"The international hit that sold half a million copies in France: a chilling work of fiction--but based on a true story--about a friendship gone terrifyingly toxic and the nature of reality.

Overwhelmed by the huge success of her latest novel, exhausted and suffering from a crippling inability to write, Delphine meets L.

L. embodies everything Delphine has always secretly admired; she is a glittering image of feminine sophistication and spontaneity and she has an uncanny knack of always saying the right thing. Unusually intuitive, L. senses Delphine's vulnerability and slowly but deliberately carves herself a niche in the writer's life. However, as L. makes herself indispensable to Delphine, the intensity of this unexpected friendship manifests itself in increasingly sinister ways. As their lives become more and more entwined, L. threatens Delphine's identity, both as a writer and as an individual.

This sophisticated psychological thriller skillfully blurs the line between fact and fiction, reality and artifice. Delphine de Vigan has crafted a terrifying, insidious, meta-fictional thriller; a haunting vision of seduction and betrayal; a book which in its hungering for truth implicates the reader, too--even as it holds us in its thrall."

Sounds like the best of Highsmith!

Heart wrenching. Get ready people this book hurts. The details are spot on. You can feel the pain.

(This was published at the CCLaP website [cclapcenter.com] on June 15, 2017. For any questions regarding it, please contact Jason Pettus at cclapcenter@gmail.com.)

In a way it's easy to describe to American audiences the plot of celebrated French author Delphine de Vigan's new book, <i>Based On A True Story</i>; it's essentially an intellectual version of the old B-pic thriller <i>Single White Female</i>, in which a public artist meets and gets along with one of her fans, the fan turns obsessive, and the fan eventually attempts to take over the artist's life, moving into her house and gaining access to her email and eventually even showing up to public events dressed and acting like her. But this gets a lot more complicated and metafictional when it comes to de Vigan's book; for the artist being stalked is her herself, the whole thing written as a true memoir even though it clearly is not, the project inspired by the fact that the last novel de Vigan published, 2011's <i>Rien ne s'oppose à la nuit</i> (<i>Nothing Holds Back the Night</i>), was a semi-autobiographical novel about coping with her real-life mother's bipolar disorder, which made her a mainstream celebrity in France but also garnered her passionate hatred among certain circles for "exploiting" the real-life mental illness of another person for her own personal gain.

What <i>True Story</i> is, then, is a meditation on where exactly the slippery line lays between real-life events and made-up details when it comes to the act of a novelist writing a fictional novel, the same subject famously explored in John Irving's <i>The World According to Garp</i>; but instead of doing this the usual dry academic way of writers her type, here she presents it as a supermarket pulp, clearly taking a cue off Paul Auster by weaving herself into this story of fandom gone wrong, even while cleverly presenting the details in a way so that it might turn out that the mysterious "L." is in fact a figment of de Vigan's stressed, overly exhausted, nearly burnt-out imagination. (None of de Vigan's friends ever meet L; she always rents pre-furnished apartments so to leave no trace of herself after leaving; the fake emails she sends out to de Vigan's friends are always in de Vigan's name; the details she tells de Vigan about her personal life turn out to have all been culled from the books in de Vigan's library, etc.)

It's a very clever and thought-provoking book, not just an astute examination of the creative process but also a commentary on the times we currently live in, when reality TV and edgy documentaries are all the rage, and more and more of those reality-fans are complaining about "why should they care" about a "bunch of stuff that never happened" when it comes to contemporary fiction. De Vigan clearly has some complicated issues regarding the public reaction to her last book, and also clearly struggled with the question of what to write next, of how one could ever return to fiction after having suffered such a maelstrom of public reaction from a book based mostly on real-life events. This is one of the smartest and most entertaining ways she could've addressed these issues, and should satisfy even her harshest critics that she can still write compelling and dramatic stories even when not relying on the crutch of real life, even while proving that there's still a vital and necessary place in our society for stories about a "bunch of stuff that never happened," that fiction at its best is as moving and teaches as much about the world as any snotty serialized documentary. It comes strongly recommended today for these reasons, and will likely also be making CCLaP's "best of the year" list come this December.

