Friday, March 27, 2020

ISABELLE IN THE AFTERNOON: REVIEW


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