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nixueq's review against another edition
3.0
Понравилось история, интересно было следить за историей, но уже на первой трети я перестала пытаться запомнить героев, что не испортило впечатления. Трогательный, откровенный, атмосферный роман.
dajna's review against another edition
3.0
Ma io volevo il lieto fine per tutti, anche per i personaggi più demenziali. Ammetto che mi sarei fermata volentieri a metà, al "vissero tutti felici e contenti". Tuttavia Schmitt, da bravo narratore dello spirito umano, con la scusa di esplorare l'amore e il sesso in place D'Arezzo ci declina i vari modi con cui le persone si ingegnano a rendersi infelici.
Prima di tutto l'ambientazione: la piazza è una delle più belle del Belgio, enfatizzata dalla presenza di pappagalli e cocorite liberate decenni prima da un collezionista. I volatili si sono ambientati e riprodotti, ed ora la loro vita rumorosa e promiscua serve da paragone a quella degli abitanti.
I residenti sono persone importanti, facoltose. Si va dal commissario europeo che ambisce a diventare primo ministro del Belgio al direttore del quotidiano più diffuso, dalla famiglia del banchiere al romanziere di fama mondiale. Un tocco autobiografico, quest'ultimo? Certo non è difficile appore facce di contemporanei alle descrizioni dei personaggi, prima fra tutte Dita von Teese. E il politico con la passione per ogni gonnella, la cui carriera viene compromessa dalla sua dedizione al sesso? Mi verrebbe in mente un altro nome, poco belga...
Schmitt analizza tutte le sfaccettature della sessualità contemporanea, ma non è mai volgare. Abbiamo l'affermata coppia gay e le due lesbiche assai più discrete. Il giovane asessuato e gli scambisti, un po' di sadomaso e l'amore (alla fine) romantico di un paio di teenager.
Il mio preferito è il giardiniere, Hyppolite. E' l'unico a non farsi le proverbiali menate, a parte qualche sbuffo in cui si crede troppo poco intelligente per piacere alla compagna. Io invece ritengo che l'affrontare criticamente il proprio bagaglio culturale sia proprio indice di intelligenza. Ha un che di socratico: nel momento in cui so di non sapere ho anche lo stimolo ad istruirmi. Se credo di conoscere tutto difficilmente farò passi avanti.
Come sempre il romanzo si legge senza fatica, nonostante la mole. Anche se so di ripetermi non posso evitare di parlare della leggerezza con cui Schmitt si insinua nella vita dei personaggi. Nonostante ci siano molti protagonisti, l'impostazione del romanzo rende facile seguirne le vicende. Non sarà il mio preferito, ma è una storia che potrebbe contribuire a far apprezzare di più Schmitt in Italia. Pensateci, per i prossimi regali di natale.
Prima di tutto l'ambientazione: la piazza è una delle più belle del Belgio, enfatizzata dalla presenza di pappagalli e cocorite liberate decenni prima da un collezionista. I volatili si sono ambientati e riprodotti, ed ora la loro vita rumorosa e promiscua serve da paragone a quella degli abitanti.
I residenti sono persone importanti, facoltose. Si va dal commissario europeo che ambisce a diventare primo ministro del Belgio al direttore del quotidiano più diffuso, dalla famiglia del banchiere al romanziere di fama mondiale. Un tocco autobiografico, quest'ultimo? Certo non è difficile appore facce di contemporanei alle descrizioni dei personaggi, prima fra tutte Dita von Teese. E il politico con la passione per ogni gonnella, la cui carriera viene compromessa dalla sua dedizione al sesso? Mi verrebbe in mente un altro nome, poco belga...
Schmitt analizza tutte le sfaccettature della sessualità contemporanea, ma non è mai volgare. Abbiamo l'affermata coppia gay e le due lesbiche assai più discrete. Il giovane asessuato e gli scambisti, un po' di sadomaso e l'amore (alla fine) romantico di un paio di teenager.
Il mio preferito è il giardiniere, Hyppolite. E' l'unico a non farsi le proverbiali menate, a parte qualche sbuffo in cui si crede troppo poco intelligente per piacere alla compagna. Io invece ritengo che l'affrontare criticamente il proprio bagaglio culturale sia proprio indice di intelligenza. Ha un che di socratico: nel momento in cui so di non sapere ho anche lo stimolo ad istruirmi. Se credo di conoscere tutto difficilmente farò passi avanti.