Out of 10: <b>9.6</b>

This is one of those cases where the novel and reader just weren't compatible. I thought that the story had definite promise and the premise was very intriguing. However, it was a very slow buildup and I quickly lost attention. By the time the story got good, I realized that I wasn't very invested in it and didn't really care too much about the outcome. I will say that I quite enjoyed the writing style of the author; it flowed very nicely and you can tell the author took the time to carefully choose her words. I think that this novel would be best suited for someone looking for a slow, deep character-based book rather than something thrilling.

The title of Delphine de Vigan’s latest book, Based on a True Story is a bit of a teaser. Is this book fiction or not? The book’s inside flap states that “this psychological thriller blurs the line between fact and fiction, reality and artifice,” and you can’t help but wonder what is ‘true’ and what is imagined when you read the book. After all, the author writes “autobiographical fiction,” and the main character is Delphine, an author who’s just written a book about her mother (Delphine de Vigan’s book about her mother is reviewed here), and if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that there are elements of the book that are true with imagination taking flight at some point. But frankly, I’m not interested in how much is real and how much is fiction; after all, I’m sure many writers use personal experiences, in one form or another, for inspiration.


The book begins with Delphine (the character) describing how she became friends with a woman she identifies only as L. They meet at a party, and “profoundly, slowly, surely, insidiously” L enters Delphine’s life and, over a two-year-period, gradually takes it over. When the two women meet, Delphine is at a low point in her life, and the publication of a book about her mother has had unexpected, mostly negative results. So here’s Delphine, a successful writer who meets L, a ghostwriter of various biographies and memoirs. To Delphine, L appears to be everything she will never be, immaculate:

How much time does it take to be a woman like that? I wondered as I looked at L., as I had observed dozens of women before, on the metro, in cinema queues and at restaurant tables. Coiffed, made up and neatly pressed. Without a crease. How much time to reach that state of perfection every morning and how much time for touch-ups before going out in the evening? What kind of life do you have to lead to have time to tame your hair by blow-drying, to change your jewellery every day, to coordinate and vary your outfits, to leave nothing to chance?

Within a short time, L. is in contact with Delphine on a daily basis. Meanwhile Delphine is receiving anonymous hate mail, and having difficulties writing. While L positions herself as Delphine’s friend and staunch supporter, in reality, she’s subtly undermining Delphine’s confidence and influencing her behaviour with negative and positive reinforcement. The gradual decline of Delphine’s confidence is in direct proportion to L’s control over Delphine’s life. Yes, a friend in need is a friend indeed, unless she has your destruction at heart–in which case you’d better beware.

The problem is that Delphine doesn’t catch on until so many things have occurred and she has had several serious warnings that L is a psycho. L is slick, but her mask occasionally slips, and there’s really no reason why Delphine doesn’t see this. For example, at one point, L is snarkily raving on about her theories of Delphine’s writing:

I sometimes wonder if you shouldn’t be suspicious of the comfort you live in, your little life that’s ultimately quite comfortable, with your children, your man, writing, all carefully gauged.

Of course, L has partially achieved this control by gradually isolating Delphine and slowly eradicating her confidence, but it’s hard not to wonder why Delphine, who is a successful writer accepts the writing advice, constantly, of a woman who make her living as a ghostwriter? Or why Delphine abdicates her personal responsibilities repeatedly? Why doesn’t Delphine punch back?

At the heart of the matter is the idea that L tapped into Delphine’s deepest insecurities, but this wasn’t entirely achieved–especially when Delphine is given a warning that cannot be ignored, but goes back for more. … Again, perhaps that says more about Delphine’s needs than L’s occasionally sloppy methodology, but if that is true, the book’s thesis isn’t quite convincing.

While I eagerly turned each page of Based on a True Story, I wished that Delphine would wake up and smell the psycho, and I felt no small amount of frustration that it took so long. However, this an interesting read and a cautionary one. Writers are, after all, on the celebrity spectrum, but they are accessible to the public, fans and, yes, even haters.

