This novel unfolds slowly and steadily
into a truly beautiful story of joy, grief, passion and regrets. (Review by
Fiona de Goede)
“A
moving story of passion and heartbreak from the internationally bestselling
author of The Pursuit of Happiness
and The Woman in the Fifth.”
Before
Isabelle I knew nothing of sex.
Before
Isabelle I knew nothing of freedom.
Before
Isabelle I knew nothing of life.
I
was intrigued from the outset by this novel,
Isabelle In The Afternoon – Paris in the Seventies has always evoked a
sense of romance and a Bohemian lifestyle to me. This is charmingly illustrated
in the opening chapters of the novel: Sam, an American student is on holiday in
Paris before starting his studies at Harvard Law. He roams the streets of
Paris, frequents cafes and cinemas, bookshops and bars and then he meets
Isabelle…
They
embark on a passionate affair conducted entirely within the boundaries of
Isabelle’s rules and on her terms – afternoons between 5 and 7. This
arrangement soon develops into a true affair of the heart.
Time
goes by and Sam eventually meets Rebecca, a fellow lawyer, and despite several
warning signals, they get married and eventually have a child. After a set of
tragic events, they have a particularly acrimonious divorce and Sam decides to
relocate to Paris on a semi-permanent basis. Inevitably, of course, he and
Isabelle resume their affair, largely still on her terms but with the odd
concession from time to time which allows Sam to meet her daughter and Isabelle
to meet Ethan, Sam’s son.
This
novel unfolds slowly and steadily into a truly beautiful story of joy, grief, passion
and regrets. What appealed to me in particular was the growth evident in Sam –
from a young, relatively uncertain student into a mature, loving father and
man.
Douglas
Kennedy, in my opinion, has always been quite masterful at setting a scene and allowing
the reader to become involved in the lives of his characters. This novel is no exception.
Isabelle In The Afternoon is published by Penguin
Random House South Africa. ISBN
978-0-09-195374-4 RRP R290.00- Fiona de Goede
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