Rating: 
Summary: Missed Opportunities for Character Development
Review: I bought VICTORINE mainly because of its locales, i.e., France and Indochina, and because it was a period piece, something I love. I was very happy with the setting and the descriptions of late 19th century France and Indochina, but I was a lot less thrilled with the title character of Victorine.VICTORINE is based on the life of Texier's own great-grandmother, a French provincial woman who becomes pregnant and marries at the age of seventeen, then meets a customs officer who becomes her lover and convinces her to leave her husband, two children and country and go with him to Indochina. Victorine might have been a fascinating character, a woman ready to sacrifice all for love, but an actual woman ready to sacrifice her own children is less than honorable and certainly contains something of the villainess about her. Unfortunately, Texier seemed to harbor too much familial affection for her great-grandmother, as she goes to great lengths to give us a sympathetic portrait of Victorine, instead of the one, which I suspect, was probably more accurate. While Victorine isn't a "stock" character, she is terribly thin and, sadly, Texier passed over many chances to explore this (probably) fascinating woman's life in greater detail and answer some of the moral questions her book raises. VICTORINE is a book rife with emotional issues, but Texier skirts these and portrays her great-grandmother as a "feminist ahead of her time," instead. I didn't like this and I thought the book would have been far better and far richer had Texier taken the opportunity she gave herself and simply delved into the complications and turmoil of Victorine's life. I wanted a character I could understand; I didn't have to agree with every choice she made. In fact, I would have felt enriched had I not agreed with every motive of Victorine's. (Victorine even thinks of Emma Bovary. Now there is an example of an enduring character who has lost none of her charm despite the fact that she certainly made the "wrong" choices a lot more often than she made the "right" ones.) Victorine doesn't remain in Indochina long. She's soon back in France with the two children she abandoned and, in fact, gives birth to yet a third child, Maurice, the child Victorine won't abandon and the one who will discover, in 1940, his mother's long ago affair. This irked me, too. It seemed as though Texier was afraid to let Victorine's two older children confront their mother and her misdeed (abandonment). To me, this was a real misstep on Texier's part and something that greatly diminished the potential richness of her main character. I've seen lesser authors avoid this very mistake, so I was quite surprised that Texier fell into this trap. It seemed to me that she was determined that readers sympathize with Victorine at any cost, even the honesty and integrity of her book. That aside, the writing in VICTORINE was good, but it certainly wasn't great. Texier did a wonderful job describing 19th century French village life and her descriptions of Indochina were tantalizingly exotic and sensual. Sometimes, though, especially when describing Victorine, herself, Texier slipped into the "purple" prose of the romance writer, much to the book's discredit. I really disliked it when that happened. Overall, VICTORINE was a fairly enjoyable reading experience, but one that was also rather bland and predictable. I think Texier backpedaled far too much and, in doing so, she threw away the opportunity of giving us a book that was not only entertaining, but life-enriching as well. I would recommend VICTORINE to those looking for a weekend of easy, escapist reading or maybe to those who simply can't get their fill of French period pieces. If you go into the book with low expectations, you probably won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: THIS BOOK WAS DEFINETLY INCREDIBLE READ
Review: I don't have nothing to add to other reviewers you review this book, expect the 1st one. I totally disagree because she did the review the day it came out and just read the editorial reviews and based her review on that or read the book fast. I bought the book when it came out, but finish it last night and loved it. I felt book was much better then the 1st reviewer thought it was. Hope this has success and maybe a it will be a movie as well. Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: THIS BOOK WAS DEFINETLY INCREDIBLE READ
Review: I don't have nothing to add to other reviewers you review this book, expect the 1st one. I totally disagree because she did the review the day it came out and just read the editorial reviews and based her review on that or read the book fast. I felt book was much better then the 1st reviewer thought it was. Hope this has success and maybe a it will be a movie as well. Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: I feel compelled to write this review for a few reasons. One is that I absolutely loved this novel. It is beautifully written, impossible to put down and extremely evocative. Another reason, is that I have read 2 reviews condemning Ms. Texier for being "too gentle" with her main character, "Victorine." Yes, this is a story about a woman who has an affair and painfully decides to leave her children to pursue a relationship with her lover in, what was then, Indochina. Ms. Texier makes no apologies or excuses for Victorine. As a woman it was very hard for me to read the section where she finally leaves her children. I just couldn't understand it-as much as I was excited by her new love, I could not accept that she would just abandon her children. But it doesn't matter if it made me uncomfortable or if I would not go down the same path. It wasn't Ms. Texier's job as a writer to soften the blow or to pass judgement and she didn't; and I respect her for this. There is love and excitement and amazing descriptions in this novel but there is also an overwhelming sense of sadness that can be felt through-out. Possibly because the novel is really Victorine looking back on her life, as an older woman; so her memories are shaded with the knowledge of what was to come. "Victorine" is hauntingly beautiful and just a wonderful read! I highly recommend!
