After reading this book, “you will no longer be quite the same”, according to Virginie Grimaldi

Some books are upsetting. A book can upset us for several reasons. First of all, reading a book can arouse intense emotions and immerse us in worlds rich in events and complex characters. Words and stories can resonate with us in profound and sometimes unexpected ways, causing emotional and intellectual stirs. books often address universal themes such as love, loss, the fight against adversity, or the quest for meaning, and therefore resonate with our own life experiences. They can help us better understand our emotions, thoughts and actions, and identify with the characters and situations described in the book.

In the columns of L’claireur, Valérie Grimaldi, the famous author, spoke about her favorite book. It’s about The Life Before You by Romain Gary, a writer “unbeatable” according to her. “[Romain Gary] tears me up as much as it makes me laugh. Especially ‘The Life Before You’ which is my favorite book. We were made to read it in middle or high school and I wasn’t at all hooked… It wasn’t the right time because when I reread it later, I took a big slap. Knowing how to make people laugh on such tragic subjects is a great talent.” she confided.

Valérie Grimaldi’s opinion on the book

A few years ago, she had already recommended this book to her subscribers on Instagram. “He made me laugh, cry, grow, he nourished me. I highlighted dozens of sentences, I spoke about it to all my loved ones, ordering them to read it. They all gave me a look of pity: the book is already in their top“, she explained.

She continued : “I feel lucky not to discover Romain Gary only now, because I still have lots of beautiful moments to spend with him. I took a slap, but a slap like a caress. If you haven’t read it, do so, You won’t be quite the same afterwards.”. La vie avant soi is a novel written by Romain Gary under the pseudonym Émile Ajar, and published in 1975. This book won the Prix Goncourt the same year.

What is Life Ahead about?

This book won the Goncourt Prize the same year. The story takes place in Belleville, a working-class neighborhood of Paris, and is told from the point of view of Momo, a young orphaned Arab boy raised by Madame Rosa, a former Jewish prostitute and Holocaust survivor. The novel addresses deep themes such as love, tolerance, friendship, family, old age, death and humanity in all its complexity. The relationship between Momo and Madame Rosa is at the heart of the story, and touchingly and poignantly depicts tenderness and solidarity which develop between these two characters who appear to be completely opposed.

The writing style of Romain Gary, under the pseudonym Émile Ajar, is particularly poignant and moving, and manages to capture the full depth of the characters’ emotions and feelings. The novel is also known for its shocking ending and its ability to deeply move readers. La vie avant soi is considered one of Romain Gary’s major works and has marked contemporary French literature with its sensitivity, its humanism and its ability to touch the soul of readers. This book has become a classic of French literature and continues to move and inspire readers around the world.

A graduate of CELSA, I have always been passionate about journalism since my early childhood. Originally from the South of France, I left Nice, my hometown, to come live in…