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    Delicacy: A Novel
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    Delicacy: A Novel
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    Delicacy: A Novel
    Ebook266 pages3 hours

    Delicacy: A Novel

    By David Foenkinos

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Reminiscent of novels by Nick Hornby, Muriel Barbery, and Jonathan Tropper,internationally acclaimed novelist David Foenkinosdelivers a heartfelt and deftly comedic tale of new love brightening the darkaftermath of loss—and of wounded hearts finding refuge in the strangest ofplaces. After her husband’s unexpected death, Natalie has erected a fortressaround her emotions—and Markus, clumsy and unassuming, will never be her knightin shining armor. Yet slowly but surely, an offbeat romance begins betweenthese two mismatched, complex souls, and contrary to everything Natalie knowsof affection, her perfect suitor may turn out to be love’s most unlikelycandidate—the fool, not the hero, who is finally able to reach her heart.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateFeb 14, 2012
    ISBN9780062101617
    Author

    David Foenkinos

    David Foenkinos is a French novelist and screenwriter. His novels have been translated into twenty-five languages and garnered ten awards around the world. Delicacy, which was first published in France, garnered nominations for all five major French literary prizes and has sold one million copies. David lives in Paris.

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    Reviews for Delicacy

    3.5/5

    206 ratings8 reviews

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    • 1/5
      Ugh- just bad.
    • 4/5
      At our local library, there is a shelf for recently returned books. My friend, who works there, tells me it's because patrons of the library want to see what's just been read by other patrons. It's a pretty good idea. This one called out to me as I walked by and I took it home. I read the first 20 pages or so last night, and it was OK. Then this morning, I read this: She was struck by the sight of the bookmark, especially. The book was cut in two by it: the first part, read while Francois was alive. And at page 321, he was dead. What should she do? Can you keep reading a book interrupted by the death of your husband? I was hooked. On a certain level, this is a light novel, a quick, romantic read. On the other hand, it also is unique, quirky and addresses the issues of love, grief and loving again in a delicate and gently humorous way. The chapter headings are priceless. If you take a look at the LT reviews page, you will note that it is a book that people either really like, or really, really don't like. I always find that interesting. No middle ground - no ambiguity about the response. Quotes:He was a fellow employee from Uppsala, a Swedish city that doesn't interest many people. Even the inhabitants of Uppsala* themselves are embarrassed; the name of their city sounds almost like an excuse. *Of course, it's possible to be born in Uppsala and become Ingmar Bergman. That said, his films should give some idea of the tenor of that city.Markus, who'd made a mess of so many things in his life, had just discovered his ability to appear in the field of vision of a woman at the perfect moment. Maybe the best idea was to cancel. There was still time. Unforeseeable circumstances. Yes, sorry, Natalie. You know, I'd really love to have gone, but, well, Mom died today. Nope, that was no good, too brutal. Too Camus, as well; and Camus was no good for canceling. Sartre: a lot better. I can't tonight, you see, because hell is other people. A hint of existentialism in the tone - that would go over nicely.
    • 1/5
      I think this book thinks it's charming, but it just left me feeling gross. The main character is this woman who is barely even a person, just a beautiful face with vaguely strange habits. Of course, everyone loves her for no special reason. It just seemed like the author really wanted to fuck Audrey Tautou and decided to write a book about what he would like her personality to be, but he didn't even care that much and just put in a bunch of random crap to make it sort of like Amelie.
      Also, don't put in the book who you think should be in the movie. It's tacky. You know who else does that? Dan Brown.
    • 3/5
      This is light, fluffy French romantic nonsense. As such, it would not be expected to appear on *my* reading list. In fact I have no idea how it got onto my wish list, as none of my LibraryThing friends list it. Anyway, I read it, and although I wouldn't say my life has been profoundly affected by the experience, I did finish it and quite enjoyed the experience. I liked Foenkinos's quirky style with wacky footnotes, very brief chapters, and slightly irrelevant asides. I haven't seen the movie (nor would I), but the book actually almost seems to have been written with a movie in mind. It begins with a remarkable similarity to Ann Hood's "Ruby" (ultra-romantic marriage is cut short by the death of the husband when he is hit by a car while jogging).and then focuses on the life of the beautiful young widow and the men she attracts. Having recently read a remarkably thoughtful, introspective, contemplative and sometimes depressing book on relationships (Elizabeth Hay's "Small Change"), perhaps I needed something like "Delicacy" to refresh my reading palate.
