Jatoba by Chef Olivier Vigneault
4,5/5 $$$-$ (over 50$/person) *18+ only 1184, place Phillips Montreal, Qc Reservations: https://www.bookenda.com/jatoba/?page=1 Thanks to EP for the recommendation. This is my first attempt at writing a food review so please leave comments down below on what you would like me to mention next time, what to improve, restaurant suggestions or whatever else goes through your mind, thank you! I often joke with my friends that one day I will open up a restaurant once my love for international affairs will have been consummated. I have thought about multiple restaurant ideas through the years that it does not seem to be impossible. Few things (except books) excite me as much as going out for food at a new place so it is only logical that I write some reviews about it on Libellus which is the virtual extension of my brain (and now my stomach!) I would like to first precise that I have no formation on how to properly cook, like most things on this blog, I write based on gut feelings. I did go to cooking camp for a summer, participated in my school’s molecular cuisine club and cook 2 to 3 times a week for my family and friends. It is truly a passion and a very relaxing hobby. I could not have picked a better place than Jatoba to start this culinary journey. It perfectly encapsulates the vibrant and innovative cooking scene of Montreal. I went with two of my best friends on a Thursday night and we had a blast. We had a reservation at 18:30 and there was already a small line when we entered the place. At 19:00, the whole place was packed with young wealthy professionals working in the surrounding business towers. The terrace behind the main eating area feels straight out of Instagram with hanging flower pots overflowing with plants and red Chinese lanterns that add color once they dim the lights. The vibe is very “Montreal”: bright, cool and laidback. The staff is used to serving young people, therefore, you are sure to get good service despite your age. It is a perfect place for a special event like a birthday or a romantic anniversary, anytime you want to splurge. Now let’s get to the food. I am a huge fan of Asian food and Jatoba had the perfect balance between traditional and fusion. The restaurant is “tapas style”, meaning that you order many plates from every section (dumplings, salads, rice, seafood, fish, vegetable and meats) and share it with your friends. I would recommend going with friends that are not picky and are interested in trying a little bit of everything otherwise you will end up fighting over what to order. Prices vary between 15-45$ per plate, for a group of 2, I would say that 3 or 4 plates are enough. Cocktails are all 16$. Not your most budget-friendly restaurant, but the food is worth it. We started the night with a few cocktails, the Aloha! Jatoba for me and the Time Travel for my friend. While the drinks were fresh and balanced, they were definitely overpriced. 16$ on a student budget hurts the wallet no matter how good it is. Then came the food. I started with the Gyoza (Japanese ravioli). The trickiest thing with any type of dumplings is packing enough meat and flavor inside the dough without it breaking during the cooking time. These gyoza combined pork and shrimp to give an extra meaty flavor (sorry vegans). They were also definitely bigger than normal ones so, you know what they say, sharing is caring. Following, I had the Beef Tataki. The black souffléd quinoa mixed with the peaches in truffle oil paired beautifully with the meat. Sometimes, I feel truffles are abundantly used in everything to make it fancier (and pricier), but this tataki belonged with truffles in it. One thing I learned from watching loads of Food Network is that every dish must have a little bit of everything: salt, sweet, sour, and crunchy. The Beef Tataki definitely has it all. Then I had two rice dishes: the Chu Lam Fan and the Fried Rice with Duck Confit. The former was my absolute favorite dish of the night. The thick layer of fat on the braised pork captured all the flavor of the star anise. When I took my first bite I had to close my eyes and take a moment to absorb the sweet and meaty juices bursting in my mouth. It threw me back to my childhood when we used to go to cheap Chinese restaurants and ordered the “petit os” (small bones) which were basically the same thing, pork on a bone with sweet sauce, but Jatoba made it a thousand times better and with deeper flavors. The second rice dish was the Fried Rice with Duck Confit. That one was a little underwhelming. In multiple newspapers, they call it one of the best dishes of the place, but I found the duck to be overcooked and dry. There was no real contrast in texture between the rice and the duck, and no sauce to add some punch. My friend also ordered the seasonal oysters, always fresh, which were Raspberry Point from Nova Scotia. He assures me that they were as good as oysters get and made for a refreshing bite between the heaviness of the main dishes. Jatoba is a definite showstopper. The bright and innovative cuisine makes it now one of my favorite addresses in Montreal. I will definitely come back to try all the other dishes; the fish section looks particularly promising. It also makes me want to check out other projects by famous Chef Antonio Park (Lavanderia, Park) who is a long-time friend of Chef Vigneault and a partner for Jatoba. I am hungry already. If you liked Jatoba, you will love… Shô-Dan Big in Japan Provisions 1268
