I recall being profoundly moved by this book, and the turmoil of its characters. I read it many, many years ago (likely around the time of the film release) and enjoyed it so much more than I expected. It's well written and creates a really beautiful story.

I was unimpressed by this book. The author's writing style was confusing to follow, as he wrote it in present tense and avoided writing conversations using quotations. The plot jumped from one point to another very quickly and with out much notice. There were also too many characters to easily keep track of. The five soldiers each have a name, nickname(s), and number, along with multiple relatives and friends who also have nicknames. It was hard to keep track of all the different relationships and the feelings behind the relationships. Much of the story was told through letters, most of which would randomly start with no introduction.
I also felt that much of the plot was unrealistic. I'm not an expert on Post-WWI France, but I doubt that this young orphaned woman would have the money and connections to travel all over France whenever she wanted to. In addition, she wrote letters to and visited many people that she had never met before, then proceeded to ask them very personal questions involving their relationships with people. Almost every time, she got a detailed answer! I don't think that that many people would have shared such personal information to someone that they'd never met. One woman writes to Mathilde after being clearly asked not to by her goddaughter. Why would she write everything to Mathilde, a person she doesn't know, against the wishes of a close relative?
At the same time, I thought that the plot as a whole was interesting. The mystery of the fate of the five soldiers was exciting to learn as each new clue was uncovered. I wasn't satisfied by the end, though it made sense. Watching the movie after reading the book was very helpful to understand the plot.
Overall, I would recommend this book to a mystery-loving person who can keep track of multiple characters.

I am conflicted about this book. I couldn't put it down and looked forward to being immersed in post WWI France. The characters were interesting and engaging. The story took many twists and turns that were fun to follow and attempt to stay ahead. For me, the problem was the unanswered questions. As I don't want to place any spoilers in my write up, I will simply say this. I am a product of growing up in the United States, where we like our stories (mostly through television) neatly wrapped up in a 30 minute episode or an hour at most. Oh yes we have the occasional mini-series, but they are becoming a thing of the past, at least good ones are. Let me just say that while the principle mystery of this book is indeed answered, however, there are many unanswered questions. Questions which the author leaves my mind to ponder, as I have grown quite attached to the central figures in this story, Mathilde and Manech. I recommend it, and yes I am probably getting to be a harsher reviewer the more I read. I am going with 3 stars and do encourage anyone that is looking for something a little different in their mystery reading to give this book a try.

A Very Long Engagement was written by the French author Sébastien Japrisot and published in 1991. During the First World War 5 men are tied up and thrown into ‘no man’s land’ as punishment for self mutilation. After the war the fiancé of one of these men, a woman named Mathilde, sets out to find the truth of what happened to these men and if anyone made it out alive.

This book definitely showed the brutality and some of the horrors of war. That no good ever comes from war. I for one have never understood why humanity chooses war as a way to deal with conflicts. It is one of the most disgusting parts of our past and present. This book really drives that home as we unravel the fate of these 5 men who simply wanted a way out of fighting in a war they didn’t want to be part of.

The thing I loved about this book however was Mathilde. She was perhaps one of the best characters I have read about in such a long time. I could read an entire series about Mathilde. When she was a child she falls off a stepladder and never walks again. Yet, this does not stop her from living a full life. She paints pictures of flowers that are put on display in galleries in Paris, she has many cat companions, she learns to swim as a child and she falls deeply in love with a boy named Manech. Through the tragedy and mystery surrounding Manech that Mathilde sets out to solve, we see what a headstrong and determined person she is. She is relentless in her search for answers. Not to mention how strong and pure her love is. I was very touched by the love Mathilde carries in her heart. It made me realize that perhaps much of what we call love, really is not. That love is way more innocent, strong and unconditional than what most are capable of. Yet, it gave me hope. Here was a a character who embodied that, so it must be possible. The worst of humanity ( it’s capability for war and abandonment of fellow human beings) and the best ( love) were juxtaposed and it really was quite emotional.

I loved this book and I highly recommend this if it is of interest to you. I’m very interested in checking out what else Sébastien Japrisot wrote as well. Also, as a random side note, there was a scene at a farm called the end of the world, where there was an endless field of super tall sunflowers. I loved that imagery since I’m so in love with sunflowers right now

Lectura amable sobre una historia triste ambientada en la I Guerra Mundial, una guerra llena de trincheras y de vidas truncadas. El anhelo y la búsqueda, envueltos de tozudez y perseverancia, nos llevan de la mano por historias tristes qué bien podrían haber sido reales.

