April 2025

Boileau-Narcejac, Celle Que N'etait Plus
A very strong psychological thriller that has been adapted twice for the screen - Les Diaboliques (1955) and Diabolique (1996).

Pascal Laine, La Dentilliere
An enjoyable novel, for the most part, particularly the opening section about Pomme and her first job, first serious female friendship, first trip to the sea; presented in the form of vignettes, the writing shows a high degree of originality and incorporates many sharp remarks upon contemporary society. Sadly, the portrayal of Pomme's first sexual relationship with a young, self-absorbed aristocrat is extremely dreary as the vapid philosophizing of this young man goes on for page after page, to the point where I was ready to give up.
On balance, though, there's enough here to justify reading more by this author.