The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 2 December 1999
by Marguerite Duras
Abandoned by her fiancee in front of an entire ballroom full of her acquaintances, Lol Stein falls into a pit of despair when she refuses to allow herself the luxury of expressing the pain of that abandonment. In a cycle that lasts for a decade, Lol remains obsessed with that dreadful day, despite marrying and raising three children along the way. In Duras' dark and compelling book, the reader experiences the numb state in which Lol leads her life. Returning to her home town, she meets up with her old friend Tatiana, who is carrying on her own extra-marital affair. Lol intertwines Tatiana's affair and her own pain, creating an odd little world of her own. The people around her suspect she's descended into madness, when she is merely broken and sad. This isn't a happy book, despite Lol's protests to the contrary. The author's writing style is changeable and intricate, depicting the turbulent thought patterns of the characters. The landscape is broad and bland. Lol is lost in a desert of supressed pain and love. It is a tortuous tale, difficult to watch so much anguish. Somewhat unreal, one may come away sensing this is almost a mythical story. Some of Duras' work is notably autobiographical. One may wonder what brought this tale to light.