Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Genre: Literary/General Fiction
Synopsis: We hear the voice of Silvio: a man getting on in years who has returned to the village of his youth after a long time abroad. He lives by himself, enjoys his wine and his solitude. But a visit from his cousin Hélène and her husband François, with their future son-in-law in tow, begins to draw Silvio back into the life of his family and of this insular community, toward the revelation of secrets he and others have guarded for decades.

Rating:
4.5 stars

Review:
The greatest strength of any work coming from Irene Nemirovsky is the writing. If you liked Suite Francaise as much as I did, then I recommend this novel by the same author simply for her poetic and effortless way of telling a story.

I do think not everyone is going to like this. It does go on and on, with almost the same exact pace as when it started. There are not much action going on, as the main focus of the book I think is its narrative. Also, for those wondering, it is not as good as Suite Francaise. However, this is such a different book that there's really no point comparing the two. For me, I really enjoyed reading this.

Overall, I loved the male character's point-of-view and perspective, the hidden messages behind it, and how observant this book and story is of human nature. If the genre, synopsis, and the author's style appeals to you, and if you are looking for a well-written narrative, then I highly recommend this.

4 comments:

  1. I like your review. I loved Suite Francaise, especially for the writing style and dealing in-depth with human nature and charaters. Judging from your description, Fire in the Blood must have just the same kind of Nemirovsky's style. I'll certainly give it a try if I can get a hold on the book.

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  2. I haven't read Suite Francaise yet, so I know that it's an author I am missing out on. Wonderful review!

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  3. Pepca - Thank you :) I absolutely loved Suite Francaise. It's beautiful, isn't it? Fire in the Blood is not as good, but it's still wonderfully written.

    Coffee and a Book Chick - Oh I highly recommend Suite Francaise! It's beautiful!

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  4. Greetings! I am curious about one thing, could you be so kind and please tell us the place where you spent your childhood?

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