And here’s Gert’s review

Review copy

Translated by George Miller

I’ve been somewhat burned out of psychological thrillers lately, especially those that are billed as “the next Gone Girl and/or The Girl on the Train.” I generally find that the big twist is either entirely predictable or completely outlandish…and neither one of those situations leaves me feeling satisfied. Completely outlandish is what killed the last thriller I tried (Behind Her Eyes). I wrote a spoiler discussion with all the gory details.

So, I recently tried going international for a satisfying thriller and it worked!

Based on a True Story (a smash hit in France already) is the memoir-style story of a writer’s toxic female friendship. It begins with a titillating Prologue and continues with a creepy, Single White Female vibe that left me dying to know how things would play out. It’s incredibly emotionally tense and de Vigan’s gorgeous writing helps accomplish this.

The first half of the book lays the psychological groundwork for the more action-packed second half. Why is L interested in Delphine? What could L possibly have done to make Delphine stop writing and essentially ruin her life?

The entire time I was reading, I understood that Based on a True Story was completely messing with my head. Much of the allure comes from the “is this story true or isn’t it?” vibe that permeates the entire story, so that’s what we’ll pick apart here.

I haven’t come close to figuring out where I stand on all these questions…and that’s one of the beauties of this story! You’ll keep turning it over in your mind for awhile and it’s a book that will spark debates, making it a great choice for book club.

STOP HERE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW SPOILERS!

Is Based on a True Story REALLY based on a true story?
I went into Based on a True Story thinking the book was, in fact, based on a true story. Aside from the obvious (the title), the publisher leads its blurb with this:

"[…] a chilling work of fiction–but based on a true story–about a friendship gone terrifyingly toxic and the nature of reality."

And closes with this:

"This sophisticated psychological thriller skillfully blurs the line between fact and fiction, reality and artifice. Delphine de Vigan has crafted a terrifying, insidious, meta-fictional thriller; a haunting vision of seduction and betrayal; a book which in its hungering for truth implicates the reader, too–even as it holds us in its thrall.
But, as I was reading, I started to completely question this assumption. A huge theme in the story is the idea that fictional entertainment (books, movies, TV shows) that are “based on a true story” (or marketed as such) are much more compelling for the audience than pure fiction. It’s the type of book L is trying to force Delphine to write next."

"And I challenge all of us – you, me, anyone – to disentangle true from false. And in any case, it could be a literary project to write a whole book that presents itself as a true story, a book inspired by so-called real events, but in which everything, or nearly everything, is invented."

Based on a True Story is filled with these types of quotes! Are they a clue that we readers have been conned and that this is not, in fact, a true story? Is this entire book a huge indictment of the lemming-like nature of readers in general?

Based on a True Story could be pure fiction and that title could just refer to this prevailing theme in the book. But, would the publisher go so far as to mislead the public in its marketing blurb?

I’ve tried all kinds of Google searches and found very few actual news articles indicating whether this story is true or any English language in-depth interviews with de Vigan. She’s also not on Twitter. The only thing I’ve seen is a translation of a French language interview with de Vigan in Paris Match Magazine in a blog post by Susie at Novel Visits where she quoted as answering “in one form or another” when asked if there was an L. in her life.

Did Delphine imagine L?
It’s clear towards the end of the book that even Delphine herself questions whether L actually existed. When she figures out she’s been had (in a delightfully The Usual Suspects kind of way!), she tries to find tangible evidence of L’s existence in her life and she cannot find a shred.

It’s possible Delphine could have imagined L in the throes of a deep depression. But, I think the (pretty dang awesome, I might add!) ending pretty much negates this possibility.

If L didn’t exist, who submitted the “novel” in Delphine’s name to her publisher? Delphine could have written it while she was depressed, but would she really have no zero memory of it whatsoever? I guess it’s possible if you also believe she invented L entirely.

But, I’m not sure I buy that Delphine imagined L. while deeply depressed.

I see three possible interpretations of Based on a True Story.
1) Based on a True Story ends with The End*, the calling card L uses for her ghostwriting. This leads me to the following three interpretations of the book:

2) Based on a True Story really is closely based on something that actually happened to de Vigan…and Based on a True Story is the actual book the very real L submitted to Delphine’s publisher under Delphine’s name. But, then, can the publisher release this book under de Vigan’s name in good conscience while knowing she didn’t actually write it?

