"Vernon Subutex Three" by Virginie Despentes is a compelling and thought-provoking read. This novel continues the story of Vernon Subutex, a former record store owner who is now homeless and on the run. In this final installment of the series, we see Vernon trying to rebuild his life and find a sense of purpose amidst the chaos of modern-day Paris.

Despentes' writing is powerful and evocative, and she creates a vivid portrayal of the seedy underbelly of Parisian society. The characters are complex and nuanced, and each has their own story to tell. I was particularly drawn to Vernon's journey, as he grapples with his past mistakes and tries to come to terms with his current situation.

However, I did find the plot to be somewhat disjointed at times, and there were moments where I felt lost or confused. Additionally, some of the characters' storylines felt underdeveloped, and I wished there was more time spent exploring their motivations and inner lives.

Overall, "Vernon Subutex Three" is a captivating read that will leave you thinking long after you've finished it. While it's not without its flaws, it's a worthwhile addition to the series and a satisfying conclusion to Vernon's story. I give it a 4/5 rating and would recommend it to fans of literary fiction and character-driven narratives.

This book was recommended by a friend, so when I saw it on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. It’s an interesting book, but it wasn’t for me.

I didn't read the other books in this series and I think I missed a lot because I had issues with the plot and it fell flat.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

'He does not say what he is thinking. He is thinking that no-one is solid. Nothing. No group. That is the hardest thing to learn. That we are tenants of a situation, not landlords.'

And so we come to the last volume in the trilogy, in which Vernon's group - the core handful and those who attend the regular 'convergences' - face their final challenges. On a trip to Paris to visit his dentist, Vernon learns of the death of his close friend Charles, who seems to have left the group half of the winnings of a lottery windfall, amounting to nearly 500,000 Euros. This stroke of fortune, however, only causes friction in the camp and soon it disintegrates, with Vernon setting off on his own to tour round Europe giving gigs. As terror strikes the French capita,l he and his followers find themselves returning for one last convergence...

For those familiar with the trilogy, the series of inter-connected stories continue from part 2, especially that of Aícha and Céleste, now the target of revenge by Laurent Dopalet for what they did to him previously. The rest of the familiar faces are back, too, and with the shadow of the terrorist attacks hanging over them, the book takes on a much darker atmosphere, and seems to be drawn inexorably towards some sort of defining moment for them all.

I loved this trilogy. It is fresh, vibrant and Despentes has a style that joyfully takes a satirical swipe at anything and everything. I have read nothing like it for a long time and can't recommend it (the trilogy as a whole) enough. I have given each book 4 stars, but - bizarrely - give the whole trilogy a 5, just because of its scope and style. What holds me back from a 5 for this particular volume is the slightly bonkers epilogue, which explores the legacy of some of the characters: a Vernon cult, the banning of music and what one of the the descendants of Aicha did in the year 2186. It's very Despentes, but just weird!

A defining trilogy that breaks all the rules and just has a life of its own. Superb.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

I read Vernon Subutex 1 & 2 back in 2018 and really enjoyed them. I re-read both in the few days before reading this third volume in 2020 and I thoroughly enjoyed them again. I enjoyed the first volume for its storytelling and the way Despentes introduces us to a large cast of characters each of which is presented non-judgementally (despite some contradictory politics) and developed in a way that really brings them to life. I enjoyed the second volume for the way it ran with that cast of characters but at a slower pace, giving time for introspection and observation.

I was, therefore, very much looking forward to this third part. Part 1 and a large proportion of Part 2 deal with the story of Vernon Subutex and his descent from record store owner to vagrant. Vernon’s story introduces us to tape recordings by the music star Alex Bleach that set the entertainment world alight as certain individuals try to track down both Subutex and the tapes. Once found, we understand why one character in particular is keen to stop others seeing the tapes and this story starts to take precedence whilst, in parallel, Vernon becomes a kind of guru to a small community.

The third part carries this story on and opens with Vernon being forced to take a trip away from the group and take a journey to a dentist in Paris. Whilst he is there he learns about the death of a friend who has left a lot of money to the group. Having a lot of money is always a problem and this community is no exception to the trouble it can cause. The “convergences” (sort of like raves but without drugs) that the group has been organising have been transforming people’s lives through music, including something new that Alex Bleach was developing in the time leading up to his death, but all this is threatened by tensions amongst the group members. At the same time, the character who has something to hide sets to get his revenge ensure his evil ways are not exposed.

So far, so good. Part 3, it turns out, is a lot more political than the first two parts. All the way through the series there have been asides that take us into the thoughts and views of the different characters and many of these have been political. This significantly increases here and includes many actual events from France’s recent history (e.g. Charlie Hebdo, Bataclan). For this reader, it began to feel that the political commentary was taking over the book: the passages examining characters’ viewpoints get longer and longer and come more frequently and often the progress of the story seems an after thought at the end of a chapter.

But it is still interesting for the first half of the book. Having lived with these characters for 2.5 books, I felt that I was getting to know some of them pretty well. Despentes writes very believable and real people into her books.

However, from about halfway through this third volume, it started to feel as though things were starting to slide out of control. I found myself reading more and more nervously, hoping that what I felt was happening wouldn’t come to pass. Having invested a significant amount of time reading three books, I was worried about how it seemed to be running away.

And, in the end, the dramatic finale feels sudden and rushed. Not only that, but it feels almost entirely unbelievable.

And then, after the drama of the climax, there is a denouement, a sort of epilogue, which is, quite simply, bizarre.

Ultimately, then, I find myself disappointed with the book I have just read. And that disappointment then reflects back through the whole of the trilogy. In the end, I give the book 3 stars because of the characters that I came to know and believe in. But I find myself almost wishing I had stopped after 2 or 2.5 books and not read to the end.