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The Ninth Life of Louis Drax
Louis Drax is a boy like no other. He is brilliant and strange, and every year something violent seems to happen to him. On his ninth birthday, Louis goes on a picnic with his parents and falls off a cliff. The details are shrouded in mystery. Louis's mother is shell-shocked; his father has vanished. And after some confusion Louis himself, miraculously alive but deep in a coma, arrives at Dr. Pascal Dannachet's celebrated coma clinic…Full of astonishing twists and turns, this is a masterful tale of the secrets the human mind can hide.
227 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
149 people are currently reading
6587 people want to read
About the author
Liz Jensen
25 books225 followersLiz Jensen was born in Oxfordshire, the daughter of a Danish father and an Anglo-Moroccan mother. She spent two years as a journalist in the Far East before joining the BBC, first as a journalist, then as a TV and radio producer. She then moved to France where she worked as a sculptor began her first novel, Egg Dancing, which was published in 1995. Back in London she wrote Ark Baby (1998) which was shortlisted for the Guardian Fiction Award, The Paper Eater (2000), and War Crimes for the Home (2002) which was longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction. She has two children and shares her life with the Danish essayist, travel writer and novelist Carsten Jensen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 633 reviews
April 17, 2013
The opening line draws you in on the instant
' I'm not most kids. I'm Louis Drax. Stuff happens to me that shouldn't happen, like going on a picnic where you drown '
Such an opening could, I suppose, head off in a number of different directions. Downwards to cliched cleverness, upwards to bizarre stratospheric confusion, meander around the foothills in which wood and trees get totally indistinguishable or settle into a mixture of all three and from that melee produce a really fascinating reflection on universal questions such as the way appearances can deceive, the pros and cons of sacrificial love, the demands and responsibilities inherent in parenthood, the sinister effects cloying vulnerability and artificial neediness can have on relationship and the brutal actions some will take in order to survive at any cost.
This was an incredibly ferocious book; one of those in which it was difficult to settle down in to a comfortable place because everytime you did so another strand holding you attached to 'normal' and 'predictable' snapped and you swayed ever more confusedly over a big dark drop.
The basic plot is of a boy who is in a coma brought about as a result of an horrendous fall. This fall may have been an accident but more likely the result of horribly foul play. Was it the act of spur of the moment madness or a long-term journey of cruel intentional planning. The story is a mixture of the gradual answering of this question, the slow revelation of the real character of the parents, the uncovering of the hurt and harm done to various characters on the periphery of the story and the wreckages of relationship and friendship left in the wake of the action's passing.
We hear the story from two first person narrators. The doctor in charge of the comatose Louis and, ingeniously, from inside the labyrinthine mind of the boy himself. The dark nature of one of the main characters is chilling and shocking, the extraordinary lengths to which they go to flourish in their own warped way is truly unsettling but the honest way in which other mistakes and presumptions and obsessions are examined is strangely hopefilled.
This is a really powerful book, one which will definitely bear re-reading because now the truth of the history is clear it enables the reader to address more honestly the questions it may have thrown up but which were submerged in the mists and fogs of claim and counterclaim, theory and fable.
Well I have just re-read it. And thought i would let you all know; it is definitely worth a re-read. 17:iv:13
' I'm not most kids. I'm Louis Drax. Stuff happens to me that shouldn't happen, like going on a picnic where you drown '
Such an opening could, I suppose, head off in a number of different directions. Downwards to cliched cleverness, upwards to bizarre stratospheric confusion, meander around the foothills in which wood and trees get totally indistinguishable or settle into a mixture of all three and from that melee produce a really fascinating reflection on universal questions such as the way appearances can deceive, the pros and cons of sacrificial love, the demands and responsibilities inherent in parenthood, the sinister effects cloying vulnerability and artificial neediness can have on relationship and the brutal actions some will take in order to survive at any cost.
This was an incredibly ferocious book; one of those in which it was difficult to settle down in to a comfortable place because everytime you did so another strand holding you attached to 'normal' and 'predictable' snapped and you swayed ever more confusedly over a big dark drop.
The basic plot is of a boy who is in a coma brought about as a result of an horrendous fall. This fall may have been an accident but more likely the result of horribly foul play. Was it the act of spur of the moment madness or a long-term journey of cruel intentional planning. The story is a mixture of the gradual answering of this question, the slow revelation of the real character of the parents, the uncovering of the hurt and harm done to various characters on the periphery of the story and the wreckages of relationship and friendship left in the wake of the action's passing.