Narrativamente no me ha sorprendido. Está muy bien escrita. Nos cuenta los que quiere y como quiere, muy al estilo francés, y con un toque de que la vida es como es y hay que ver el lado bueno.

Me ha costado entrar en la historia pero una vez que lo he hecho, me ha atrapado completamente.

Pronto opinión completa en el blog

I bought this book because I enjoyed the film. I bought the film because I think Audrey Tatou is lovely. I left it a good couple of years between watching the film and reading the book 'cause I wished to forget much of the plot and enjoy the story anew, and I was glad I did this.

This was quite different to most books I read normally, but it was enjoyable indeed - an interesting and complex tale of a young French woman trying to get to the bottom of what happened to her fiancé, disgraced during WWI and with four other French soldiers thrown into no-man's-land to their fates, for invaliding themselves to get away from the trenches. Lots of beautiful complexity, an interesting mix of narrative and epistolary style, evocative and touching too. A powerful insight into the human nature of war and what war leaves behind.

This book is a detective story, a story of the horrors and inhumanity of war, a love story -- or stories. The premise is complex and horrific.

But... there are a lot of characters. OK, too many characters. And probably too many words. Some of the characterizations are palpable, but most are not. I would have preferred knowing half as many people twice as well. Even the basis of the relentless persuit of Matilde is somewhat obscure. Oh well, that's the way love is, I guess.

I don't know that this book is life altering, revelatory, or unique. But I enjoyed reading it. Unlike some other readers, I don't predict that I will read it again.

3 1/2 stars more honestly. But, closer to 4 than 3.

This is a love story, a mystery, and a war novel (and a little bit of a comedy of manners) all bound up together…and conveyed very beautifully at times in richly descriptive prose. Following the ins and outs of the story can be challenging at times, as there are many characters to keep track of (both their names and nicknames) and multiple place names as well…but patience and persistence are rewarded at the end. The historical elements are both interesting and, with respect to the World War I setting, searing. I listened to the audiobook, which was very well narrated…but I’m going to look for this in print, because keeping track of all the details while only listening made me feel I was missing some of the charm of the writing and its depth.

{Blog} http://tempodler.blogspot.pt/2012/06/...

Pela forma como foi escrito, levamos muito tempo a entrar na história de Um Longo Domingo de Noivado. Esta dificuldade pode desanimar o leitor que se vê forçado a obrigar-se a ler, de forma a avançar no livro.

A dificuldade em associar os nomes às personagens, especialmente entre os soldados, vem adicionar bastante à confusão e torna-se complicado acompanhar Japrisot. O autor não perde sequer muito tempo a descrever estas personagens, faz um apenas um relato apressado do passado de cada um e avança com a narrativa.

Além de tudo isto, como vamos colhendo, através da investigação incessante de Mathilde, diversas pistas, sendo que muitas delas acabam por se revelar nulas, temos que ter sempre presente todas estas informações e fazer uma leitura atenta que, consequentemente, tende a ser cansativa.

Por todos estes motivos, Um Longo Domingo de Noivado não é uma leitura fácil - e quem está à espera de um romance convencional pode encontrar-se bastante desiludido e ludibriado. Mas também não quer dizer que o livro não vale a pena...Eu gostei: gostei da forma inteligente como tudo começa a encaixar; gostei de Mathilde, da sua personalidade e persistência; gostei dos pormenores sobre a guerra e tudo o que dela adveio.

Contudo, não recomendo abertamente este livro porque não é o tipo de leitura que agrada a todos.

Neither truly a love story, nor a war story, nor a detective story, this book somehow manages to be all three, but also much more: it's a book about the painful complications of being human in a situation where nothing makes sense and about how one disabled young woman will let nothing stop her from getting to the truth.