Come sempre il romanzo si legge senza fatica, nonostante la mole. Anche se so di ripetermi non posso evitare di parlare della leggerezza con cui Schmitt si insinua nella vita dei personaggi. Nonostante ci siano molti protagonisti, l'impostazione del romanzo rende facile seguirne le vicende. Non sarà il mio preferito, ma è una storia che potrebbe contribuire a far apprezzare di più Schmitt in Italia. Pensateci, per i prossimi regali di natale.
stef369's review against another edition
3.0
La place d'Arezzo à Bruxelles a un caractère particulier: les arbres sont habités par des perroquets et des perruches... D'où viennent ces animaux? Quels rôle jouent-ils dans ce roman? Un roman, qui se veut comme un véritable "encyclopédie" de l'amour et de la passion humaine. Une lettre anonyme est le "déclic" de cette histoire. Plusieurs habitants de la place d'Arezzo reçoivent le même message mystérieux: "Ce mot simplement pour te signaler que je t'aime. Signé: tu sais qui". A la suite de cette lettre anonyme, différents personnage (il y en a une grande quantité!) vont "changer" leur vie d'une façon ou de l'autre. Les "acteurs" sont plutôt des représentants de différentes formes de passion - il manque un peu de personnalité, de psychologie. Comme toujours, Schmitt "construit" son roman avec beaucoup de rigidité et de structure (peut-être un peu trop?), déjà par exemple les noms de chants religieux (Magnificat, Dies Irae, ...). Finalement, ce sont tous un peu des petites histoires, des mini-tableaux. Au cours du roman, il y a interaction entre les personnages, mais cela reste un peu trop cherché... D'ailleurs, certaines situations sont assez naïves.
Et les perroquets? Peut-être le passage à la page 418 éclaire-t-il quelque chose?
"... Pourquoi les hommes se rêvent-ils autres qu'ils sont?
" C'est le sens de l'idéal. Nous ne sommes pas des bêtes...."
" Tu confonds le sens de l'idéal et la négation de la biologie. Comme les perroquets et les perruches au-dessus de nous, des pulsions nous agitent, plus fortes que nous, plus nombreuses que nous le voudrions, dans les directions qu'elles choisissent elles, pas nous. L'infidélité est naturelle; nous, en revanche, nous cessons de l'être en nous jurant la frustration."
Il faut le dire: l'idée du roman est ambitieuse - et j'admire en Schmitt son audace, il ne fuit pas les idées ambitieuses (La Part de l'autre, Ulysse from Bagdad, ...). Il cherche aussi des idées nouvelles. Le roman est d'ailleurs agréable à lire. Ce qui manque un peu, c'est le raffinement psychologique.
Et les perroquets? Peut-être le passage à la page 418 éclaire-t-il quelque chose?
"... Pourquoi les hommes se rêvent-ils autres qu'ils sont?
" C'est le sens de l'idéal. Nous ne sommes pas des bêtes...."
" Tu confonds le sens de l'idéal et la négation de la biologie. Comme les perroquets et les perruches au-dessus de nous, des pulsions nous agitent, plus fortes que nous, plus nombreuses que nous le voudrions, dans les directions qu'elles choisissent elles, pas nous. L'infidélité est naturelle; nous, en revanche, nous cessons de l'être en nous jurant la frustration."
Il faut le dire: l'idée du roman est ambitieuse - et j'admire en Schmitt son audace, il ne fuit pas les idées ambitieuses (La Part de l'autre, Ulysse from Bagdad, ...). Il cherche aussi des idées nouvelles. Le roman est d'ailleurs agréable à lire. Ce qui manque un peu, c'est le raffinement psychologique.
cloudytm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
forever_amber's review against another edition
4.0
Хубав роман, който, общо взето, прочетох с удоволствие. Модерна проза, но отвъд писането само по себе си, това е, което най-много ми допадна. Хората са наистина много различни, но и много логични и никак не страшни, ако ги опознаеш добре.
anatomydetective's review against another edition
5.0
Witty, thoughtful, funny, and a little dark and perverse. Superb writing. A rather perfect book.
briarsreviews's review
1.0
The Carousel of Desire is a beautifully crafted set of stories by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt all focused on love, romance and desire.
This book was hard to get through, if I'm being honest. There are SO many character and storylines to follow that it was really hard to put the book down and pick it back up. I would forget what people were doing, and even when I took notes I felt it had the "Game of Thrones" effect for me. Too many people around, to many things going on and fantastic writing. It kind of upset me.
The Carousel of Desire was translated, and boy it is marvelous. Reading it felt like cheating fine chocolate or sipping on fine wine - it's absolutely glorious. If you want a well crafted book that felt like it was written by someone who truly loves literature and crafting stunning sentences, this book is for you. I was honestly floored by some of the descriptions because they're just... good. Too good.
All of the stories interconnect through a series of notes being passed around. The notes express sentiments of love, and every set of romantic partners/couples/trios/squares get one. Watching the drama play out was fun as well, but I felt like it would have been way more enjoyable if the stories had been separated. If I only had to focus on one story at a time instead of waiting twenty chapters to get the second part to a couple I read in chapter one.
HOT TAKE TIME: I'd also argue that this book is a very adult book. It's R rated for some of the sex scenes and it ventures into various types of sexual relationships. Old/young, true love, asexuality, threesomes, young love, and second chance at love being some of the major ones. But... you can tell this was written by a man (only at times). Some of the descriptions and comments said in the book don't sound romantic, they sound ravenous (but at times when it is supposed to be romantic). Sure, maybe the characters are just horn bags and like talking that way, but I didn't feel like the character studies felt like a variety. They felt like different ways to have sex written in a man's imagination.
