I couldn't get into HBO's "Succession," but fans of that show will love Marguerite Duras' "The Impudent Ones." I love playing fly on the wall for the problems of the rich and privileged, and this book did not disappoint. Slow-burning and luxurious, and worth spending a weekend with.

“Love Contains the dregs of Hate.”

A first time translation into English brings us Marguerite Duras’ The Impudent Ones. Published in 1943, this was the author’s first novel. I’ve only read the exotic ones; The Sea Wall is my favourite. It’s been ten years since I read that semi-autobiographical novel and I still think about it (and the incredible film version). The Impudent Ones and The Sea Wall are both stories of family politics, and sisters whose sexuality may benefit the family unit, but the similarities stop there.

The Paris-based blended Grant-Taneran family consists of Mr and Mrs Taneran, their son Henry and Mrs Grant-Taneran’s two children from her first marriage: Maud and Jacques Grant. Mr Taneran, who married the widow late in his life is “stooped” with “despondent eyes.” And it doesn’t take long to figure out why he looks so beaten up. For financial reasons, he’s working again after retirement, but it’s not all bad: he can “escape the tyranny of his family and felt quite pleased about it.” He’s afraid of Jacques and when he married the widow, he thought that Jacques would leave the family soon. Fat chance. Jacques is always in “need of cash,” and when he gets any he “spent recklessly.” Jacques married and lived off his wife’s money for a while, but surprise, surprise, that source went dry. Constantly sponging off the family, Jacques has all bills directed to his mother, and she gives him just enough money to keep him coming back in a co-dependent fashion.


The novel opens with the family dealing with the news that Jacques’ wife is dead, and her death opens the door for more borrowing. Maybe it’s a good excuse. Maybe it’s genuine. (I’ll go with the former.) The bank is dunning Jacques for money, and the family go to the country, to Uderan, in southwest France. The Grant-Tanerans own a property here, and since a heavy fog of lethargy hovers around the family (from page one) it’s no surprise to find out the country property is falling into decay. The family lived there years ago, but the place was in a bad state when they bought it, and since they are not farmers, the place gets worse.

In the country, Maud’s presence stirs up passions. She is courted by two men: John Pecresse, and George Durieux, but the novel’s lethargy continues to be reflected in the characters’ actions. Will Maud marry one of these men? Will her family approve?

Boredom is mentioned in the novel, and the author certainly creates that atmosphere, but unfortunately it oozes through the plot which, as a result, is uninteresting. The family is toxic, a thoroughly miserable lot who loathe each other. The characters are unpleasant and it was impossible for this reader to care. The story is told with strong exposition; imagine someone sitting opposite you telling you about these incidents, and that’s how the story feels. Makes me think of that well-worn fiction writer advice “show not tell.” Too much telling here.

Jacques began going out again and taking back the upper hand he had in the household from which the death of his wife had momentarily exempted him. Since this event, on the other hand, he had become more and more difficult, hardly being able to stand the presence of Taneran at the table. Even if Jacques went out as much as before, he did not want it to be said that he suffered less for his loss which is why he feigned an exasperation intended to simulate sorrow.

It’s the sort of story when I long for some drama–instead of this insipid behaviour of family members. The family is funded by Mr Taneran who is undermined by his wife and bullied by his stepson. Great potential. Very complicated family politics are the best aspect of the novel.

Review copy. Translated by Kelsey L. Haskett. I listened to the audio version which was beautifully read by Suzanne Toren

This is the story of the Taneran family, a French family from the upper class who have fallen on hard times. In addition to their residence in the city, they own a vineyard in the French countryside. The matriarch of the family struggles to maintain the family's standard of living and to keep her children moving forward. She greatly favors the son, Jacque, who by most objective standards is a horrid person only interested in himself and his comforts. Her daughter, Maud is often ignored or put in a secondary situation.
As the novel opens, the family has come down to the country. The mother is attempting to sell the vineyard to a local family and is willing to sacrifice Maud to be their son's wife in order to seal the deal. Maud, on the other hand, is uninterested in the suitor picked for her and is fascinated by a man named George who is a friend of her brother.

