The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, by V. E. Schwab

While I was reading the book, I was sure I would give it a rave review. But now that it's over, and a whole day has passed, it feels like the enchantment has been broken. Which is oddly appropriate, you'll see why.

Summary

A young woman in France in 1714 is promised to a man she doesn't really know. The idea of marrying him, having children and spending the rest of her life in this small village disgusts her. She dreams of exploring the world on her own terms, with no strings attached, and she refuses to have the course of her life decided by others.

So on her wedding day, she runs away. She runs into the forest in her wedding dress without knowing where she is going, except that she wants to get as far away as possible from this stifling village. The night falls, it is cold and she is afraid, and she collapses in despair. Then the devil comes along and offers her a deal: her soul in exchange for freedom and immortality. When she is tired of her life, she will be his.

But whoever heard of someone who came out a winner in a deal with the devil? Addie quickly realizes that her freedom means she can't attach herself to anything. No one remembers her; as soon as she leaves someone's sight, it is as if she never existed. If she tries to write, the words disappear from the paper. Even her name escapes her: she can no longer pronounce it, she has to use other names to introduce herself. The devil is the only constant in her life, the only one who knows her and can pronounce her name. "My Adeline."

She will have 300 years to explore the contours of her curse. Until she meets the impossible: a young man who will recognize her.

Impressions

I really enjoyed my reading, I won't tell you otherwise. I found the premise particularly interesting, and I empathized with Adeline, who could never develop a relationship with anyone. I imagined her loneliness, her sadness, her feeling of perpetual grief.

But now I realize all the flaws of the novel. First, the writing style: I finally got over it, but as you may know, paragraphs consisting of one sentence, apparently designed to emphasize all the words, all the time, and short, repetitive sentences bore me to death. And that's all the book is composed of. It's still impressive that I managed to enjoy my reading anyway, normally I can't stand it for very long.

Second, the lack of consistency of the characters. Addie lives for 300 years, but all that time, she doesn't evolve. She walks the streets, she has one-night stands with people, and she doesn't seem to age either in body or mind. And Henry, the only human who is able to recognize her, is boring and pathetic more than anything else. Their love story doesn't ring true, if you can call it love (Addie wonders until the end what her feelings for him are).

And finally, there are many contradictory elements that are never explained; why can't she draw something in the sand, but she can plant a tree that grows? How can she spend a whole evening with someone and they don't forget about her, they don't go to the bathroom? (I admit I didn't think of that, I read it on Goodreads.) What makes everyone fall in love with Addie in two seconds? It's not part of her pact, but even though she only has a few minutes to get someone's attention, she's the one getting chased.

It took the author 10 years to write this novel. You can see the passion, for sure. But maybe another round of corrections would have been helpful.