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Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick 3,5/5 Award: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Humour (2016) Français: Aucune traduction française n’a été annoncée. Thanks to my mom for getting this for me. Summary Even before she made a name for herself on the silver screen starring in films like Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air, Twilight, and Into the Woods, Anna Kendrick was unusually small, weird, and “10 percent defiant.” With her razor-sharp wit, Anna recounts the absurdities she’s experienced on her way to and from the heart of pop culture as only she can—from her unusual path to the performing arts (Vanilla Ice and baggy neon pants may have played a role) to her double life as a middle-school student who also starred on Broadway to her initial “dating experiments” (including only liking boys who didn’t like her back) to reviewing a binder full of butt doubles to her struggle to live like an adult woman instead of a perpetual “man-child.” Enter Anna’s world and follow her rise from “scrappy little nobody” to somebody who dazzles on the stage, the screen, and now the page—with an electric, singular voice, at once familiar and surprising, sharp and sweet, funny and serious (well, not that serious). -- Goodreads My review I am always very quick to judge a book. When you read as much as I do, you don’t want to spend your money on a book that will disappoint you. One of the many things I am skeptical about is books written by celebrities. In general, I try not to bother with the lives of the rich and famous since they deserve their privacy and knowing what George Clooney ate for lunch holds absolute zero interest for me. Furthermore, it does not mean that you can write even if you read and act a script. However, the simple fact that there is a celebrity’s name on the cover is enough to bring it to New York Times Best Seller standards. That being said, I love Anna Kendrick, and Pitch Perfect is one of my favourite franchise. Overall, I enjoyed Scrappy Little Nobody. It is exactly what you would expect from young actress’ memoir. It mostly focuses on her life as an artist and a “scrappy little nobody”. Her life is exactly what you would expect of a super star: she started as a child with fair success, she struggled to make the ends meet after high school, and miraculously found a spot amongst the elite. The plot itself is not original. She does have some pretty insane stories (including a weekend in a pirate festival???) which you would expect from an aspiring actress. My favourite part was learning about the life of a child actor. I imagine things have greatly changed since her time on the Broadway stage, but seeing the sacrifices her family made for her and the bewilderment of dancing and singing for the first time was inspiring. There are a few jabs here and there at Hollywood Inc., mostly about the clothes and red carpets. I expected more, talk about the underrepresentation of females in the industry, the power abuse, the money… Her book came out before the Weinstein affair, so it is understandable that she does not approach sexual exploitation and abuse, but there wasn’t much on double standards or pay inequalities which we know have been a problem for a long time. Scrappy Little Nobody is surprisingly nicely written. Kendrick is wonderfully sarcastic and cynic, but not too much. She knows how and where to be sassy while being tasteful. It is not Shakespeare, but the train of thought is clear and enjoyable. It is a humorous auto biopic so don’t expect mind-blowing metaphors about life and death. There were a few passages that overlapped and repeated the same ideas in different chapters, but nothing that truly impedes the reading process. It is hard to critique the “main character” of this story since it is a real human being. I could relate to her a lot. I also tend to fear crowds and would rather spend my evenings in pajamas reading a good book. Scrappy Little Nobody is introspective, and I felt I truly knew her (probably not) once I finished it. There are some great reflections on womanhood and growing up. She beautifully captures what it’s like to be a late-bloomer and not knowing your place in this very large and confusing world. Sometimes I just wanted to shake her and say that it’s ok to be insecure for example she often refers to her short height in a self-derogatory which did not bring anything to the story. I am short as well and was bullied