This book is yet another of the ones assigned in my graduate-level global literature course. I wasn't sure what I was getting into; I had never heard of this book before and -- being the British literature buff I am -- was the odd woman out amongst my classmates. This didn't discourage me. I ended up getting through the book fairly quickly. I thought the story contained a great deal of cultural, sexual, and societal commentary. It was astonishing how the main character is able to get away with the things she does, how her family treats her lover as they do, mostly due to racial prejudices and the leeway society allows them because they are white in an Asian land. The lack of morality, the coldness...it all served to make for thought-provoking commentary which resonates even in today's American society. What felt at first to be a story very far-removed from my own, modern life became very poignant and, I feel, important. I cannot say that I liked a single character, which is very interesting. To tell the truth, I disliked each and every character for one reason or another, but not to the point where I had to stop reading. I think this is an art form in itself. Duras crafted a very deep story and it's one I do recommend to anyone wanting to, perhaps, branch out and try a classic piece of global literature which remains relevant to this day.
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