The Girl at the Lion D'Or

This story opens with a prologue about three newspaper stories. Two of the stories deal with the demise of two political figures. The third story, very brief, almost lost on the page, deals with an unknown female intruder in the grounds of the prime minister's residence. The newspaper makes the French of the day believe the girl is unimportant, but if Faulks' readers are alert, they will see him peel back the layers to show us how important her insignificance is to France. We are introduced to Anne Louvet, a twenty-something girl with a secrect. She has answered an ad to be a waitress at the Hotel du Lion d'or, and when she meets the various characters of the novel, we are equisitely and subtlely introduced to the themes that caused the fall of France. Each character represents something that is amiss in pre-World War II France. In Anne, we come to know the beauty and vulnerability of France; In Hartmann, her married lover, Jewish and wealthy, we see the noblese who makes excuses for deflowering her. In the beginning, he convinces himself that he provides for her because he feels sorry for her, but that is the only way he, as a member of the gentry, can justify to himself that his actions are of a higher calling rather than that of a typical, wayward husband. But Hartmann is not alone. Each of the members of the upper classes, in this novel, are ruthless, wolves-in-sheep's clothing, who can manipulate the weak and convince themselves that they were the victim. At work here, also, is the precursor to the Jewish Final Solution in France. Pay close attention to the characters who interact with Hartmann. The other characters of this novel represent various classes and ways of looking at the world. See if you can identify their role in the shaping of France prior to World War II. Read this novel for it's beautiful, lyrical style, but don't cheat yourself by thinking that is all it is. Faulks is a master of the written word who understands the class system in Europe; it is a subtle yet powerful character in and of itself.

The story opens. A lonely, desperate girl equipped only with a passionate spirit and brave heart arrives in her new city, in the rain. (Of course it is in the rain, it has to be in the rain. In fact, throw in some fog too.) Now enters the handsome, yet beleaguered war veteran, who is, of course, trapped in a loveless, childless marriage. Their eyes meet, they fall in love, but they know it just can't be. Are you feeling like you might see your dinner again? This plot sure does set the stage for a very trite, possibly very boring romance story, but don't put the book down yet. In Sebastian Faulks's latest work, THE GIRL AT THE LION D'OR, he provides readers with enough artistic and literary treats to turn this potential plot disaster into a compelling, enrapturing read. As the novel's prelude, Faulks recalls a French newspaper clipping that describes a young girl being caught milling around the Prime Minister's garden. Once spied, she dashes out of the garden, never to be seen again. In fact, this event was soon forgotten and "the fate of [the] unknown girl was not important. It had no significance." Now, a careful reader knows that a sentence like that indeed does have some significance, and as soon as the page is turned, we meet Anne Louvet, the unknown girl. Anne arrives in Janvillier, a small town in France, to escape the traumatic life she was forced to lead in Paris. Embarrassed and ashamed of the secret she hides, Anne vows never to let anyone know of her past. With determination to succeed on her own, Anne gets a job as a barmaid at the only hotel in town, the Lion D'Or, she makes a few friends and soon, her nagging secret is almost forgotten. However, once Anne meets Charles Hartmann, the man who becomes her employer and her lover, the secret becomes difficult to forget and much harder to keep. Anne knows that she needs to tell Hartmann the truth about her past in order to sustain the genuine love between them or she will lose everything again. THE GIRL AT THE LION D'OR is a fast moving, enticing love story that gives readers just enough sentimentality to compliment the dramatic plot. Faulks is a true master of the language and his style evokes the complicated, tenuous mood of the novel. Thus, with each purposeful word, Faulks not only entwines his readers into the life of his story, but also leaves them wishing the story would go on indefinitely. --- The story opens. A lonely, desperate girl equipped only with a passionate spirit and brave heart arrives in her new city, in the rain. (Of course it is in the rain, it has to be in the rain. In fact, throw in some fog too.) Now enters the handsome, yet beleaguered war veteran, who is, of course, trapped in a loveless, childless marriage. Their eyes meet, they fall in love, but they know it just can't be. Are you feeling like you might see your dinner again? This plot sure does set the stage for a very trite, possibly very boring romance story, but do

This story does not have the drama of Birdsong or Charlotte Gray but in some ways I think it may be better than eitherof them. The story unfolds like a flower, becoming more beautiful as each piece of Anne and Hartmann is revealed. The characters seem like real people trying to make sense of a world turned upside down by war. Yet, while there is great sadness in the story it never becomes maudlin. As always, Faulks is masterful at bringing France alive for the reader.

This book varies hugely from the action in both Birdsong and Charlotte Gray but is still to date the best novel that Faulks has penned. He has the amazing ability to create characters that seem so real they could almost be your neighbours. In Anne there is a true victim but her robust attitude to all the trouble the world throws at her is inspiring. I have read.. and re read this book and each time I discover a new and very varied angle or character. This novel has not the profile or impact of Birdsong but it contains an elequence that is so often lacking in modern novels today. Faulks is not afraid to put characters at the centre of his novel and for this he should be aplauded. Read this book and fall in love with France, I feel like I am actually watching an art house European film when I read it.

Faulks has a fundamental understanding of what makes us tick - he drew me in to the story and made me care what happens to the key characters.