because of it, but I don’t go on about it just for fun. It sounded like she was feeling a bit sorry for herself, although I doubt that’s what she was going for. The same thing happened when she talked about her introvert personality or her lack of social skills. If she truly was antisocial, she would not have the career that she has right now. There were some good things in Scrappy Little Nobody, just not anything that make it stand out. I’d recommend this to anyone who loves Kendrick, but not to someone looking for a thoughtful read on Hollywood or for some deep introspections into the life of a star. It remained a little on the surface for me and I wanted a deep dive. If you liked Scrappy Little Nobody, you will love… What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton Fish change Direction in Cold Weather by Pierre Szalowski Egghead by Caroline Pignat De bois debout par Jean-François Caron 3,75/5 *Lu dans le cadre du Prix littéraire des collégiens 2018: https://www.prixlitterairedescollegiens.ca Prix: Finaliste pour le Prix littéraire des collégiens English: No announcement for an English translation has been made. Résumé Le coup est parti. Alexandre a vu mourir son père, abattu par erreur. Alors il a couru, fonçant à travers les branches, affolé, vers la première maison, chez celui qu’on appelle Tison. La chasse à l’aube, les sandwichs de pain blanc, les bûches qu’il faut corder droit, en un instant tout s’est évanoui dans la paix de la forêt. Alexandre quitte Paris-du-Bois, marche dans la solitude, il a perdu les gens qu’il aime. Des voix – des chœurs, des airs volatiles – se joignent à la sienne durant ses lectures. Engoncé dans le silence de ce père sans passé, il se tourne vers l’unique refuge possible : les livres. Le père, lui, il n’aimait pas les livres. – Goodreads Chronique De bois debout c’est comme si Jean-François Caron avait lu ma chronique sur Le poids de la neige de Christian Guay-Poliquin (https://goo.gl/TBy4hg), le gagnant du PLC l’année dernière à mon plus grand désespoir, et à tout modifier ce qu’il y avait de problématique avec ce dernier pour faire un roman « de bois » de qualité infiniment supérieur. J’ai l’impression que le Québec est obsédé avec les histoires d’emprisonnement, physique ou émotionnel, en forêt. Probablement qu’il s’agit d’une relique de notre passé de draveurs et de bucherons lorsqu’on était encore la Nouvelle-France ou le Bas-Canada. Avec ma mauvaise expérience l’année dernière avec Le poids de la neige, nul besoin de dire que j’avais de très basses attentes pour De bois debout : un autre roman sur un jeune homme souffrant dans le bois, super. Les romans de survie ne sont également pas ma tasse de thé. De bois debout s’avère être beaucoup plus poétique et philosophique que son synopsis le laisse voir. Le style d’écriture est excessivement lyrique et songeur malgré la laideur des événements. Certes, parfois je trouvais les tournures de phrase un peu pompeuses. Caron inclut même des références dans son texte lorsqu’il aborde d’autres œuvres. Lors de la discussion avec le groupe PLC, la professeure-associée a mentionné que la relecture est encore plus enrichissante puisqu’on peut apprécier davantage les méditations d’Alexandre un fois que l’on connaît tous les liens entre les personnages et l’histoire. Bien qu’il soit excessivement rare que je relise un livre, j’ai tendance à être d’accord avec elle. La structure de l’histoire est très particulière, elle combine narration romanesque et pièce de théâtre dans laquelle les personnages commentent sur la narration qui change elle-même de point de vue. Ça demande une cinquantaine de pages avant d’être acclimaté à cette structure étrange, mais, une fois confortable, elle rend le roman très addictif. Bien que je ne sois pas certaine d’avoir comprise l’utilisation de ce procédé narratif, la rapidité des chapitres me donnait toujours envie d’en lire plus. Cependant, il faut une grande concentration pour être sûr de ne rien manquer. Le style d’écriture se veut également énigmatique; certains détails m’ont passé complètement par-dessus la tête avant la discussion de groupe. Tous ces petits fragments reviennent dans le passé à différents moments, puis au présent, parfois en changeant de personnages. C’est assez difficile à suivre, mais le travail d’écrivain est extrêmement bien fait. Chaque chapitre nous révèle plus d’informations sur la relation entre les personnages principaux et leur passé sombre jusqu’à ce qu’il converge ultimement pour créer une grande peinture de Paris-du-bois. Cette peinture est pourtant bien triste. Le thème principal de De bois debout est le deuil. Tous les personnages ont expérimenté la mort d’un ou plusieurs proches. Ça donne une bien laide image de la campagne aux jeunes citadins qui sont rapides à porter des préjugés! De bois debout est aussi une belle histoire de résilience. La forêt est un endroit dangereux, mais aussi une source de ressourcement. Hormis à certains moments, la poésie de la plume allège l’atmosphère pesante