We hear the story from two first person narrators. The doctor in charge of the comatose Louis and, ingeniously, from inside the labyrinthine mind of the boy himself. The dark nature of one of the main characters is chilling and shocking, the extraordinary lengths to which they go to flourish in their own warped way is truly unsettling but the honest way in which other mistakes and presumptions and obsessions are examined is strangely hopefilled.
This is a really powerful book, one which will definitely bear re-reading because now the truth of the history is clear it enables the reader to address more honestly the questions it may have thrown up but which were submerged in the mists and fogs of claim and counterclaim, theory and fable.
Well I have just re-read it. And thought i would let you all know; it is definitely worth a re-read. 17:iv:13
January 30, 2020
O Rapaz-Gato
"Eu não sou como a maior parte dos rapazes. Sou o Louis Drax. Acontecem-me coisas que não deviam acontecer, como ir a um piquenique e afogar-me"...
De facto Louis Drax pouco ou nada tem a ver com a normalidade:
É um rapaz com uma tendência invulgar para acidentes, que começaram logo com a sua chegada ao mundo - nasceu como Júlio César!
Após a sua conturbada entrada no planeta , novos acidentes (com graus de fatalidade variáveis) se sucederam, mas a alma colavasse-lhe ao corpo, impedindo-o de fenecer!...
Salmonela, tétano, botulismo e meningite foram algumas das doenças que experienciou, entre outras hórridas que nem sabe dizer!
Tem um hamster chamado Mohamed (já vai no terceiro) pois não encontra nome mais apropriado. Se é hamster , é Mohamed, ponto!
O seu melhor amigo vive na sua imaginação — um rapaz sem rosto, com a cabeça entrapada num monte de ligaduras ensanguentadas.
Interessa-se particularmente por vampiros morcegos e numa mesma frase, consegue misturá-los com a cruz suástica.
Sempre que sai dum elevador tem impreterivelmente que esvaziar a bexiga.
Não gosta de perfumes, pois fedem intensamente — recordam-lhe urina de gato combinada com ratazanas mortas.
Interessa-se por personalidades que já morreram como Jacques Cousteau , Adolf Hitler , Jeanne d’Arc , os irmãos Wright, além de múltiplas doenças e venenos...
É bom de ver que o perfil de Louis Drax pouco se encaixa nos trâmites da normalidade 😉
É um jovem peculiar, inteligente, irreverente, trasbordante de imaginação , e a sua história é única e fascinante!
Uma leitura deveras viciante capaz de sequestrar qualquer um! 👍
É um 4++ :)
"Eu não sou como a maior parte dos rapazes. Sou o Louis Drax. Acontecem-me coisas que não deviam acontecer, como ir a um piquenique e afogar-me"...
De facto Louis Drax pouco ou nada tem a ver com a normalidade:
É um rapaz com uma tendência invulgar para acidentes, que começaram logo com a sua chegada ao mundo - nasceu como Júlio César!
Após a sua conturbada entrada no planeta , novos acidentes (com graus de fatalidade variáveis) se sucederam, mas a alma colavasse-lhe ao corpo, impedindo-o de fenecer!...
Salmonela, tétano, botulismo e meningite foram algumas das doenças que experienciou, entre outras hórridas que nem sabe dizer!
Tem um hamster chamado Mohamed (já vai no terceiro) pois não encontra nome mais apropriado. Se é hamster , é Mohamed, ponto!
O seu melhor amigo vive na sua imaginação — um rapaz sem rosto, com a cabeça entrapada num monte de ligaduras ensanguentadas.
Interessa-se particularmente por vampiros morcegos e numa mesma frase, consegue misturá-los com a cruz suástica.
Sempre que sai dum elevador tem impreterivelmente que esvaziar a bexiga.
Não gosta de perfumes, pois fedem intensamente — recordam-lhe urina de gato combinada com ratazanas mortas.
Interessa-se por personalidades que já morreram como Jacques Cousteau , Adolf Hitler , Jeanne d’Arc , os irmãos Wright, além de múltiplas doenças e venenos...
É bom de ver que o perfil de Louis Drax pouco se encaixa nos trâmites da normalidade 😉
É um jovem peculiar, inteligente, irreverente, trasbordante de imaginação , e a sua história é única e fascinante!
