Ok I understand the hype. This book is beautifully written. I loved the French language interwoven through out, it really transplanted me into David’s world. Despite the main character, David, being so morally inept it was highly enjoyable in fact his  inner conflict is what made it so interesting! 

I know that we can’t really judge a book written 70 years ago by today’s social rules. However the writing of the dialogue of the only talking female character, Hella, is painfully sexist. I  wonder whether this is a reflection of the sentiment of some American women at the time or whether the author, as a gay American man of the 1950s, just had poor insight into the female perspective. I would have given the book a higher rating if I hadn’t been so thrown by what Hella says. 

There is a lot of French words used throughout the book and while none of it needs to be understood to follow the story it would make it frustrating to read for people that don’t know French.