One story really angered me, and it was a woman who hated her body. Yes, they exist and most women have their insecurities but some of the descriptions about her made me want to throw up. It didn't feel like it was written in an honest take, but rather as an insult to women who don't appreciate themselves. Others might not see it that way, but I really did not enjoy that story. I've read other novels where they address this issue, but they don't insult the character along the way. It felt... distasteful and weird. It's a bad execution of the idea, in my opinion.
Overall, this felt like a very pessimistic book for me. It's definitely not a book I enjoyed as a reader but other people will thoroughly enjoy it. Maybe I'm getting soft with the novels I like to read... Either way, it wasn't a book for me. I still think Eric-Emmanuel is a master of description and sounds like an author I would have read in my literature classes - beautiful writing style with beautiful prose.
One out of five stars - it's just not for me. It took me a long time fighting myself to finish this book, unfortunately.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This book was hard to get through, if I'm being honest. There are SO many character and storylines to follow that it was really hard to put the book down and pick it back up. I would forget what people were doing, and even when I took notes I felt it had the "Game of Thrones" effect for me. Too many people around, to many things going on and fantastic writing. It kind of upset me.
The Carousel of Desire was translated, and boy it is marvelous. Reading it felt like cheating fine chocolate or sipping on fine wine - it's absolutely glorious. If you want a well crafted book that felt like it was written by someone who truly loves literature and crafting stunning sentences, this book is for you. I was honestly floored by some of the descriptions because they're just... good. Too good.
All of the stories interconnect through a series of notes being passed around. The notes express sentiments of love, and every set of romantic partners/couples/trios/squares get one. Watching the drama play out was fun as well, but I felt like it would have been way more enjoyable if the stories had been separated. If I only had to focus on one story at a time instead of waiting twenty chapters to get the second part to a couple I read in chapter one.
HOT TAKE TIME: I'd also argue that this book is a very adult book. It's R rated for some of the sex scenes and it ventures into various types of sexual relationships. Old/young, true love, asexuality, threesomes, young love, and second chance at love being some of the major ones. But... you can tell this was written by a man (only at times). Some of the descriptions and comments said in the book don't sound romantic, they sound ravenous (but at times when it is supposed to be romantic). Sure, maybe the characters are just horn bags and like talking that way, but I didn't feel like the character studies felt like a variety. They felt like different ways to have sex written in a man's imagination.
One story really angered me, and it was a woman who hated her body. Yes, they exist and most women have their insecurities but some of the descriptions about her made me want to throw up. It didn't feel like it was written in an honest take, but rather as an insult to women who don't appreciate themselves. Others might not see it that way, but I really did not enjoy that story. I've read other novels where they address this issue, but they don't insult the character along the way. It felt... distasteful and weird. It's a bad execution of the idea, in my opinion.
Overall, this felt like a very pessimistic book for me. It's definitely not a book I enjoyed as a reader but other people will thoroughly enjoy it. Maybe I'm getting soft with the novels I like to read... Either way, it wasn't a book for me. I still think Eric-Emmanuel is a master of description and sounds like an author I would have read in my literature classes - beautiful writing style with beautiful prose.
One out of five stars - it's just not for me. It took me a long time fighting myself to finish this book, unfortunately.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
guerlettres's review against another edition
3.0
С претенция да бъде енциклопедия на любовта, стига до каталог или инвентар. С добрия замисъл да бъде ода и/или симфония на любовта, стига до водевил и гротеска. Добре обмислена структура и конструкция. Шмид /за пореден път/ опростява, приземява, обяснява, та чак подценява читателя /линията с хармоничното трио не ме убеди нито за миг.../.
Оставам с добро чувство отчасти заради атмосферата в града и площад д'Арецо, към които ме връща. И заради поетизира нето на папагалите /истински/, които добавят към великолипната философия на абсурда в Брюксел.
Оставам с добро чувство отчасти заради атмосферата в града и площад д'Арецо, към които ме връща. И заради поетизира нето на папагалите /истински/, които добавят към великолипната философия на абсурда в Брюксел.
beyondrecovery's review
4.0
Probably more like a 3.5 that I'm rounding up to a 4 on the strength of the writing style, the last section, and the very end. Because of the book's length I chose to read about 3 chapters a day while reading other books so that I wouldn't feel like I was "missing out" on other books while trying to tackle this one. The chapters are well paced but there are essentially 15 or so main characters, each of whom gets 1 chapter per section. As a result, at times it was a struggle to remember who was who and I was mostly going on their circumstances to remember them as opposed to their names. This was fine for the most part but some characters would appear in others' chapters and sometimes I couldn't remember who they were (whoops!) That said, there was a feel-goodness to the book that I enjoyed despite some of its problematic elements.
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