Uma leitura deveras viciante capaz de sequestrar qualquer um! 👍
É um 4++ :)
September 1, 2016
Neko vreme vec zivim u ubedjenju da su mi dosadili trileri...nakon Luja kapiram da sam samo pravila pogresan izbor! Fantasticna knjiga!
December 14, 2016
My shallow self was immediately sold by the captivating cover! Upon learning this was being adapted into a film, my interest was even further piqued. However, this ended up becoming a puzzling yet ultimately forgettable read, for me.
Nine-year-old Louis Drax is so accident prone that he should be dead nine times over! He has continued to baffle doctors and scientists with his unfailing will to live, despite the accidents and mishaps that have plagued his young life. The story commences upon his ninth chance at life.
Certain facets of the story completely captivated me - the beauty of the writing, the uniqueness of idea, the struggle to find the kernel of truth amongst the mingling and often opposing narrative viewpoints, the layering of reality - but others distanced and distracted me from the plot's trajectory. I found the oddness of this book became its own undoing. I adore odd fiction, but this became too difficult to discern, in areas, and ultimately sequestered me from all empathy with the characters.
This, added with the unlikable aspects of the nature of every character, made me rather blase about the plot's culmination. There was a rather shocking grand reveal that rectified this, somewhat, but by that point I felt only a portion of the emotions that should have been elicited from me, as reader.
Nine-year-old Louis Drax is so accident prone that he should be dead nine times over! He has continued to baffle doctors and scientists with his unfailing will to live, despite the accidents and mishaps that have plagued his young life. The story commences upon his ninth chance at life.
Certain facets of the story completely captivated me - the beauty of the writing, the uniqueness of idea, the struggle to find the kernel of truth amongst the mingling and often opposing narrative viewpoints, the layering of reality - but others distanced and distracted me from the plot's trajectory. I found the oddness of this book became its own undoing. I adore odd fiction, but this became too difficult to discern, in areas, and ultimately sequestered me from all empathy with the characters.
This, added with the unlikable aspects of the nature of every character, made me rather blase about the plot's culmination. There was a rather shocking grand reveal that rectified this, somewhat, but by that point I felt only a portion of the emotions that should have been elicited from me, as reader.
May 7, 2010
Books are the bestest gifts.
Really. Just a few months ago I gave away my top five books to five people who have been vital to my physical and mental health during the last year. I made them take turns reading them and the reviews that I wrote of them. Did I care if they really liked them? Sort of. Did I make them read them all? You betcha. Why? Because, duh, it’s all about me.
I believe (all mine) that there are only a few reasons to give books:
1. You want the person to see what you loved about a certain book, to be able to discuss, relive and have Hallmark moments with.
2. You see something in a particular book that reminds you of the giftee.
3. You want to impress someone.
4. You want to look smart.
I fully embrace #1 and #2 and have, on occasion, utilized #3 and #4. So, when I met the voracious reader that is karen of goodreads.com fame and she greeted me with gifts (GIFTS!!) I almost had a squee-gasm. It was close, I tell you… If it weren’t for the presence of other goodreads.com famous peeps and the fact that we were at this hoity toity awesome restaurant, I just might have let loose. No telling where that would have led…
As you may have surmised, karen gifted me with this book. It has taken me quite awhile to finish it (I do not like this new feature that lists how long this has been on your currently reading shelf, btw, Otis…) but it was not because of the book, it’s my (ME, ME, ME) own undoing. I’m losing a lifeline. I’m having trouble escaping into books. I would imagine it’s like quitting smoking. You feel like you’re losing part of yourself, and I’m not sure how to fix it. I miss escaping.
So, I’m going to review this with #2 angle... karen doesn’t really know me, I don’t expect her to… I’m pretty damn shy and overly neurotic. So as read this story of this beautiful, tortured, grieving, annoying, pathetic, overly dramatic, bats in the belfry, mad as a hatter, crazy as fuck mom of a nine year old boy in a coma, I started to wonder..just a bit. I do have a five year old son and I am extremely afraid of fostering an Oedipal Complex on him. But, I let it go. Again, karen doesn’t really know me and my psychoneurotic mindset.