3) Like #1, Based on a True Story is based on some version of something that actually happened to Delphine, but Delphine really did write the book about her experience. But if this is true, then why did Delphine sign off with L’s calling card? To trick the reader? As a cheeky nod to L? This piece has me stumped.
Based on a True Story is completely fiction (written by de Vigan) and the title refers to the theme I discussed above. Ending the book with L’s calling card is just a cheeky nod to her and the story. Maybe even inserted at the last minute by the publisher. But, again, why would be publisher then state it’s “based on a true story” in the marketing blurb?

I think all this ambiguity is intentional and meant to make the book more compelling…which it absolutely did for me.

As to which theory I personally subscribe to…I think it’s #2…mainly because of the quote Susie at Novel Visits found in the French language Paris Match Magazine. But, I admit I’m still questioning myself. There are holes in all three theories.

How do you feel about all the ambiguity? And, about never finding out who L really was or why she wanted to insinuate herself in Delphine’s life?

About knowing for sure if the book is based on a true story?

Part of me loves the fact that I finished the book weeks ago and am still trying to parce this all out. But, another, lazier, part of me wants the key to the castle…right now!

I’m definitely the type of reader who doesn’t mind an open or ambiguous ending…as long as it isn’t super abrupt and makes sense with the story. In this case, I think the ambiguity was intentional and well-crafted, so it doesn’t make me want to throw the book across the room.

Knowing who L really was or why she wanted to insinuate herself into Delphine’s life?

Initially, I was annoyed that this was never answered. But, now that some time has gone by, I’m much more focused on whether the story is true or not. L’s motive almost seems beside the point.

Let’s discuss! What did you think of Based on a True Story? How do you feel about all the ambiguity?

We've read or watched this story of psychotic obsession before- and it's been done both better and worse. This is not a plot driven novel so much as an exploration of characters, which can make for slow reading. The writing seemed mannered to me but that is fitting. If you're looking for quick thrills (this is not the next Gone Girl) this isn't for you. But, you will like it if you enjoy literary thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Based on a True Story by Delphine de Vigan
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Release Date: May 9, 2017
Length: 384 pages

Single Sentence Summary: A best-selling writer meets a woman, much like herself, who challenges everything she believes about writing and reality.

Primary Characters: Delphine – A very successful French writer, coming off her most popular book yet. Delphine’s life is in flux. Her children are soon headed to college and her writing is increasingly blocked. L. – An elegant, sophisticated woman Delphine meets at a party. L. quickly becomes a fixture in Delphine’s life, and in her work.

Synopsis: When Delphine meets L. the timing couldn’t be better. She’s exhausted and overwhelmed by the success of her latest novel, an intimate portrait of her mother’s bipolar disorder. As the friendship blossoms, Delphine finds herself increasingly drawn to L., who embodies the ease and sophistication Delphine feels she lacks. Within weeks L. is a fixture in Delphine’s daily life. She offers friendship, assistance, and advice. Very strong advice. L.’s thoughts about where Delphine’s next book should go are specific and insistent. As L. carves a bigger and bigger role in Delphine’s world, her influence threatens to undermine Delphine’s career and her life.

Review: Based on a True Story by Delphine de Vigan is a story that will get in your head and NOT let go! She masterfully blurred the lines between fiction and reality. It’s impossible to read de Vigan’s book without constantly questioning everything about her story, starting with how much of it is based on her real life. The writer in Based on a True Story is also named Delphine. Each wrote a novel that blurred the lines between fiction and autobiography, earning legions of devoted fans. Both the real and the fictional Delphine have two children and a partner named Francois. The story is told in first person. Who is actually narrating? Is it Delphine the real life French writer, or is it Delphine the character? When asked if there was an L. in her life, de Vigan has answered, “In one form or another.” It’s the question of what that form was that that makes this book impossible to forget.

L. enters Delphine’s life when she’s at vulnerable time. Delphine’s latest book has been wildly successful, but with that come questions she’s not willing to answer. Her twins have finished their baccalauréat, and are moving out and on to higher education. Her boyfriend is gone for long stretches for his own work. It’s time to start on a new book, but she delays and delays. L. seems to be the answer for so many of Delphine’s needs. She’s a companion, a confidante, a cheerleader. But, with all that come L.’s opinions, most strongly her opinions on what Delphine should be writing. Truth is what matters to L. She demands it of Delphine’s writing, making Delphine all the more powerless to put words to paper.

