The Other Story

March 1, 2014
A best-selling French author with writer's block agonizes at a luxurious Italian resort in de Rosnay's oddly static latest (The House I Loved, 2012, etc.). The main action here consists of 29-year-old Nicolas Kolt sitting around feeling sorry for himself at the Gallo Nero off the Tuscan coast. Oh, sure, he's rich and famous, thanks to his globally best-selling first novel, The Envelope. But that was published four years ago and was based on the true history of his enigmatic father. Without real-life inspiration to lean on, Nicolas is having a hard time coming up with a new book. Though he assures his anxious publisher that he's writing away, he's mostly wasting time on social media, exchanging pornographic instant messages with a married woman in Germany, and being told off by old friends for having become lazy, selfish and spoiled. Readers will heartily agree as they endure Nicolas' solipsistic musings about how much he misses his former love Delphine and how he should really call his mother, all the while checking his Facebook page to see if there are any new photos taken by an anonymous fan who's also vacationing at the Gallo Nero. The swanky setting is over-the-top enough for a Harold Robbins novel (ditto the Blackberry-enabled sex scenes), and de Rosnay's way of demonstrating that Nicolas is a real writer is to show him watching the other guests, which might work if his observations ever went beyond superficial judgments. His 22-year-old girlfriend, Malvina, is a whiny bore, the extensive flashbacks not much more interesting as they limn Nicolas' childhood, his father's mysterious death and his discovery of previously unknown Russian roots. The climactic shipwreck that finally gives Nicolas new literary material is ridiculous but a relief; at least we won't have to hear any more about his writer's block. Not that de Rosnay ever wrote literary fiction, but previous books like Sarah's Key (2008) have more emotional substance than this.

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April 1, 2014

With this story of a self-absorbed, newly wealthy writer struggling with his identity and coming to terms with the shocking secrets of his family's past, de Rosnay (Sarah's Key; A Secret Kept) continues her literary trend of combining international locations and complex characters. Nicolas Duhamel, a best-selling author who has changed his surname to Kolt, finds himself at a crossroads while taking a long weekend with his girlfriend at a luxurious resort on the Tuscan coast. A womanizer and Internet addict, Nicolas reflects on his dark family history as he exchanges illicit texts and emails with Sabina, a woman he has met only once, and interacts with another woman who may or may not be a very famous titan of the publishing world. Trying to follow up his enormously successful first novel, our hero struggles with writer's block. VERDICT Most of the book is driven by internal action, told through memories and partially through flashback. Certain plot twists seem obvious, but de Rosnay has a clever way of keeping the audience interested in the story line even if the main character himself is unlikeable. Despite these flaws, de Rosnay's fans and readers who enjoy contemporary interior novels will not be disappointed.--Mariel Pachucki, Maple Valley, WA

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2014
After the runaway success of his first novel, Nicholas Duhamel retreats to a luxurious Italian resort in an effort to finally start his second novel. He's astounded that his publisher purchased the rights to his second book sight-unseen, but she assures him that that's the norm for such an in-demand author. With the contract signed, and the advance paid out, all that's left is for Nicholas to get some real writing done. Unfortunately, the words don't seem to flow as easily this time around. Alternately enamored with and suffocated by his newfound fame, Nicholas has to come to terms with his identity as a famous author. Though Nicholas is a selfish and somewhat unlikable protagonist, de Rosnay tempers his harsh ways with a sympathetic backstory and a redemptive twist. The author of the incredibly popular Sarah's Key (2006) likely drew on her own experiences to flesh out Nicolas' struggles and triumphs. Fans of Markus Zusak and loyal de Rosnay readers will enjoy this inspiring and introspective novel, as may anyone intrigued by a peek inside the world of high-stakes publishing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)