    • 4/5
      I recently discovered Amazon's list of 100 Best Books 2012 and ordered six of the novels cited. Delicacy is a very nice romance. It takes place in Paris. It's very French, so some of the behaviors are rather odd, but I liked it anyway. It's short, but it has some 115 chapters, several of which are ultra brief, clever and amusing, e.g., Chapter 38 "Code for the Door to Markus's BuildingA9624"There are a number of very nice romantic moments, a number of funny ones, a few tragic ones. Altogether a nice story. It has won a number of French awards and sold a ton of books there.
    • 2/5
      I started this book in much the same way as the main character - hopeful. It seemed so full of promise. Unfortunately, I very quickly found myself becoming irritated by the writing style, which reads like a cross between a movie script and a Twitter feed. Is it really necessary for a 250 page book to have 115 chapters? - Especially when some of them are made up of only three or four words. I should have been forewarned by the footnote on the first page, where after saying "But she never ever felt nostalgia. That was something that was quite rare for Natalie" the author feels compelled to add a footnote saying "There's often a clear tendency for nostalgia in Natalies". Even though the story is quite slight, there are plus points. The two main characters are quite well drawn, and the writing style is such that not only do you get to see their back story and motivation, but you get to see their thinking. Unfortunately, there are other characters who, for me, actively detracted from the book. Natalie's boss, Charles, in particular is supposed to be holding down a responsible position but acts in such a way that in real life, he would be in industrial tribunals and police investigations so fast his head would have been spinning. Considering the book is set within the last decade, he seems to have been drawn from the 1950's. If you can put up with the staccato style, and are looking for something light and frothy to read on a weekend break, then this may be very much for you but if you are looking for a literary romance then, alas, you may be in for a disappointment - much in the style of a collapsed soufflé.
    • 4/5
      This is a beautiful, touching, whimsical, heartbreaking, and oh so very French story. What do I mean by that last? It's hard to describe - but I think it's the combination of refined/whimsical/slightly stuck-up mixed with not-so-neatly wrapped endings. Delicacy was all that. And, much like it's title suggests, it's a delicate story.I loved so much about this book - I loved the way the relationships are wrote about, and the breaks in the story to feed the reader random facts about what is happening. I found it utterly charming, and laughed and cried my way through it all.For such a thin little book, this one packs a punch, and I hope you give it a chance - now.. I need to get my hands on the film!
    • 3/5
      French novelist and screenwriter Foenkinos tells the story of Natalie and Markus, two young coworkers traversing the uneasy terrain between love and friendship. Natalie's life abruptly halts when her husband of seven years dies. With barely enough energy to continue on, Natalie returns to work but allows her friendships to lapse and her love life to disintegrate into nothingness. Enter Markus, a self-effacing Swede, who stumbles into her office at precisely the right moment. Taken over by the need to feel feminine, Natalie gives into a sudden and impulsive act that sends both her and Markus down a muddled path toward love. As with all stories of would-be-lovers, a number of obstacles are thrown in their way. Natalie and Markus must contend with their lovesick boss, Charles, and a whole horde of nosy coworkers who can't seem to understand Natalie's interest in the geeky Markus. The reader, unfortunately, will have to contend with the opposite problem as they are left to wonder what is so magnificent about Natalie. The fault lies with Foenkinos’s decision to present Natalie as a feminine ideal rather than a fully fleshed out character. He tells the reader of Natalie’s love of reading, fascination with Pez dispensers, and educational background. None of these facts, however, make her personality any more decipherable as Foenkinos focuses more on her beauty than her character. Foenkinos's stylistic prose can also be faulted for this lack of character depth. This is unfortunate since his prose is also his greatest strength. The narrative style of Delicacy can best be described as ethereal ¾ concerned far more with style than substance. The reader sorts through pages and pages of aesthetically appealing prose without finding any true emotional connection with the characters. Hearts are broken and love restored, but the reader has difficulty caring. Foenkinos may believe that pretty words are an acceptable substitute for characters and story, but the reader may not be convinced. Delicacy is a meringue of a novel, and those wishing for meatier fiction should look elsewhere.