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blahdrien's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pogseu's review
5.0
I have now finished reading Monsieur Venus, which I really enjoyed. I thought it was superbly written: the French just flows, the imagery and play on words (especially, you will have guessed, on masculine and feminine articles and pronouns) are just astounding.
I thought the story was well constructed, and could see a clear progression in the events and plot. You start off with this young woman who can get whatever she wants. She has no boundaries. Her aunt is an almost comic character: she is out of touch and out of reach because the only thing on her mind is religion.
Little by little, Raoule's freedom turns against her, a bit like Dorian Gray.. I thought the novel was mainly about her fall into decadence.
What really struck me was that this novel was written pre-Freud, and yet explored the unconscious by dealing with deviant sexual behaviour and by violating deeply felt taboos.
Some of it was pretty ghoulish and perverse, and I can see how it can be perceived as being in bad taste.
But, maybe because it said in the blurb that the book had been condemned as pornographic, I thought it would be much more graphic than it was, I guess I was expecting something much more shocking than that.
I liked it so much that I am hoping to get hold of more books by Rachilde, like La Marquise de Sade, and Mon Etrange Plaisir.
dragonarts's review against another edition
5.0
I'm just .. wow. Gender reversal 19th century love story, complete with all its flourishes... I'm speechless. The ending has me. I'll be thinking about this for a while.
**Update: I'm still thinking about it. This might be one of the only books I reread right after finishing it.
**Update: I'm still thinking about it. This might be one of the only books I reread right after finishing it.
lia_kim's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
aurorepersy's review against another edition
4.0
« Elle avait acheté un être qu’elle méprisait comme homme et adorait comme beauté. (Elle disait : beauté, ne pouvant pas dire : femme.) »
3.5
3.5
pancakeplant's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
drkappitan's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful, disturbing look at the possessive side of love and its dangerous consequences.