des événements pour leur donner une portée plus philosophique et propre à la réflexion. Le personnage d’Alexandre est bien construit et son développement à travers le récit est crédible et admirable. J’ai particulièrement aimé le personnage de Tison, un homme à la face brûlée par un incident tragique. Pour une raison ou une autre, ce personnage m’a profondément touché. Il est la preuve que la société juge trop souvent pas le dehors plutôt que par le contenu et la personnalité. Il mérite tout le bonheur du monde. Le père d’Alexandre me rappelait étrangement mon grand-père. Les deux sont de nature très pragmatique avec un minimum d’affection. Un homme borné et traditionaliste proche de ces valeurs. Ces méthodes d’éducation sont très discutables, mais il n’en reste pas moins que le lien père-fils est au cœur du récit. Chaque chapitre y fait écho. De bois debout fut, tout comme Le plongeur (le premier livre que j’ai lu pour le PLC - http://libellus.weebly.com/blog/chronique-le-plongeur), fut une agréable surprise. Bien que j’ai moins apprécié le roman en général que ce dernier, il reste une lecture rapide et philosophique, parfaite pour ceux qui aime questionner leur existence et analyser leur roman. Je suis plus pragmatique, j’aime quand tout est écrit mots pour mots. Déjà hâte au prochain roman PLC qui sera… ahh je vous laisse devinez ;) Si vous avez aimé De bois debout, vous allez adorer… Le plongeur de Stéphane Larue 178 secondes de Katia Canciani La nuit des temps de René Barjavel ahhh, Valentine’s Day is finally upon us! Whether you think it’s a meaningless commercial holiday or you see it as a chance to celebrate your love for your partner, one cannot help but notice the change in the air on February 14th. Fun historical fact: the expression “From your Valentine” (you know, the one you write on the bottom of anonymous cards in 5th grade because you’re too shy to admit your true identity to your crush?) apparently originated after Saint Valentine wrote to his jailor’s daughter while he was on death row for helping Christians escape oppression under Roman rule. That’s how he signed his letter to her right before he died. Charming and romantic! As the hopeless romantic, nothing makes me happier than rereading some of my favourite romance scenes from my favourite romance novels of all time. Celebrate love my lovebirds! Meanwhile I’ll be curled up, rereading one of these books with a glass of white wine. P.s.: Romance is for everyone, not just girls. Boys have feelings too. P.s.s.: These are in no specific order. I also chose to include strictly contemporary and romance novels which means that the main relationship is driving the whole series. Many amazing contemporary or even fantasy and sci-fi novels have strong romances that act as a side plot. I’ll do another article on my all-time favourite romances one day, but for now I’ll stick to classic romances. Anna and the French Kiss series by Stephanie Perkins Awards: Georgia Peach Book Award Nominee for Honor Book (2012), Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award Nominee for Young Adults (2013), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2012), The Inky Awards Nominee for Silver Inky (2011), Lincoln Award Nominee (2013), Cybils Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2011), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Goodreads Author and for Young Adult Fiction (2010) Français: Anna et le French Kiss Summary (Anna and the French Kiss #1 Anna and the French Kiss) Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris -- until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all... including a serious girlfriend. But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? My review The Anna and the French Kiss series (made-up of 3 companion novels following different characters) was the first romance series I ever finished, and the first series I wrote complete reviews for all stanzas. The whole saga is simply amazing. The characters are amazingly built and lovable. The action is perfectly balanced and doesn’t verge into the over-dramatic angst-y stereotypical behavior. The romance in all books felt so real and deeply relatable. One of my favourite things about this series, and one that distinguishes it from other romance series, is the delightful sense of humor. Perkins is so diabolically funny that I got kicked out of class for laughing too hard during reading period (true story). Honestly, out of all the books mentioned in this series, few have made me feel as gushy and happy as Anna and the French Kiss. For more thoughts on the series: Anna and the French Kiss #1 Anna and the French Kiss: https://goo.gl/hsFEA1 Anna and the French Kiss #2 Lola and the Boy Next Door: https://goo.gl/GMEuQR Anna and the French Kiss #3 Isla and the Happily Ever After: https://goo.gl/41TxkH Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell Awards (get ready): Georgia Peach Book Award (2014), All About Romance Annual Reader Poll for Best Young Adult Romance (2014), Pennsylvania young Readers’ Choice Award for Young Adults (2015), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award (2014), Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award (2014), Deutsche Jugendliteraturpreis Nominee for Jugendbuch (2016), Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award (ALAN/NCTE) (2014), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction (2013), Dioraphte Jongerenliteratuurprijs for vertaald boaek (2015), Lincoln Award (2015), DABWAHA Romance Tournament Nominee for Best Young Adult Romance (2014), North Carolina Young Adult Book Award for High School (2016), Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction (2013), Green Mountain Book Award Nominee (2015), The Magnolia Award for 9-12 (2015), Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee (2016), Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas (2013), Odyssey Honor (2014), Michael L. Printz Honor (2016) *Life goals: write a book with a half a page long list of awards in multiple languages. Français: Eleanor & Park Summary Two misfits. One extraordinary love. Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor. Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park. Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. My review Awards can sometimes be misleading. However, in Eleanor & Park’s case, I promise you it is not. It is one of the most emotional and heartbreaking stories I have ever read. In my original review for this one, I described it as “soul-crushing” which is not an understatement. Eleanor & Park is not only about romance. It is about racism, family (good and bad) and bullying. It tackles hard-hitting issues in Rowell’s fantastic writing. Honestly, it is one of these books that you should go into without knowing too much about it. Let it take you by surprise, it’s worth it. For more thoughts: https://goo.gl/MXiCnE Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell Awards: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2013), Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas Nominee for Mejor novella extranjera independiente (2014), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2015), The Inky Awards Nominee for Silver Inky (2015), Silver Inky (2015), Lincoln Award Nominee (2016) Français: Fangirl Summary Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan... But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to. Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone. For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind? My review Okok so many of you might read this summary and be automatically very turned-off by the idea of fanfiction. I am not a fan of fanfiction (shocker!) but Fangirl is amongst the Top5 BEST BOOKS I’VE EVER READ. THIS IS A BIG DEAL. You will notice that it is written by the same author as Eleanor & Park (see point above), however they have completely different vibes. E&P is a more serious and denser novel (content wise) while Fangirl is more light-hearted, while still tackling deep issues such as family and self-discovery, and more romance-based. To make it simple (and overly personal), Fangirl is me. I am Cath: an introvert who really likes to stay in and read and write, a total nerd who’s deep in fandom and who’s world got turned upside-down when she entered CEGEP. Fangirl’s strength is that it explains so clearly and honestly what it feels like to grow up: boys, university, jobs, family, parties… Few books have captured the essence of trying to grow up but remaining young at the same time so well and presented the “nerd” culture in a non-stereotypical way. Rowell’s writing is funny and not-overly complicated. She talks like I would to a friend (except with nicer grammar and less “ehhhhs”). I will probably reread it this year during my first semester in university next autumn as I feel it will be particularly applicable. It is a shame that I did not write a full review of Fangirl after I finished reading it. In fact, the only thing I wrote about was a rating in which I gave it “a million stars” three years ago. Fangirl’s beauty lies in its simplicity. Cath is not pretentious and doesn’t pretend to have all the answers to life’s biggest mysteries. It’s just the story of a girl figuring it out, and somehow, it’s one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever read. P.s.: If you are into the fanfiction aspect, there is a full book out that compiles the Cath and Wren’s fanfiction story on Simon Snow called Carry On. I was not a huge fan of it, but it was generally well-loved in the community. Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe #1 Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz Awards: Stonewall Book Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature (2013), Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Children’s/Young Adult (2013), Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award (ALAN/NCTE) Nominee (2013), Pura Belpré Medal for Narrative (2013), Pennsylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award Nominee for Young Adults (2015), Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis Nominee for Jugendbuch (2015), Lincoln Award Nominee (2016), Michael L. Printz Honor (2016), Les Incorruptibles (2017) Français: Aristote et Dante découvrent les secrets de l’Univers Summary Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be. My review Aristotle and Dante discover the Secrets of the Universe (ADDSU) is one of those that I regularly look up to on my bookshelves and just go “aww”. ADDSU is a very humble novel. It’s just two boys from New Mexico becoming unlikely friends and having fun during the summer. It paints a true picture of modern America, tackling racism and stereotypes, homosexuality, identity and social class. ADDSU pulls on your heart strings. While Aristotle, the main character, does not seem very lovable at first, you come to love him and his sarcastic pessimism which just hides his insecurities and anger until Dante comes around. Everyone should have a Dante to show them the beauty of the world. Sáenz is the master of imagery. Every single sentence drips with colourful depictions of the world and Aristotle’s thoughts. (Sáenz is also the first author to have ever to have liked AND RESPONDED to a tweet I sent them so he’s pretty cool.) And the best part? 6 years later, we are getting a sequel! There Will be Other Summers has no release date yet, but it will probably come out in 2018-9 and will pick-up the story where ADDSU left-off. I can hardly wait. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven Awards: Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fiction (2015), Pensylvania Young Readers’ Choice Award Nominee for Young Adults (2016), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2016), Dioraphte Jongerenliteratuurprijs for Vertaald boek (2016), Lincoln Award Nominee (2017), Missouri Gateway Readers Award Nominee (2017) Français: Tous nos jours parfaits *Trigger warning for suicidal thoughts and depression Summary Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him. Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death. When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. My review I don’t usually cry in books. I can count on my hand the instances where that has happened, All the Bright Places is one of those times. Mental health is a subject near and dear to my heart and suicide is an epidemic that has already taken too many people. The most beautiful lesson from All the Bright Places is that you’re never really alone, even when you think you really are. There will always be someone ready to listen to you when you think you can’t do it anymore. Sometimes relationships get built out after two people help each other survive, you lean on each other when times are bad. There are few things in the world that are as wholesome as this. All the Bright Places had a similar impact to me as E&P. It completely wrecked my soul. Sometimes Theodore would get on my nerves because he was so negative, but Niven’s writing style brings out some inspiring reflections on a little bit of everything. Violet was your typical manic pixie dream girl, but there is nothing wrong with that if it’s done in a classy and original way. The plot is in no way original. Two teens that don’t have anything in common meet and their relationship blossoms. If you liked anything from John Green, you will love this. However, it captures a unique quality in the reflections proposed that make it different and stand-out from the crowd. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald December 2017 2,5/5 Français: L’envers du paradis Summary This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald's romantic and witty first novel, was written when the author was only twenty-three years old. This semiautobiographical story of the handsome, indulged, and idealistic Princeton student Amory Blaine received critical raves and catapulted Fitzgerald to instant fame. In this definitive text, This Side of Paradise captures the rhythms and romance of Fitzgerald's youth and offers a poignant portrait of the "Lost Generation." – Goodreads My review I bought This Side of Paradise at the same time as Teffi’s short stories collection Tolstoy, Rasputin, Others, and Me. I asked the bookseller from Hullaballoo Books (Brooklyn, NYC) what was the most “New York” book he could think of. He suggested anything from F. Scott Fitzgerald. Having already read The Great Gatsby like every 14-year-old, I picked up his other novel on the shelf which happened to be This Side of Paradise. It was one of those old 1940s’ Charles Scribner’s & sons edition with no jacket and no summary. Honestly, I never would have picked this one up for myself had I read the synopsis. Although the story is not based in NYC (for the most part), it captures the glitz and glam on the Roaring 20s. The rise of capitalism and of the individual over the whole of society. The characters are all selfish and self-centered to the point where