Muriel Barbery - A Single Rose
4⭐
Genre: Fiction, Mystical Realism, Translated Books, Contemporary Fiction, French Literature, Novella
Original Title: Une Rose Seule
Original Language: French
Translated by: Alison Anderson
Pages: 144
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Gallic Books
Date Published: 19th January 2023
Thank you to Gallic Books for sending me a copy of this book to read and review.
Book Blurb:
From the best-selling author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog comes a story about a woman's journey to discover the father she never knew and a love she never thought possible.
Rose has just turned forty when she gets a call from a lawyer asking her to come to Kyoto for the reading of her estranged father's will. And so for the first time in her life, she finds herself in Japan, where Paul, her father's assistant, is waiting to greet her.
As Paul guides Rose along a mysterious itinerary designed by her deceased father, her bitterness and anger are soothed by the stones and the trees in the Zen gardens they move through. During their walks, Rose encounters acquaintances of her father--including a potter and poet, an old lady friend, his housekeeper and chauffeur--whose interactions help her to slowly begin to accept a part of herself that she has never before acknowledged.
As the reading of the will gets closer, Rose's father finally, posthumously, opens his heart to his daughter, offering her a poignant understanding of his love and a way to accept all she has lost.
My Review:
This story perfectly mixes mystical realism and ancient Japanese culture with the feelings and emotions of someone who is going through grief and their healing process. I love Japanese mystical realism and their culture to believe in ghosts, spirits and the afterlife. I also adored how the author sets every scene, whilst transporting the reader straight into the set. The descriptions of zen gardens, temples, streets, restaurants and nature made me feel like I am in Kyoto there with Rose experiencing what she is experiencing. Such superb writing!
This book follows Rose who travels to Kyoto, Japan for her late fathers will reading. In France, she was a lost soul, with no family, no purpose in life, no kids and no family that left…Rose feels like all she is here for is pain and loneliness…However, whilst in Kyoto, before her father’s will is read, her father actually left her a letter and asked his assistant Paul to show Rose around Kyoto, visiting the places that were significant in Rose’s father’s life. In this way, Rose’s father hoped that Rose will get to know him more and make up for the lost time and the fact that she never met him when he was alive. Paul takes Rose on different adventures around Kyoto and all the places her father wanted her to visit, whilst Rose slowly starts to find herself. She also starts reflecting on her life, and her purpose and slowly understands her connection to her father and Japan.
Although the book is very short
(novella length) it felt like a full-sized book, as there was so much packed into
every page. So many feelings, descriptions, scenery, and culture packed into
this story. I loved that this book was
about a character who is trying to find themselves, whilst also going through grief
and loss. Personally, I could relate to this book so much. However, this book
is not only a journey of self-discovery, acceptance and love, it is also a
story of finding a place to belong, finding your soulmate and discovering a new
culture and traditions, all mixed with a bit of Japanese mystical realism.
Overall: Excellent short book for
escapism, that tells a story about self-discovery, love, belonging, grief and
loss, whilst also exploring Japanese culture and traditions with a bit of
mystical realism. Beautiful writing and scene setting, with loads of descriptions
of flowers and a sprinkle of Japanese folk stories.
About the Author:
Muriel Barbery is the author of four previous novels, including the IMPAC-shortlisted multimillion-copy bestseller The Elegance of the Hedgehog.
She has lived in Kyoto, Amsterdam and Paris and now lives in the French countryside.
https://belgraviabooks.com/writer/muriel-barbery?i=1
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