The Other Story by Tatiana de Rosnay
Published: April 5, 2014Publisher: St. Martin's PressPages: 320Buy Now: Amazon | Book Depository*received from Raincoast Books for honest reviewVacationing at a luxurious Tuscan island resort, Nicolas Duhamel is hopeful that the ghosts of his past have finally been put to rest… Now a bestselling author, when he was twenty-four years old, he stumbled upon a troubling secret about his family – a secret that was carefully concealed. In shock, Nicholas embarked on a journey to uncover the truth that took him from the Basque coast to St. Petersburg – but the answers wouldn’t come easily.
In the process of digging into his past, something else happened. Nicolas began writing a novel that was met with phenomenal success, skyrocketing him to literary fame whether he was ready for it or not – and convincing him that he had put his family’s history firmly behind him. But now, years later, Nicolas must reexamine everything he thought he knew, as he learns that, however deeply buried, the secrets of the past always find a way out.
Page-turning, layered and beautifully written, Tatiana de Rosnay's THE OTHER STORY is a reflection on identity, the process of being a writer and the repercussions of generations-old decisions as they echo into the present and shape the future.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was surprised in what I found. I didn't overly like the main character, Nicholas, but I have a feeling you aren't suppose to like him right away. The story seems to be one of self-realization and honestly by then end you see that Nicholas doesn't necessarily like who he has become either.
He is a very self centrered man, who is riding the tide of having published a best selling novel turned best selling movie. He is big on social media and the gory of being a star writer. Funny enough, he has writer's block aka no new idea's when it comes to writing his second novel. I think the problem lies with the fact that he used a real life story to base his novel on in the first place and his life now is not something he can really draw from.
His backstory is laid out in alternating chapters - you see how Nicholas grew up, you learn about his parents and the story of who his father really was. He tracks down his family history and this in turn gives him the idea for his great novel.
He takes things in his life for granted and pines over past relationships that he himself ruined. It's interesting to watch him think back on these times and finally come to the realization that he let fame take over his life.
I think this novel might have been a little different if it had completely explained his father's secrets, how they truly affected Nicholas and maybe to have him be less self-absorbed and arrogant. He needed a reality check, but it came too late.
From the reviews I've read online, Tatiana de Rosnay has written some amazing books, so I am not giving up on this author yet. I'll try one of her other books soon.
About the Author:
No comments:
Post a Comment
I read every comment and try to reply to them all. Thanks for visiting my little piece of the blogosphere.