they are no longer witty but just mean. There is always a fine line between being sarcastic and grotesque which This Side of Paradise definitely crosses. Armory Blaine is funny (and punny) but lacks in any emotional depth which either represents the superficiality of the 1920s or is just representative of a badly writing character. His act is entertaining for about 50 pages, then it gets redundant. He does grow a little bit through the novel, but Armory still acts like a whiny child even in his darkest moments. This Side of Paradise is divided into two parts. The first part, “The Romantic Egotist”, was entertaining. It focuses on Armory’s childhood and his time at Princeton. Already he presents himself as above everyone else considering his advanced education. He wants to succeed, but he does not put the effort. I can forgive some of his immaturity since he is so young and has had an unconventional childhood. He has a weird way of conceptualizing love and friendship, kind of expecting everything to go his way just because he is Armory Blaine. Part of Armory’s charm in this section is that he is just a simple boy. He has normal boy problems with a normal entourage yet he wants to believe that he is so important. Armory Blaine is not special, but he desperately tries to be which makes him endearing regardless of his lack maturity. “The Romantic Egotist” is full of irony. It is enjoyable, but nothing commendable. Everything starts to go badly with the second part, “The Education of a Personage”. First, why is there a short play in the middle of the novel? The second part starts off with a play in which Armory thinks he has fallen in love. It is way overdramatic and exaggerated. At this point, Armory must be in his mid-twenties, but he sounds just like a child. His “girlfriend” is not much better. The whole thing comes off as awkward and overly-sensational. The rest of the second part returns to the normal structure of a novel. Armory goes from being in love to being overwhelmed by sadness to being in love again. It is borderline pathetic. The plot starts to go haywire. The irony and sarcasm of the first part no longer is comical. It is good to see Armory eventually get a hold of his life, but by then it is too late and I had lost most of my interest in this book. I was not that much of a fan of The Great Gatsby either so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I did not particularly enjoy This Side of Paradise. F. Scott Fitzgerald is undoubtedly one of the most important American writers. However, I can’t seem to relate to the struggles of his characters or understand the full depth of his humor. It is a shame, but it seems like Fitzgerald is just not my cup of tea. If you liked This Side of Paradise, you will love… Only Dull People are Brilliant at Breakfast by Oscar Wilde The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Le plongeur de Stéphane Larue Janvier 2018 4/5 *Lu dans le cadre du Prix littéraire des collégiens 2018: https://www.prixlitterairedescollegiens.ca Prix: Finaliste pour le Prix littéraire des collégiens, Prix des libraires du Québec, Prix Senghor du premier roman francophone et francophile English: No announcement for an English translation has been made. Résumé Nous sommes à Montréal au début de l’hiver 2002. Le narrateur n’a pas vingt ans. Il aime Clive Barker et Lovecraft, le métal, les comic books et les romans de science-fiction des années soixante et soixante-dix que lui prête son père. Étudiant en graphisme, il dessine depuis toujours et veut devenir bédéiste et illustrateur, comme ses idoles Moebius et Tibor Csernus. Mais depuis des mois, il évite ses amis, ment, s’endette, aspiré dans une spirale qui menace d’engouffrer sa vie entière : c’est un joueur. Il joue aux loteries vidéo et tout son argent y passe, de même que celui qu’il emprunte à sa copine Marie-Lou et à son cousin Malik. L’hiver installé, il se retrouve à bout de ressources, sans appartement. Il devient plongeur au restaurant La Trattoria, projeté dans un rush dès le premier soir. Le cuisinier qui l’accueille et lui donne son training accéléré, c’est Bébert, ogre infatigable au bagou de rappeur, encore jeune à vingt-cinq ans mais qui a travaillé partout, déjà usé par l’alcool et le speed. Pendant un mois et demi, ils enchaîneront ensemble les shifts de soir et les doubles, et Bébert tiendra auprès du plongeur le rôle de mentor malgré lui et de flamboyant Virgile de la nuit. On découvre ainsi le train survolté d’un restaurant à l’approche des fêtes et sa galerie mouvante de personnages, propriétaire, chef, sous-chefs, cuisiniers, maîtres d’hôtel, serveuses, busboys et suiteurs.