Staff Pick
A complex and moving account of an anguished extramarital affair, The Girl at the Lion d'Or, is impeccably written. The main characters have real depth, and unlike most novels about infidelity, it's easy to see their pain, confusion, and conflicting emotions. Excellent and heartbreaking. Recommended By Dianah H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
A beautifully controlled and powerful story of love and conscience, will and desire which begins when a mysterious young girl arrives to take up the post at the seedy Hotel du Lion D'Or in a small French town in the mid 1930s.
Synopsis
A haunting historical novel set in France between the two world wars about love and desire FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER BIRDSONG
Mid-1930s, Northern France. A mysterious young girl named Anne Louvet arrives at the seedy Hotel du Lion d'Or in the small French town of Janvilliers. She is seeking a job and a new life, far removed from the injustices of her past. At the hotel, Anne meets the cultured, rich and married Hartmann and begins anaffair with the married Great War veteran, revealing her secrets, fears and hopes to him. From award-winning author Sebastian Faulks, Girl at The Lion d'Or is a powerful story of love and conscience, will and desire.
'Beautifully written and extraordinarily moving' The Sunday Times
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Also available by Sebastian Faulks as part of the French trilogy series:
Birdsong
Charlotte Gray
About the Author
Sebastian Faulks was born in 1953 and educated at Wellington College and Cambridge. He was a journalist and reviewer for fourteen years and is now a full-time writer. His novels include Birdsong, A Fools Alphabet, The Girl at the Lion DOr and Charlotte Gray. He has also edited The Vintage Book of War Stories.
Reading Group Guide
1. How would you characterize the climate of inter-war France--the period historian Eugen Weber has called "The Hollow Years"--as described by Faulks? In what way was the period "hollow," and why? What elements of the defeatist, cynical France of the Occupation can you trace here, several years before World War II? In what ways are the Stavisky affair and the death of Roger Salengro indicative of the political atmosphere?
2. Hartmann is disturbed by Anne's life story, particularly the "unfairness of the persecution of the villagers" [p. 158]. Why did these villagers persecute Anne's family? Was it from pure meanness, or out of some unspoken fear or perceived threat? If Anne's hometown and her adopted town of Janvilliers are typical of provincial French life at this period, what are that life's drawbacks? What are its strengths?
3. How do Anne's political opinions [see p. 183] reflect those of the country in general, and how do those opinions account for the country's precarious state? What dangers do these opinions, when held by a large portion of the population, imply for France? What about Roland's opinions [pp. 190-92]? How deeply has he thought out his political ideas? Does he have any understanding of where such ideas will lead? Is he evil, or simply unintelligent and thoughtless?
4. What connections, if any, does the author draw between Roger Salengro and Anne's father?
5. Why does Hartmann turn away from Anne at the end? Is it from selfishness and cowardice or out of a sense of duty and a sort of love? What sort of future do you envision for Anne? What might become of her as France moves toward war?
The questions, discussion topics, and suggested reading list that follow are intended to enhance your group's reading of The Girl at the Lion d'Or by Sebastian Faulks, author of the number-one international bestseller Birdsong. We hope they will enrich your understanding and enjoyment of this greatly acclaimed work.