Lie with Me

by Philippe Besson

THE NO.1 FRENCH BESTSELLER

'Stunning and heart-gripping' Andre Aciman, author of Call Me by Your Name

'A beautiful, shattering novel about desire and shame, about passionate youth and the regrets of age' Olivia Laing, bestselling author of Crudo

Just outside a hotel in Bordeaux, Philippe, a famous writer, chances upon a young man who bears a striking resemblance to his first love. What follows is a look back to Philippe's teenage years, to a winter morning in 1984, a small French high school, and a carefully timed encounter between two seventeen-year-olds. It's the start of a secret, intensely passionate, world-altering love affair between Philippe and his classmate, Thomas.

Dazzlingly rendered by Molly Ringwald, the acclaimed actor and writer, in her first-ever translation, Besson's exquisitely moving coming-of-age story captures the tenderness of first love - and the heart-breaking passage of time.

'It has been years since anything moved me as much as Lie With Me. It will become a classic.' Jonathan Coe, bestselling author of Middle England

'An intense, unforgettable novel, alive with the ache of longing and loss.' Sarah Waters, bestselling, award-winning author of The Little Stranger and Fingersmith

'Devastating and tender; this is the book I wish I'd read when I was 15, and a book I'm glad to have as a companion now' Andrew McMillan, award-winning author of Physical

'A deeply moving depiction of first love, both tender and elegiac.' John Boyne, bestselling author of A Ladder to the Sky and The Heart's Invisible Furies

'A slender, sad, acute novel... absolutely excellent' Sarah Perry, bestselling author of The Essex Serpent and Melmoth

'A tender, sensuous novel' New York Times Book Review

'Full of Proustian echoes, this story of gay adolescence deals with complex issues of class, shame and secrecy' Guardian

'A poignant tale that captures the intensity of first love with all its sadness, longing and regret' Daily Mail

'This novel can be read in a matter of hours, but its impact, like the love affair it details, will echo in the mind' Irish Times

• ISBN10: 1982132604
• ISBN13: 9781982132606
• Publish Date: 30 April 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 160
• Language: English

Reviews

[Bookbee]

A story of first love told in 3 parts.

The 1st chapter, the longest, begins the tale of first love between two 17 year old boys in 1984. The 2nd chapter jumps to 2007 and the 3rd chapter to 2016.

Unfortunately, the beginning of the book, the recounting of the youthful relationship, didn't work for me as much as I would have liked. The narrator's voice kept me at arms length and I had a great deal of difficulty connecting. Not to say that the prose isn't exquisite in places thanks to Molly Ringwalds translation (since I can't read the original French) but the telling was, for me, cold and aloof. Interestingly this was not the case in the 2nd and 3rd parts.

[jamiereadthis]

Nowhere near the same level as Ocean Vuong, Garth Greenwell, E.M. Forster’s Maurice, or even Call My By Your Name.