Camille by Alexandre Dumas-fils
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Camille, by Alexandre Dumas Jr., is a perfectly fine book. It follows the story of love between a young nobleman, Armand Duval, and a “lady of the city,” Marguerite Gautier. At first Gautier is cold and refuses Duval’s advances, but she quickly opens up to him and falls in love. Although the novel is lush with descriptions of 19th century Paris and makes some valid observations on society, it is emotionally lacking. This is especially disappointing given the potential storyline. Unfortunately, the book, like a glass of warm milk, is nice and nothing more. Parts are told too quickly or in a style that makes some events seem unbelievable and the characters unsympathetic, especially Duval who seems like a flat caricature. By the end of the book, I found myself not caring all too much about Marguerite and Duval. It has several redeeming qualities like plot and theme, however, so it makes a good read, though not a fantastic one. – Meilan S. ’17
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