences an intense nervous breakdown that ultimately leads to a shocking act of violence.
What I found particularly interesting were the novel’s reflections on violence, relationships, and emotional overload, how pressures can accumulate quietly until, suddenly, everything becomes too much. It’s a stark exploration of what that tipping point looks like and what it can lead to.
I liked the psychological intensity, escalating plot, and slight vagueness on what actually happened. I liked the retrospective narrative style of the book where you really live inside the protagonist’s head.
The author has written some great books: I loved All Men Want to Know and feel like I want to read more of her writing. I especially like her works anchored in her Algerian heritage.
Read if you want a claustrophobic and intelligent read.
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