Le Bal - Softcover

Nemirovsky, Irene

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0676979661 ISBN 13: 9780676979664

Publisher: Vintage, 2007

Synopsis

From the acclaimed author of Suite Française comes Némirovsky’s third novel, a masterpiece of French literature, available for the first time in Canada.

Le Bal is a penetrating and incisive book set in early twentieth century France. At its heart is the tension between mother and daughter. The nouveau-riche Kampfs, desperate to become members of the social elite, decide to throw a ball to launch themselves into high society. For selfish reasons Mrs. Kampf forbids her teenage daughter, Antoinette, to attend the ball and banishes her to the laundry room. In an unpremeditated fury of revolt and despair, Antoinette takes a swift and horrible revenge. A cruel, funny and tender examination of class differences, Le Bal describes the torments of childhood with rare accuracy.

Also included in this volume is Snow in Autumn, in which Némirovsky pays homage to Chekov and chronicles the life of a devoted servant following her masters as they flee Revolutionary Moscow and emigrate to a life of hardship in Paris.

About this title

Review:

"With its cool, understated prose and sharp psychological accuracy, this is perfect for a train journey... A reminder of what good writing can achieve in a very few words" (The Times)

"A cruel, sophisticated tale making the terrible beautiful without diminishing for one moment the horrors of displacement and war" (Guardian)

"A genuine artist" (Julian Barnes)

"This book is a masterpiece" (Sunday Express)

"It is quite outstanding, full of beauty, pain and truth... We are lucky to have this book" (Sunday Telegraph)

Book Description:

Two lost masterpieces of French literature gathered together in one volume for the first time.

About this edition

• Publisher: Vintage
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0676979661
• ISBN 13: 9780676979664
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256