Antoine Laurain

In the book The Red Notebook Antoine Laurain skillfully unfolds the story of finding a mystery object, set in the beautiful atmosphere of Paris.The use of several third-person narrators allows to the reader to asset the story from different points of view. The hero's life is an average life of every Parisian. Laurent does not stand out which helps to build up the authenticity of the story. Yet, this also underlines the simplicity of the novel. It is easy to read but it can easily become slightly boring. Somehow, the reader subconsciously expects that even-though Laurent has no clues about the identity of the mysterious woman, he will manage to find her. So the only question remaining to answer is how the writer ends the story. Is it going to be a cliché happy ending? Is she going to reject him? What if Laurent realizes that she is nothing like he has imagined?

The Red Notebook is a light reading book, perfect to be open on the beach. But do not expect a thrilling drama. Rather than a cliff-hanger ending or a sudden twist, the story depicts the beauty of life in Paris; its atmosphere, everyday life, customs and culture. On the other hand, it is nice to be reminded that something so unlikely as this story can still happen to anyone; to somebody as ordinary as the bookseller Laurent.

23.06.2016