L. makes Delphine uncomfortable, and yet she’s drawn to her. Theirs is an insidious relationship, that moves from subtly dangerous to out and out menacing. Delphine (the character) looks back, telling the story of L., and how L. hijacked her life.

“Given the disorder that she created in my life, it’s important for me to identify what made L.’s hold on me possible, and probably mine on L.”

“L. exerted a gentle hold over me, intimate and troubling, the cause and extent of which I was unaware of.”

“It wasn’t enough for L. just to ask questions; she also suggested answers.”

Not wanting to give too much away, let me simply tell you that I loved Based on a True Story. When I read the last page, I was unsure of my feelings, but over the next few days my pleasure with this book grew. I thought about it often, and still have questions. I’d love to talk to Delphine de Vigan. I want to know her! She’s a master of her craft, seamlessly blurring the lines between real and imagined. If you need a book that’s neat and tidy, Based on a True Story probably isn’t for you, but for everyone else, this is a book you NEED to read. Book club talks could go on FOREVER! Grade: A

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

I can tell you that I almost gave up on this book. The author took way to long to get into the meat of this story. She just went on and on about L. I was seriously getting sick of L and was ready to throw the book across the room.

Not exactly sure why I did, but I continued on. Am I glad I did? The ending told me why the author carried on, but I still think she went overboard. She could have shortened it a lot more and I think it would have kept me more interested.

Thanks to Bloomsbury and Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Fantastic thriller! SO many times throughout this story I wasn't sure who to trust or was yelling out "no! don't do that!" in my head. I just loved this book so much, it stood out in a sea of average books I've read lately. 5 stars!!

I couldn't even finish this book. I was completely bored and uninterested.

“If you don’t grasp the little grain of madness in someone , you cannot love them. If you don’t grasp their point of craziness, you miss out. Someone’s point of craziness is their source of charm.”

I loved Delphine De Vigan’s memoir, Nothing Holds Back The Night, in fact sometime this week I will post a review, though I read it at the end of 2013. It begs to be reviewed and I highly recommend it. In this fictional, maybe real (we just don’t know for sure if it’s a half truth or all fabrication, in a sense, aren’t our memories fabrication as we only see them from our perspective) Delphine meets L. L embodies everything Delphine wishes to be, the sort of woman that has a grace, refinement, ease in social settings, someone that is pulled together in every sense of the meaning. “I’d long ago accepted that I was not one of those impeccable, irreproachable women I’d dreamed of being. I always had something that escaped or stuck out or collapsed.” I can relate, maybe too well to that windblown look, that messy imperfection, a lived in being- that’s what so many of us are. Try as you like, that sophistication or artifice even isn’t easy for all of us to master. The speed at which they bond is almost frightening, and Delphine is soon allowing L far too much importance in her life. L is free to chip away at Delphine’s weaknesses and fears, pushing her to create, to search her guts for a more genuine messy story- after all, that’s what readers want, an emotional autopsy, right? But who is L really? Why is she becoming necessary?

Delphine is crashing, her depression is making her question her own success with her Memoir, the above mentioned Nothing Holds Back The Night. Maybe her success is all phony, maybe she is suspect and every truth in her memoir was a farce. Isn’t there shame in so exposing others and oneself? Isn’t it a cruelty? So much success and now what? Writer’s block! She begins to rely far too much on L and her stimulating, raw insight but maybe L is far more insidious than Delphine realizes. Seduced by her friend’s strength, she gives over parts of herself that leave her nothing but an empty husk. Why does no one else seem to know who L is either? Why does Delphine keep L all to herself, not caring to share her with others?