In this intricately plotted novel, Japrisot tells the story of Mathilde, a wheelchair-bound painter from Cap Breton, who's beloved fiancé Manech is sent to the Great War. All the is told is that he is dead, but she refuses to accept such a simple statement; she needs to know when and how. As she digs for information about her fiancé, she discovers the convoluted tale of a small detachment of soldiers who deliberately mutilated themselves, and as punishment for their act of "cowardice", were pushed into No Man's Land, between the French and German trenches, where it was hoped they would get shot by enemy fire. Was Manech there? Is that how he died?

Mathilde will learn the story of the other four soldiers who were with Manech in that dreadful trench, what their lives were before the War, and she will learn the story of the women they left behind and who also moved Heaven and Earth to get answers and justice for their loves.

This is quite a unique little book. The epistolary format works perfect, as Japrisot created strong individual voices for all his characters, and gives the reader and unusual leading lady that you can't help but root for. Mathilde is grouchy, stubborn, pushy and sometimes unkind and manipulative, but she is very intelligent and is, at the end of the day, motivated by the strength of her love and devotion for Manech. This makes her a lovable and admirable heroine - no wonder people want to help her as much as they can. The other characters are just as scuffed and quirky as she is, very human in their mistakes and regrets.

This book is as much about unraveling the mystery of the trench as it is about showing that the War destroyed much more than soldiers' bodies and minds, that every little aspect of life was impacted by its violent senselessness. And yes, there are moments where its a bit of a tear-jerker, but it's also comforting to read about the stubbornness of hope, and it's refusal to admit defeat.

It can be a confusing read at times, because characters often have multiple nicknames by which people refer to them, and the prose sometimes looses itself it attempts to be pretty (which it absolutely is, but you can take a breath every once in a while, Sébastien!), but its such a affecting tale, such a harrowing description of war without ever falling into the trap of garish details, that I feel bad taking away a single star from my rating. Evocative, moving and devastating.



A lovely movie was made from this novel, starring Audrey Tautou - at the time where she seemed to be in every single movie French studios churned out. But as over-saturated as I was by her presence for awhile, I truly loved that film, which was perfectly cast, beautifully acted and shot in a splendid nostalgic style, down the sepia tone of the light and colors.

This is sort of an historical mystery. There were a *lot* of characters to keep track of; I couldn't quite do it, even though we saw the movie first. (The movie had lots of differences, but kept the main feeling well.) But well-written, interesting, consistent (that is, not much deus ex machina, though people's memories were awfully good). A real page-turner. Woman loses her fiance in WW I, but refuses to believe that he's really dead. Spends the novel trying to figure out what "really" happened.

Really 4.5

This is a powerful novel which touches on how war can destroy the human psyche. As I read, I thought that each of us has a breaking point. Some reach that point sooner than others, and, if we're lucky, most of us never have to find out for ourselves what triggers it. The five men of the GR description reached their breaking point and chose self-mutilation in order to avoid further time at the front. Each has been court-martialed for that offense and sentenced to death. Instead of facing the firing squad, their sentence was to be sent over the top into No Mans' land to await their discovery by the Germans.

The novel is mostly taken up with the story of one young woman, Mathilde Donnay, who was engaged to the youngest of the five. She, and the families of the other four, were notified of their loved one's death as having been honorable in the line of duty. Mathilde learns such may not have been the case. A determined woman, she tries to learn the truth of what happened that day.

I have read a few books of late where I didn't like any of the characters. This novel is quite the opposite - I liked everyone. Of course, there were some soldiers referred to who were not likeable, but they were not the actual characters in the book, just those spoken about. But while "the five" had reached their breaking point, there were heroes as well. I quite liked Mathilde, who had been in
a wheel chair since the age of three. Sylvain, one of her care givers, was marvelous. There were soldiers who had been there on "that day" who shared their memories - and not necessarily memories of themselves, but of others.

While I have given more plot than I usually do in my reviews, I never felt this was solely a plot-driven novel. Some might think so. The writing fits the story perfectly, and the manner in which the story is told is varied. Mathilde wrote letters, and though the contents of her letters are never included, we get the contents of her responders. I found the characterizations of the main characters to be quite good, and even those of the minor characters was more a good cameo than wooden representations.

I don't know if I would read more by this author or not, as I haven't looked to see anything about other titles or whether they have been translated. I wanted to read this novel in my pursuance of learning/experiencing more about World War One. It served that purpose magnificently, and am more than happy to give it a full 5-stars.