In which I finally talk about The Likeness (and also talk a bit more about In The Woods)

[ninety6tears]

Once again, there's an element of near-to-but-not-really-fantasy to French's work, and with The Likeness the premise is quite a bit more uncanny, and is the driving force of the plot rather than something winking from the edges

Comments

[cosetteferaud]

I really enjoyed this review (so much of what you wrote resonates with me), though I feel I don’t have much to add -as it usually happens with things that hits you to the core, I find it somewhat difficult to articulate any thoughts about this book. I feel I have so much to say about Cassie and those people, but words seem to fail me ;P

[ninety6tears]

I love that you mention that feather duvet comparison, because that was definitely one part where I had to go "Oh dear, she's supposed to be in love with this guy?" And just...their entire dynamic earlier was seemingly built around the way someone reacts in a relationship when they know that they don't quite feel as invested in it as the other person. It's hard for me to not have a lot of confidence in there being something cogent in her ending up with Sam in that it's more the realistic than the happy ending, but given that Tana wrote In The Woods first and had to be consistent with it, it almost seems like in the process of really filling out Cassie's point of view the characterization didn't really cooperate with the ending that the INW timeline already prescribes, and the result is an unconvincing emotional epiphany that comes in at the last minute.

I guess I found it comforting to see that Cassie was as distraught as I was that the second story didn’t involve him LOL Yeah, totally. In some ways it might have been a much more

[cosetteferaud]

it almost seems like in the process of really filling out Cassie's point of view the characterization didn't really cooperate with the ending that the INW timeline already prescribes, and the result is an unconvincing emotional epiphany that comes in at the last minuteYeah. Given how the Cassie and Sam’s relationship is depicted throughout the book, her realization came across as a bit OOC, but... I don’t know. I struggle so much with the fact that Cassie and Sam seemed to have zero chemistry (as much as I tried, I couldn’t get invested at all in their relationship). I am sure Tana could have made us care a bit more about Cassie and Sam if she had decided to go this route, so I have to assume that the their dynamic was a very calculated decision by her

[ninety6tears]

I was weirdly comforted when I came across some random people in the comments of the Amazon reviews who had a lot of problems with how Sam and Cassie were developed...and there was one person who was confident that nothing Tana was doing with it was accidental and that it isn't supposed to be a perfect relationship. I really hope that they're right...French really does make readers do a lot of work with all her unreliable perspectives, which I love, but sometimes I just wanted to shake Cassie and be like "WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR HEAD

[cosetteferaud]

And I couldn't help smiling at that last paragraph about Lexie

Oh, that last bit is just so wonderful. I don’t usually cry when reading, but those lines brought tears to my eyes, which, truth is, caught me a bit off guard. I didn’t expect to care so much about a character that was a ghost throughout the book, yet I realized then that I did. But I found that passage so beautiful and evocative (it literally transported me), and also, so perfectly Cassie, it left me with this aching bittersweet feeling ever-present in all Tana’s books.

Oh, and I hadn’t made the connection you mention! (I read ITW almost a year ago and I don’t remember some details. So I had to check out, and you are right, both passages are hauntingly similar). Very interesting. That part from Cassie’s POV is crushing, because it’s the only one moment where she lets herself be weak about Rob, and you understand how, despite everything, she wishes she could have frozen that moment and be with him in their special limbo forever. Gah.

that she was in as reckless a place

[skg]

Write some!! I found this discussion looking for ITW and TL fanfic. I just re-read both books this week and love them a ridiculous amount.

[cosetteferaud]

Hi! Glad to know another Tana French fan ;). Trust me, if I had any writing skills, I’d definitely have tried, I love Rob/Cassie so much. Sadly, I can’t write (English is not even my native language, so you can imagine… Sniff). There’s still hope, though! ninety6tears (who is an excellent writer, by the way) might write this pairing if the muse cooperates. So yay! :D