Although a bit difficult to get into, this book will stay with readers long after its end and begs for rereading. On the surface, Modiano's memoir is a simple tale of a child not loved enough, neglected by indifferent parents. It's also a tale of triumph over adversity, as Modiano went on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2014. Yet it is in the author's telling, in his style (ably translated by Mark Polizzotti) that the account resonates with the reader. Echoes of the gray, bleak, yet resilient mood of François Truffaut's 1959 film
The 400 Blows are felt throughout, perhaps because both works share post-World War II Paris as the setting.
VERDICT Though not for all readers, those who stick with this slim volume will find much to recommend. A truly wonderful book. [See "Nobel Prize Winner Modiano," LJ 9/1/15.
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