So, this mom… and this son… this son who is um, just as schizo (Hello? He’s in a coma and his coma BFF is some scraggly guy named Gustave who is all bandaged up and bloodied and limps and vomits waterweed??? Just a bit unhinged, right??) and then this coma specialist doctor who (of course) falls for the pitiful strumpet of a mom because she’s soooooo beautiful and sooooo persecuted because her son is in a coma and everyone believes that her husband is the one that pushed him off the cliff that put him there.
And I’m reading this and I’m getting angry because I’ve seen this before… guys falling for the victim, wanting to protect and to be the big man on campus. And this woman is just all martyred up and loving it. And I can kind of guess where the plot is going but I do like the writing and I do need to know how it ends because I really just hate giving up on books, and I need to get passed this crap of not being able to read and a bunch of other me, me, me, type reasons and I come to this paragraph:
'The figure reappeared briefly from the line of trees. It was her. although far away, you could see the outline of her face, like it had been cut from paper; a perfect, shocked oval. The shape and colour of terrible innocence. A mixture of feelings-love, distaste, revulsion, pity- rose in my throat like vomit. There was an eternity to that moment, that see-sawing split second when adoration clung and then lurched, spilling into chaos, rage, hate, anger; the desire to smash and embrace, love and destroy. Betrayal does that. Forces the clash of belief and disbelief. Shows you how worthless love is, when its object is indifferent, ruthless, no more than a machine for surviving.'
Hell.to the. Yeah.
I’m not really sure why that struck me so hard. It unraveled me and made me feel again. Even if it was repulsion and a smug satisfaction that the guy finally figured it the fuck out. I really can’t say. But, it’s important to me. And, from then on (page 210 of 227) I was captivated. It’s not an insult, sometimes it only takes a 17 pages or less to fall in love, think of A Clean Well Lighted Place, for example.
So, thank you karen of goodreads.com. This might be the breakthrough that I needed. Maybe (maybe) I’ll start to escape again. There’s another line… ‘Coming back to life can be as slow as dying’ (page 221)
Ain’t that the fucking truth.
September 23, 2010
liz jensen has got to be the most imaginative writer ever. this is the third book by her that i've read in the last couple of weeks and none of them are remotely like the others.her writing is uniformly beautiful and her plots are unbelievably gripping.i read this book in one sitting,pausing only once to dash to the kitchen to get a drink.it is that unputdownable.i'm not going to say a damn thing about the plot, you're just going to have to get the book and read it.you won't be sorry.
February 19, 2017
Više o knjizi možete pročitati na stranici Crni biser & Prodavnica snova http://crnibiser87.blogspot.rs/2017/0...
November 3, 2017
Auch wenn Titel und Buchcover es nicht vermuten lassen, so ist die Geschichte um das neunte Leben von Louis Drax ein ausgefeilter Psychothriller mit einigen parapsychologischen Elementen. Wenn man ein Freund von sachlich fundierten Krankheitsbildern in Psychothrillern ist, dann muss man schon ein sehr offenes Herz für die Grenzüberschreitungen haben. Nichtsdestotrotz bewirken diese telepathischen Sequenzen im Buch einen enormen Spannungseffekt, der das sehr gut geschriebene Werk zu einem wahren Pageturner macht. Mich hat es sehr gut unterhalten und trotzdem gibt es nur drei Sterne.
Die Kapitel im Buch wechseln stets zwischen zwei unterschiedlichen POVs. Der neunjährige Louis liegt im Koma, nachdem er bei einem Ausflug mit den Eltern in einen Spalt fiel. Seine Gedanken und Erinnerungen vermischen sich mit dem Erlebten am Krankenbett, was schon sehr anspruchsvoll ist hinsichtlich einer Nachvollziehbarkeit. Mit Fortdauer des Buchs kommt man in seine Erzählweise immer besser rein. Allerdings ist die Sprache von Louis sehr aggressiv, vulgär und hochtrabend, was zu seinem Jungen seines Alters nicht passte. Das störte mich sehr. Auf der anderen Seite erleben wir die Geschichte aus der Sicht seines behandelnden Arztes.
Leider gibt es keinen überraschenden Plottwist und die offensichtliche Auflösung des Rätsels ist dann auch die Tatsächliche. Ein Buch, das mir gefallen hat, aber auch wie so viele andere Thriller nicht weiter in Erinnerung bleiben wird.
