Book Review: The Readers’ Room by Antoine Laurain

Oh but I do love the magical writing of Antoine Laurain (and his talented translation team)! In this latest, Laurain brings us into the world of books, authors, and publishing (a topic near and dear to his heart and often present in his work). There’s a successful book. A missing author. An editor with memory gaps. And a lot of questions that don’t get answers until the very end…

It was, as always, an entertaining journey. I loved the insider peek into the publishing/book prize worlds. I didn’t find the writing to have the same draw-me-in magical flair as with his previous books though. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t flow quite as like lyrically as the others I’ve read. I can’t point my finger to what, exactly, felt different about this one. It didn’t feel as quintessentially French in sensibility as titles like Vintage 1954 or Smoking Kills – and no, even I don’t know exactly what I mean when I say that, but it’s a feeling that the earlier stories evoked and this one didn’t in quite the same way…

I still read it in a day – he writes beautifully, even when not at what I’d consider his best, and the stories leap off the page and into your head/heart. I’d read his grocery list – he’s exceptionally talented and paints a scene like few authors I’ve ever experienced. But this didn’t feel quite as captivating as I expected, which surprised me given the subject matter (I’m a sucker for books about books/writing). So if you’re new to him and aren’t sure how you feel after this one – TRUST ME when I say you should give another title a try before deciding anything. You won’t be sorry!

Thanks to the marvelous folks at Meryl Zegarek Public Relations for my obligation-free review copy.