Jules and Jim

This novel taught me so much it sits on my shelf next to To The Lighthouse, A Passage to India, Moby Dick. What I got out of it was the full realization of what it means to tell a story in certain way. Style, voice, and how those translate into words on a page. One striking thing about Roche's way of telling is that he uses so little dialogue, which I think is why the voiceover of Truffaut's great film is so right. It's a story told looking back through the mists of time to before the war before the war, to an ideal friendship in youth. It's a story remembered. Another striking thing is that Roche moves so easily from moment to moment and never stops to "flesh out" a scene that never really needed more than a few lines. He doesn't bog down in his own words, as so many of us do. Really for the first time after reading it, I said to myself, "There's no just telling a story; there's always a question of how." Few novelists really stand apart stylistically, but Roche is one of the few. If you write, this book can teach you something. Take Me With You When You GoNutty to Meet You! Dr. Peanut Book #1

This is a book that I continously recommend to people who like literature. The author does a superb job in showing how everything can be very simple if people abandon their prejudices and preconcieved notions of "how things should be." People create most of their problems themselves - because they cannot accept the fact that there is an alternative. And Roche exposes this brilliantly. The effect is coming not only from the plot of the story (a love tirangle), but also from the incredible simplicity of his writing style. If I remember correct, the author went through numerous revisions until he eliminated all unnecessary words. The only regret that I have is that I don't read French.