Delphine, the readers ask, is L a madness, a slip, a truth, a lie? We just don’t know, do we? There are pages of self-reflection and a lot of deflection when reality stings, when life is brutal. Is L an ideal only? A phantom? A living breathing human? For whatever reason, in this fictional/real novel- she is vital to Delphine’s existence. The writing is gorgeous, the interactions intense but at times I wanted to move along, there were moments it dragged. However, L’s penetration into all of Delphine’s insecurities is terrifying. People are often saying how gorgeous it is to be seen, claiming they long to be known and truly understood- but do they? Do they really? We all need to keep some pounds of our own flesh on reserve for ourselves alone. There should be private thoughts, shames, memories that are not meant to be aired out. Just how much should we disarm ourselves for a friend, or even a lover? Here, I’ve split myself in two, come along now and take all the guts I spill, putrid and healthy alike. Delphine is giving too much over to L. Why is that? Why is she making L into a sort of God? An open heart is a beautiful thing in love or friendship, but you can never, should never hand yourself over entirely to another soul.

Delphine is throwing herself before a train, but why? Just what is going on? What is she trying to tell the reader? This is a sinister yet also dishonest novel. We don’t know who to trust, what to believe- much like life I suppose. How much is fiction, how much is memoir? Is there a difference? Which begs the question, how much of our memories become fiction as we poke at them? I am torn because I really liked this but there were times it was exhausting reading it. Which is similar to what I imagine mental breakdowns feel like. But is she having a breakdown? It seems 2017 is the year of trickery in fiction and literature. If you enjoy being messed about- this is for you. It’s an original and at the end I was dizzy, very confused and yet still curious.

Publication Date: May 9, 2017

Bloomsbury USA

Excellent read deep and well done page turner-makes one question the literary imagination, the literal minded, the purpose of the book and the
politics of women friends. One of the few types of book I read with an interest in the ending which for me in this case didn't
satisfy- still the quality was superior to what is being published by the large majority of American writers

This psychological thriller tells the story of the author who suffers from writer's block and has a mental breakdown after a successful book signing. She later meets a woman she only refers to as L. This mysterious woman is sophisticated and is everthing Delphine wishes that she could be. Slowly L seems to be controlling and becomes a very important part of Delphine's life and then things take an unexpected turn. The story is interesting and keeps the reader intrigued to the end.
I thank the publishers for allowing me an advance copy for my unbiased review.

The release I received was an English translation of this book and even though the formatting may have been off (if not and that was intentional my apologies). I really liked this one. It isn't what it seems at the end and you'll probably have more questions instead of answers but it leaves you wanting more. I liked that it wasn't completely straight forward leaving the reader to question whose "truth" to believe. Do you believe L. or Delphine? It's a matter of perception here as manipulation, slight violence, and suspense and are factored into what Delphine has wrote.

It's a page turner and reminded me of Gone Girl along with Single White Female.

Very interesting. A hypnotic meta thriller, trippy psychological mindf*ck of a novel. Single White Female with a literary angle. Found this on Netgalley and it piqued my interest, plus it's always good to broaden one's views by reading foreign literature. French know psychotic obsession and do it well. What sets this book apart from many similar works in the meta ness of it all, Delphine the main character is in fact Delphine the author, who after putting out a profoundly personal book retreats from writing and attention and falls into the waiting arms of a charming new best friend/creepy new best stalker who may or may not be there and may or may not be intent on taking over her life. Some of the twists and turns are fairly predictable (probably more so for readers with outside perspective than the helpless clueless Delphine) and there is a pure Keyzer Soze ending, stated as such. Good reading experience, well paced, didn't quite wow, but maybe because the subject has been done so many times in so many ways it really needs a crazy twist to set itself apart, but entertained thoroughly. Fans of dark psychological fiction are sure to enjoy this. Thanks Netgalley.

This story is fiction but based on fact. Delphine is a prize winning writer and she has just written THE book, the book all riders aspire to produce. But now she’s stymied, what can she possibly write to surpass her masterpiece. Drowning in exhaustion and writers block she meets L. L is everything Delphine wishes she could be, a sophisticated, feminine, confident woman and L senses Delphines vulnerability and slowly works her way into the writers life. What follows is a very intense relationship between L and Delphine, one that threatens to destroyDelphine both as a writer and as a human being. There are many questions about who L really is, if she is even a real human being. This is a masterful piece of writing, a thriller you won’t soon forget