Rating:
Summary: victorine review
Review: Loved this book. The author`s writing style reminds me of Anita Shreeve.(The Pilot`s wife). Only this book is about France and indochina. It`s definitely a chick book and worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: not believable or authentic
Review: Not being a fan of contemporary, popular fiction, this is not a book I would normally have selected. It was one among many I received, so I read it not really knowing what to expect. Unfortunately the most noticeable aspect of the book was that it was pieced together in a distracting way. Although by the end one is used to it, the timeline of the story jumps around excessively to the point that it is not simple to follow at what point the characters do various things, making it too easy to forget what is going on. Despite being based very loosely on actual events (the author is imagining what perhaps transpired in her great-grandmother's life), and though readable and somewhat entertaining, the book does not make a particular "impression" or connection. The dubious heroine of the novel, Victorine, does not make choices that make sense to me as a reader, or at least the reasoning behind her choices (whether logical or not) is not clear. Victorine's choice to leave her husband and two children behind to pursue adventure and love in Indochina does not seem remarkably agonizing, painful or difficult. Although there are passages hinting at her ambivalence, the book does not delve into Victorine's mind or feelings at a level that can persuade the reader to understand what she has chosen for herself. It is never entirely clear that her desire for adventure and love was so strong that it would propel her to make a reckless choice like leaving her family behind. Nor was it entirely clear that she had any great love for the two children she abandoned, although she returned to them eventually. Somehow, her choices and feelings seemed hollow and artificial in a way that, for example, Anna Karenina's did not (Anna Karenina of course being literature's greatest unfaithful wife and mother). The most truthful aspect of this book, in my estimation, is the idiocy of French bureaucracy, as the government first offers Victorine's lover Antoine a promotion while at the same time informing him that they cannot tender a renewal of his employment contract.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book
Review: This is a great book that mixes history with biography. Catherine Texier has written many interesting books in the past. This is another fine one.
Rating:
Summary: VICTORINE A 'MUST READ'
Review: this novel is a beautifully written story, based in part on the author's great grandmother, who, in 1899 leaves her family to go to indochina with another man with whom she falls in love. this is a wonderful love story that combines the lifestyles and times of france and indochina. it is written in three distinct timeframes, which add texture and reflection to this remarkable woman. this is a sensually written novel, one that every woman i know will enjoy reading. i highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: if you like books, check this out
Review: this novel is not your typical love story, where we follow the heroine down a predictable path in order to achieve happiness in the standard sense. Victorine is a torn women who sacrifices something dear to her, with the goal of escaping her mediocre and monotonous life. The result is a tumultuous ride through an exotic land, ending not as you might think. The book is phenonmenal, if not just for the crafty prose, than for the mere fact that the author takes a huge risk: She gives us a main character whose actions we might not agree with, but makes us root for her regardless. The tale is extraordinary, but there is a certain sensibilty to this book that undeniably conveys the angst that comes from the human condition. Read this book, it will leave you with a poignant, yet fresh perspective on life.
Rating:
Summary: if you like books, check this out
Review: this novel is not your typical love story, where we follow the heroine down a predictable path in order to achieve happiness in the standard sense. Victorine is a torn women who sacrifices something dear to her, with the goal of escaping her mediocre and monotonous life. The result is a tumultuous ride through an exotic land, ending not as you might think. The book is phenonmenal, if not just for the crafty prose, than for the mere fact that the author takes a huge risk: She gives us a main character whose actions we might not agree with, but makes us root for her regardless. The tale is extraordinary, but there is a certain sensibilty to this book that undeniably conveys the angst that comes from the human condition. Read this book, it will leave you with a poignant, yet fresh perspective on life.
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