'Lie With Me' Captures The Wistfulness Of First Love, And First Loss
Philippe Besson's novel — ably translated from the French by Molly Ringwald — chronicles a painful teenaged heartbreak, followed by grown-up ennui. It's a well-worn but very well-told tale.
The problem with first love is that it's almost always followed quickly by first heartbreak. While it's true that some high-school romances endure for decades, for the most part, today's teenager in love is tomorrow's emotionally destroyed young person. Teenage love is bittersweet, but the bitter has a way of overwhelming the sweet.
Philippe, the 17-year-old narrator of , doesn't intend to fall in love with his mysterious schoolmate Thomas, but nobody ever chooses to set out on a path that they
