Suite Francaise

A Novel

By: Irene Nemirovsky

Narrated by: Daniel Oreskes, Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Irene Nemirovsky was arrested soon after completing the second part of Suite Francaise. Ten days later, on August 17, 1942, she died of typhus in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Her husband, Michel, perished in a gas chamber on November 6. Their daughters, Denise and Elizabeth, survived, hidden in safe houses and convents, carrying a suitcase packed with clothes, photographs, and their mother's manuscript written in tiny letters to save paper. For years, both girls thought it was a journal and couldn't bear to read it. Then, in the late 1980s, Denise began transcribing it with the help of a magnifying glass.

Part One, "A Storm in June", is set in the chaos and mayhem of the massive 1940 exodus from Paris on the eve of the Nazi invasion. Part Two, "Dolce", opens in the provincial town of Bussy during the first influx of German soldiers. Each part features a rich cast of characters, people who never should have met, but come to form ambiguous relationships as they are forced to endure circumstances beyond their control.

Translated by Sandra Smith.

©2004 Editions DENOEL; 2006 Sandra Smith (P)2006 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Finalist, Literary Fiction, 2007

"A finely made work of fiction that portrays occupied France with both severity and sympathy....Written with extraordinary detachment by a woman who seemed to know that her own days were numbered." (The New York Times)

Good book/Weak audio

I am sure this is a great and important book, well written, etc. Unfortunately, it did not translate well into an audio book for me. Very hard to pay attention and keep interesed. The reading did not help bring the words alive either. After 2 hours, I am quiting!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Wow, what a bore. the whole book could have been summarized into anout 35 minutes and it would have been a much better book. This was meaner through the lives of patty the wholely unintersting.

This book again proves that even an interesting and significant subject can be treated so poorly that you just scratch your head after sloggin through it.

Way Over-rated

Would you try another book from Irene Nemirovsky and/or Daniel Oreskes and Barbara Rosenblat ?

Listened to this Audio for book-club. I couldn't wait for it to be over. I appreciated the writers work & when written at such an awful time, but nevertheless, boring, too many story lines, not enough sustance. Disapointed.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Not sure.

Which character – as performed by Daniel Oreskes and Barbara Rosenblat – was your favorite?

Albert, the cat & Benniot

What character would you cut from Suite Francaise?

Most of them

Any additional comments?

waste of money - points.

A Bit Boring

I finally got through it but what could have been a great account turned out to be a bore.

Wonderful and Boring

I read most of the book and found it very satisfying in detail and feeling. Then I listened - and found it boring. The reader's voice is distracting, its modulations seeming inspired by something within the reader rather than by the narrative, and he employs a potpourri of not quite identifiable accents. Even the most basic French approximations are too far off-target: "monsieur" becomes "mushyur". The acting is overheated or boring. Disappointing.

I really wanted to like this

All the reviews for this book were great, and I really wanted to like it. It moved so slowly, and nothing really happened. I guess it was interesting, but I couldn't stay focused for all 12 hours (even though I did listen to the whole thing ... I often found my mind wandering). Maybe this is one to read.

Slow

Slow and not unlike other books written on this subject be it a fiction or non fiction book.