About the Book
A bestseller in France and winner of the Prix Renaudot, By a Slow River is a mesmerizing and atmospheric tale of three mysterious deaths in an oddly isolated French village during World War I.
The placid daily life of a small town near the front seems impervious to the nearby pounding of artillery fire and the parade of wounded strangers passing through its streets. But the illusion of calm is soon shattered by the deaths of three innocents-the charming new schoolmistress who captures every male heart only to kill herself; an angelic ten-year-old girl who is found strangled; and a local policeman's cherished wife, who dies alone in labor while her husband is hunting the murderer. Twenty years later, the policeman still struggles to make sense of these tragedies, a struggle that both torments and sustains him. But excavating the town's secret history will bring neither peace to him nor justice to the wicked. From the Trade Paperback edition."
Review :
"Achingly beautiful . . . [with an] air of universal fable: baleful and tragic yet curiously enlivening."
-Richard Eder, "New York Times"
"Evokes, with Poe-like mastery, the fog of apprehension that seeps into a small town after the murder of a young girl."
-Megan O'Grady," Vogue"
"Overwhelmingly compelling . . . Ostensibly a murder mystery, this novel soars above such a restrictive definition. It is an impeccable visit to times past . . . As riveting as the story line is, the setting, ambience, and lovely language . . . partner to flavor this novel with punch and spice."
-"Booklist"
"Claudel's little gem of a debut novel is, in essence, a whodunit. . . Psychologically complex, elegantly written and tightly plotted, this is far from your average "policier,""
-"Publishers Weekly"
"The novel earned Claudel the 2003 Prix Renaudot. In this lyrical yet earthy translation, it's easy to see why: tales of murder, torture, and suicide unfold gradually, like the petals of a poisonous flower, delivering staggering plot twists up to the final page . . . The novel's true genius lies in its ability to explore war's effects on civilians without resorting to cliches or excessive gore."
-"Library Journal" "From the Hardcover edition."
" A grave, achingly beautiful novel. . . . He endows the people he writes about with a jagged humanity."
-- "The New York Times"
" A haunted, grief-shadowed tale. . . . Claudel has a talent for swift, sure characterization."
-- "The New York Times Book Review"
" [Claudel] evokes, with Poe-like mastery, the fog of apprehension that seeps into a small town after the murder of a young girl."
-- "Vogue"
" Achingly beautiful . . . [with an] air of universal fable: baleful and tragic yet curiously enlivening."
- Richard Eder, "New York Times"
" Evokes, with Poe-like mastery, the fog of apprehension that seeps into a small town after the murder of a young girl."
- Megan O' Grady," Vogue"
" Overwhelmingly compelling . . . Ostensibly a murder mystery, this novel soars above such a restrictive definition. It is an impeccable visit to times past . . . As riveting as the story line is, the setting, ambience, and lovely language . . . partner to flavor this novel with punch and spice."
- "Booklist"
" Claudel's little gem of a debut novel is, in essence, a whodunit. . . Psychologically complex, elegantly written and tightly plotted, this is far from your average "policier,""
- "Publishers Weekly"
" The novel earned Claudel the 2003 Prix Renaudot. In this lyrical yet earthy translation, it's easy to see why: tales of murder, torture, and suicide unfold gradually, like the petals of a poisonous flower, delivering staggering plot twists up to the final page . . . The novel's true genius lies in its ability to explore war's effects on civilians without resorting to cliche s or excessive gore."
- "Library Journal" "From the Hardcover edition."
"Achingly beautiful . . . Ýwith an¨ air of universal fable: baleful and tragic yet curiously enlivening."
-Richard Eder, "New York Times"
"Evokes, with Poe-like mastery, the fog of apprehension that seeps into a small town after the murder of a young girl."
-Megan O'Grady," Vogue"
"Overwhelmingly compelling . . . Ostensibly a murder mystery, this novel soars above such a restrictive definition. It is an impeccable visit to times past . . . As riveting as the story line is, the setting, ambience, and lovely language . . . partner to flavor this novel with punch and spice."
-"Booklist"
"Claudel's little gem of a debut novel is, in essence, a whodunit. . . Psychologically complex, elegantly written and tightly plotted, this is far from your average "policier.""
-"Publishers Weekly"
"The novel earned Claudel the 2003 Prix Renaudot. In this lyrical yet earthy translation, it's easy to see why: tales of murder, torture, and suicide unfold gradually, like the petals of a poisonous flower, delivering staggering plot twists up to the final page . . . The novel's true genius lies in its ability to explore war's effects on civilians without resorting to cliches or excessive gore."
-"Library Journal" "From the Hardcover edition."
