Reviews

Un temps de saison by Marie NDiaye

jaclyn_sixminutesforme's review against another edition

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4.0

THAT TIME OF YEAR by Marie NDiaye (translated from French by Jordan Stump) was an incredibly unique read, and while it gave me vibes of Kafka's THE TRIAL, it is a narrative that operates in a really distinct way.
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We are following Herman, a Parisian man vacationing with his wife and child in a village. As August has ended and the weather has started to turn for the season, it is time for the family to return to Paris. It felt eerie to be reading this at the end of August given this plot connection!
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The narrative opens as Herman realizes his wife and child are missing, and we follow him on this entrancingly nightmarish quest to find them. The community around him has a perplexing hierarchy that seems to make sense to the revolving-door of characters Herman meets, yet as a reader I fell into step with Herman's befuddlement and frustration with the systems. At times I had to remind myself whether he was even still tracking on his original course of inquiry (hence my Kafka-like feeling, I think!).
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At times feeling like a short story, and in many moments feeling like this world was slowly closing in on Herman, this was a delightfully perplexing read that I virtually devoured in one sitting!

Out 8 September from Two Lines (#gifted).

mimooo's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

equal measures terrifying and comic... actually mostly terrifying. what the hell is going on in NDiaye's mind omfg. hostages, tulpas, bureaucrats, culty villagers, surveillance, parasitism, decay all because they were greedy for a bit more summer. NDiaye's worldbuilding is crazzzzyyyyyyy this shit is like the  c*lonia d*gnidad meets small business tyrants meets Ice by Anna Cavan. the stuff of nightmares, psychologically draining, and claustrophobic. who is doing it like her!!!!!!

zukythebookbum's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? No

3.5

haunted_klaus's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

jnelsontwo's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

richard052's review against another edition

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4.0

A curious story

abbie_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

4.0

 If you enjoy slower moving, subtly ominous horror, then you need to give Marie NDiaye’s That Time of Year a try. I’ve read a few of her books now, and two others have had a hint of unease, but she ramps up the creep-factor with this one. 

Every year, Herman, his wife Rose and their child spend their summers in a quaint rural village, far from the hubbub of Paris. Every year, without fail, they leave the village by 31st of August. Except this year, Rose and the child left for eggs and never came back, meaning Herman is left alone in the village on the 1st of September. The sunny façade of the village drops, and Herman is about to discover the dreary, uneasy reality of the village post-tourist season. 

Village residents sit in darkened rooms, only coming to life when someone enters, like puppets awaiting the directions of their puppet-master. All the women wear the same outfit. People offer smiles and superficial words of advice to Herman’s face, but as soon as his back is turned, they fall back into cold indifference. In just over 100 pages, NDiaye offers a bleak exploration of the gaping chasm that exists between Parisians and those from remoter areas of France, often driven by the superior attitudes of Parisians. The villagers lament the lack of upwards mobility available to them, dream of bigger opportunities in nearby towns – but those opportunities always seem just out of reach. 

At first the novel is driven by Herman’s anxiety at finding himself stranded in the village, and of course his desire to find his wife and child. But as it goes on, the villagers’ laconic, indifferent attitude seeps into Herman, and he slowly resigns himself to his strange new fate. The relentless rain, chilling politeness of the residents, and ghostly apparitions combine to create a novel which isn’t outright horror, but which nonetheless gets under your skin. I’m still not sure why what happens, happens – overwhelming ennui of life as usual in Paris? The village enacting its will on visitors? Unsure, but it’s fun to think about, and I’m glad NDiaye is back on form with this one after I was disappointed in The Cheffe! 

clericalerrer's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

lisagna's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

christineliu's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0