Even if you remove the historical context of this novel, the fact that Némirovsky wrote this from exile, as the war was happening, and is still such a pragmatic and human view of the events, it's a remarkable accomplishment. I think it's important if only to understand that everyone has their own point of view, and in the case of war, are driven often by not even their own points of view but those of the ruling class from within the borders that they happened to be born, so to see some of the humanity taking place was very powerful. I really liked the first half, though I do wish we had slightly more characters of the Michaud variety, the working class, "regular" people versus the upper class, but the second half is quite masterful. So much complexity and tenderness covering a really tough subject.
Reviewed on Monday, October 23rd, 2023, 10:55am.
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