This was Duras' debut novel but has only now been translated and available in English. It foreshadows many of the themes that are familiar to readers of Duras' later works such as The Lover. It portrays family dynamics and the second class status of women. Women's sexuality is explored but also seen as a source of shame in the social environment unless all rules are followed.

I listened to this novel. The narrator had a calm voice that accurately portrayed the slow moving action of being in the country and falling into relationships. After the book was over, there was about an hour of supplementary material, discussing Duras' work in general and the path that this book took to get to market. It took several years and reworking before it was published. Readers will be intrigued by the intricate familial relationships and the dawning of women demanding to be valued as much as men. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

I have nothing negative to say about the narration of this audiobook. The narration voice is clear and the voices sufficiently distinct. In many ways this audiobook is not out of place with those you might find in a library of classics, such as Henry James and other late 19th century or early 20th century novels. The story also reminds me of those novels, though a bit more aimless, and more focused on characters that are utterly charmless. The story leaves some to be desired, but the production carries the day.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* different, but not bad just not really what i would normally read or my cup of tea.

This was my first Margeurite Duras story, and unfortunately, it will probably be my last. I know that she has received great acclaim for many of her works, but for me, this fell into the genre of classics that I really detest: well-to-do people have nothing to do with their time but gossip and despise each other. I spent the length of the book waiting for something to happen, and nothing ever did. I think people who likes books like <i>Anna Karenina</i> will enjoy this book, but it just wasn't for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

‘One should be careful of children who plunder everything one has.’

I’ve been trying to find more time for the audio book experience & this debut from Marguerite Duras (the last to be translated into English) appealed to me because of its promised themes of rivalry, betrayal and dysfunction & the comparisons with Flaubert. The narrator, Suzanne Toren, has the perfect ability to keep you in a state of intrigue whilst also assisting readerly reverie. By this, I don’t necessarily mean sleep!

Others have described the novel as having a ‘strictly scholarly appeal’. Despite the introductory note on character names and relationships, the dynamics between the characters are quite complex and do require close attention. Yet they are fascinating and Duras inspects human nature in meticulous detail. There is a strong sense of maternal disappointment in the opening chapters which delves a lot deeper than muddy football kits. I look forward to finding out more on the fate of the Grant-Tanerans.

It's difficult to rate the work of a great author like Marguerite Duras, and it is even more difficult not to compare it to her excellent novels, like The Lover.

I first read the book, and then I listened to an audiobook. It is an interesting experience to listen to an audiobook after you've already read the book. I enjoyed it both times, and it was different each time.

The story is pretty slow-paced but beautifully written. The prose contains captivating descriptions of surroundings and nature. In The Impudent Ones, Duras depicts family relationships and conflicts in a bourgeois family, and inside this novel, there are romances, gossip, and scandals. It is partly autobiographical, partly a work of fiction. This novel is a real treat for literary fiction fans, and I would recommend it to that type of reader.

content: 4 stars, narration: 5 stars, overall: 4.5 rounded to 5

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this! All opinions are my own.

For fans of Marguerite Duras, this is almost a "must-read" as the seeds of so much of her future work come through in this newly re-released debut. The themes of family dysfunction, of the mother character both domineering and adoring (albeit to another child- the horrid older brother), and the rebellion is all there.

This book is written with a linear plot that while not complicated, does become a bit convoluted with many characters and some plot points that don't seem to go anywhere. We follow the daughter, Maud, as she and the rest of her family are uprooted because of the danger caused by the olde4st brother's fiscal misbehavior. They leave Paris for the countryside where all sorts of things take place and Maud is offered up in a scheme to marry her off. I won't say more so the plot isn't spoiled, but I will say that I think this is a book for someone interested in her work, or someone interested in French fiction of this time period.

I enjoyed seeing the germination of many of the themes she will expand upon in better novels in her future. But if this is your first foray into her work, it may not be the best one to start with.

This was my first book by the Marguerite Duras. It was memoir with mixture of fiction. The raw depiction of a French family's internal conflicts, their secrets and shortcomings, made the ugly family story beautiful. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
Thanks NetGalley and Highbridge audio for the ALC.

Unfortunately, I was unable to download the audiobook to listen to. I was also approved for the standard print version and will be subsequently reviewing that instead.