Comments on: “HHhH” by Laurent Binet http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5149 Reading, Writing, Movies and Mothering in Minneapolis, Mostly Mon, 18 May 2026 17:08:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Kate http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5149&cpage=1#comment-34762 Kate Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:14:02 +0000 http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5149#comment-34762 YES!!! about the title part. What a great book. YES!!! about the title part.

What a great book.

]]> By: Buried In Print http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5149&cpage=1#comment-34546 Buried In Print Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:12:35 +0000 http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5149#comment-34546 It was TMNT that dragged this onto my reading radar as well, but as soon as I'd read the first couple of pages, I knew this wasn't going to be one of those returned-unread-and-unloved library borrowings. So intriguing! I enjoyed reading your thoughts on it and was just as glad you skipped some bits out of tiredness, as I'd not even a tiny worry about spoilers. Thanks! It was TMNT that dragged this onto my reading radar as well, but as soon as I’d read the first couple of pages, I knew this wasn’t going to be one of those returned-unread-and-unloved library borrowings. So intriguing! I enjoyed reading your thoughts on it and was just as glad you skipped some bits out of tiredness, as I’d not even a tiny worry about spoilers. Thanks!

]]> By: girldetective http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5149&cpage=1#comment-34448 girldetective Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:26:30 +0000 http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5149#comment-34448 YESSS! It is thought provoking about war and writing about war in the same way that The Things They Carried was, to me. And you are right, about all the stuff messing with us and it being more novel than history, but I like that it's possible to read it any which way. I particularly liked one point toward the beginning where he mentioned what he wanted to call the book, and said if it didn't have that title, then it wasn't because of him. I also liked his reluctance at the end to narrate how the siege ended because he liked his characters/subjects so much (and so did I.) YESSS! It is thought provoking about war and writing about war in the same way that The Things They Carried was, to me. And you are right, about all the stuff messing with us and it being more novel than history, but I like that it’s possible to read it any which way.

I particularly liked one point toward the beginning where he mentioned what he wanted to call the book, and said if it didn’t have that title, then it wasn’t because of him. I also liked his reluctance at the end to narrate how the siege ended because he liked his characters/subjects so much (and so did I.)

]]> By: Kate http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5149&cpage=1#comment-34444 Kate Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:54:22 +0000 http://www.girldetective.net/?p=5149#comment-34444 So, I actually think it's a novel, straight up. I think Binet in the book is actually "Binet," the character. I think the novel owes a huge debt to "How to Tell a True War Story," by Tim O'Brien. I don't have my kindle with me, but highlighted passages over and over where he was clearly messing with our understanding of a historical novel, where he was undermining our understanding of "truth," of fiction, of storytelling, of history. He has a place where "Binet" writes about how horrible made up conversation is in historical novels and then promptly does horrible made up conversation. He compares "Binet's" breakup with his girlfriend with the feelings a Soviet general had when losing horribly to the Nazis. He references all sorts of post-modern understandings of historical fiction, and then finally, finally references Borges. I loved this book, and I think there are multiple articles to be written on it. So, I actually think it’s a novel, straight up. I think Binet in the book is actually “Binet,” the character. I think the novel owes a huge debt to “How to Tell a True War Story,” by Tim O’Brien. I don’t have my kindle with me, but highlighted passages over and over where he was clearly messing with our understanding of a historical novel, where he was undermining our understanding of “truth,” of fiction, of storytelling, of history. He has a place where “Binet” writes about how horrible made up conversation is in historical novels and then promptly does horrible made up conversation. He compares “Binet’s” breakup with his girlfriend with the feelings a Soviet general had when losing horribly to the Nazis. He references all sorts of post-modern understandings of historical fiction, and then finally, finally references Borges.

I loved this book, and I think there are multiple articles to be written on it.

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