-- Goodreads Ma chronique La saison 2018 du Prix littéraire des collégiens (PLC) est lancée! Franchement, je suis très surprise avec la sélection de cette année qui, après avoir seulement lu les résumés, me semblent encore plus intéressante que celle de l’année dernière. En bref, le PLC est une activité organisée avec le périodique Le Devoir qui choisit les 5 meilleures œuvres littéraires québécoises de l’année. Chaque école participante doit ensuite choisir le meilleur roman parmi la sélection et envoyer un représentant débattre à Québec, Canada pour défendre le choix de l’école et espérer le voir gagner. Il y a également un concours de critique littéraire associé qui demande à chaque école d’envoyer une chronique par livre, par la suite, les meilleures seront publiées sur le site web du Devoir. Je recommande fortement à tous les cégépiens de s’inscrire à cette formidable activité qui joins débat oratoire, littérature québécoise et critique littéraire. Le plongeur est le premier roman que j’ai terminé pour l’année 2018! J’ai décidé de mis attaquer principalement, car il s’agit du plus long roman du PLC cette année et qu’il serait plus facile de le terminer en vacances qu’au milieu de l’année scolaire. La longueur du roman (600+ pages) me décourageait même si le résumé avait l’air intéressant. C’est seulement après une centaine de page que j’ai réellement embarqué dans le récit. Le plongeur est mon premier livre qui traite de l’addiction, particulièrement une qui ne m’est pas très bien connu soit celle des loteries vidéo. Le narrateur, qui reste anonyme jusqu’à la fin, se retrouve dans un milieu de pauvreté, presque sur la rue. Il perd ces amis et tout ce qui lui tenait à cœur. C’est triste et frustrant. J’avais envie de le brasser et de lui dire qu’il était plus fort que le bruit des machines. Le plongeur est une expérience de lecture frustrante. Il est difficile de regarder quelqu’un s’autodétruire et être incapable d’agir (ahh le paradoxe de la littérature, on se sent si proche mais si loin des personnages). Ce roman nous fait définitivement ressentir des émotions fortes. Il est difficile de savoir à quel point Le plongeur est autobiographique. Il s’agit du premier roman de Stéphane Larue qui a lui-même travaillé pendant longtemps dans le milieu de la restauration. Il y a quelque chose d’intensément personnel dans son écriture et dans la présentation du protagoniste. J’ai l’impression que lorsqu’on parle d’un sujet aussi difficile comme le suicide ou l’addiction, il y a des choses que l’on ne peut pas imiter. Le style d’écriture est brutalement honnête et destructeur ce qui rend le protagoniste attachant malgré ces erreurs continues et les mensonges. Il n’était pas glamour, et, bien que je n’aie jamais rencontré quelqu’un dans sa situation, il me semblait authentique et crédible voir attachant. Le cadre de l’histoire m’a également jeté dans une mer inconnue. Je n’ai jamais travaillé dans le milieu de la restauration, et je ne mis connais pas beaucoup en heavy metal ou en comic books. Par contre, les longues descriptions, parfois jusqu’à une dizaine de pages, des « rushs » au travail et de la préparation de la cuisine étaient fascinantes. Tout est extrêmement frénétique comme si le personnage remplaçait le buzz de l’addiction par celui de la cuisine. Par contre, je crois qu’il me manquait de nombreuses références pour pouvoir admirer le roman dans toute sa splendeur. J’aurais aimé connaître les chansons qu’écoutait le protagoniste à travers l’histoire. J’aimerais comprendre à quel dessinateur il faisait référence. L’impact de mon manque de culture général ne m’a pas tant nuit au final, mais j’imagine que quelqu’un qui grandit dans cet univers à une appréciation beaucoup plus profonde pour les nombreux moments où le personnage s’isole au son de Iron Maiden. De plus, il y avait également de nombreuses longueurs. Le plongeur aurait pu être 200 pages, peut-être 300 pages, de moins. Il s’agit probablement d’une décision de l’auteur de conserver l’histoire aussi réelle que possible (si la théorie du roman autobiographique s’applique), mais il n’en reste pas moins que c’était long et lent. Certes les descriptions des soirées au restaurant et dans les bars étaient bien écrites, mais après plus d’une dizaine qui se ressemblent plus ou moins, il est difficile de justifier leur nécessité. Le personnage s’en sort, rechute, arrête de jouer, rechute, rencontre quelqu’un, rechute… Au final, Le plongeur débute très bien cette nouvelle année et édition 2018 du PLC. Il s’agit également d’un début prometteur, et très bien reçu de la critique, pour Stéphane Larue. Le style d’écriture et le personnage principal font toute la richesse de l’œuvre. Malgré les longueurs considérables, j’en ressort une réflexion fort intéressante sur l’addiction, un sujet qui affecte beaucoup plus de gens que l’on pense. Si vous avez aimé Le plongeur, vous allez adoré… It’s kind of a Funny Story (Tout plutôt qu’être moi) by Ned Vizzini The Rest of Us Just Live Here (Nous autres simples mortels) de Patrick Ness The New York Trilogy #1 City of Glass (Cité de verre) by Paul Auster P.s.: Si vous pensez connaître quelqu’un qui traverse un problème de jeu ou êtes vous-même touché, contacter le numéro suivant pour recevoir des conseils et du soutien: 1 866-SOS-JEUX ou le 1 800 461-0140 |
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