A delightful snack! There is no better way to describe this sweet sensation. This story may be simple and serves as a quick read, but it is filled with essence and heart.
Féret-Fleury paints beautifully what it means to be a true reader, in the most delicate and authentic way. I have never come across a more genuine piece of writing that describes what books truly mean to a reader. How just one book can simply change your life; whether completely flipping it upside down or opening your eyes to possibility.
“It is inside you that all these books must find their place. Inside you. Nowhere else”.
I know my review may seem a little heavy for such a light-hearted read, but I fully related to the main character and felt everything that Féret-Fleury was writing about. Taking an average girl, who may be somewhat lost in the world, even if she doesn’t know it in the beginning, and turning her life into an adventure.
The story reminds me of how powerful a book can be. We all have that one book that changes things for us, even made us aware of who we are and allowed ourselves to accept who we are. If this hasn’t happened to you when reading a book don’t worry ‘your’ book is still on its way to finding you. Keep reading and enjoying all the adventures along the way.
Blurb
The Girl Who Reads on the Métro is set-in modern-day Paris and we are introduced to a young lady Juliette, who rides the train everyday to work. Of course, being a regular on the same train she comes accustom to seeing the same people and she seems to take in everyone and what they like to read. Juliette notices two people; a man and a woman, who seem to read the same book everyday and another woman who always cries at a certain part in her book. Being an avid reader herself she becomes rather curious of these people. One morning she bumps into a little girl and invites her to her house, where her father runs a bookstore.
“Have you heard of the principle of releasing books into the wild? he went on after a few moments of silence. You leave a book in public place – a station, park bench, cinema – someone picks it up, reads it, then releases it elsewhere a few days or even weeks later”.
I think, perhaps, in a different life I wish I could embark on a journey like Juliette, but for now I will enjoy the one that I have chosen.
Christine Féret-Fleury has written over eighty books. She is quite the diverse writer as she has written everything from children’s books to adult. The Girl Who Reads on the Métro is her first novel to be translated to English. I do hope it won’t be the last!
“Each book is a portrait and it has at least two faces.”
“Yes, the face of the person who gives it, and the face of the person who receives it”.
Cocolily_Reads 