Die Kapitel im Buch wechseln stets zwischen zwei unterschiedlichen POVs. Der neunjährige Louis liegt im Koma, nachdem er bei einem Ausflug mit den Eltern in einen Spalt fiel. Seine Gedanken und Erinnerungen vermischen sich mit dem Erlebten am Krankenbett, was schon sehr anspruchsvoll ist hinsichtlich einer Nachvollziehbarkeit. Mit Fortdauer des Buchs kommt man in seine Erzählweise immer besser rein. Allerdings ist die Sprache von Louis sehr aggressiv, vulgär und hochtrabend, was zu seinem Jungen seines Alters nicht passte. Das störte mich sehr. Auf der anderen Seite erleben wir die Geschichte aus der Sicht seines behandelnden Arztes.
Leider gibt es keinen überraschenden Plottwist und die offensichtliche Auflösung des Rätsels ist dann auch die Tatsächliche. Ein Buch, das mir gefallen hat, aber auch wie so viele andere Thriller nicht weiter in Erinnerung bleiben wird.
October 2, 2019
This is a weird book, I had it in my TBR because of a goodreads's recommendation but I have 1000+ books in it and I forgot it until Yesterday that I saw that a trailer for the movie came out (I didn't watch it then), and I went and read the synopsis and got this urge to read it, and so I did. I read this in two days, that's very rare for me, I'm not a fast reader and I usually read more than one book at a time, so this means I was really invested in the story, I just couldn't stop reading it.
I knew nothing about this book, only the small synopsis it has here in goodreads and I think this is the best way to experience it, going in blind. Basically it's the story of Louis Drax, a nine year old boy who is accident prone, an outcast and highly intelligent. On his ninth birthday he has another accident and is now in a coma, that's all I'm going to say.
The book is narrated from Louis and The doctor's point of view. I liked more the doctor's POV because I found Louis's voice and thoughts too weird and a bit creepy. The book has some twists and turns, that aren't too obvious and I think they're well done although I guessed them all, but that didn't detract me from enjoying it.
I liked the writing style, the dual perspectives, the fantastical elements and the pace of the book. It kept me intrigued all the way through.
I saw the movie trailer, there are some changes (the doctor is way younger) and some other weird things, but overall it looks like a good adaptation, we'll see.
I recommend it if you're looking for something different and a bit strange.
Update: I saw the movie and, although the doctor is way younger, I liked it. I think it’s well adapted.
I knew nothing about this book, only the small synopsis it has here in goodreads and I think this is the best way to experience it, going in blind. Basically it's the story of Louis Drax, a nine year old boy who is accident prone, an outcast and highly intelligent. On his ninth birthday he has another accident and is now in a coma, that's all I'm going to say.
The book is narrated from Louis and The doctor's point of view. I liked more the doctor's POV because I found Louis's voice and thoughts too weird and a bit creepy. The book has some twists and turns, that aren't too obvious and I think they're well done although I guessed them all, but that didn't detract me from enjoying it.
I liked the writing style, the dual perspectives, the fantastical elements and the pace of the book. It kept me intrigued all the way through.
I saw the movie trailer, there are some changes (the doctor is way younger) and some other weird things, but overall it looks like a good adaptation, we'll see.
I recommend it if you're looking for something different and a bit strange.
Update: I saw the movie and, although the doctor is way younger, I liked it. I think it’s well adapted.
April 8, 2012
Oh my God. Spent the whole day reading this and oh my God.
The reason I'd bought this book in the first place was because it was ridiculously cheap, at a Popular books clearance sale. I hadn't thought much of the book, since I've never heard of the title and the author before. Books which I buy without actually wanting to buy them are books that are normally left on my shelf for a long time until I go through my booklist.
But this was different, and after finishing The Fault In Our Stars, I decided to read this book, which was strange.
Anyway, the story started off really slow and draggy, but I knew it wasn't a bad book because Liz Jensen can write really well, but the plot just wasn't moving fast enough for me. But I always ploughed on, desperate to finish the book because of its initial dullness.
And then today, I arrived at the part when things got exciting, not to mention well disturbing. Because if this book is anything, it's wildly disturbing.
Louis's perspectives were always chilling to the bone, because he thought such horrible thoughts for a child. And it was interesting how I was so tricked into believing the goodness of Natalie Drax, and how horrified was I when I -and everyone else in the story- found out about the truth. In short, there were a lot of surprising plot twists that later on made me howl in disbelief and shock (alone in my room, of course) as I flipped through the pages eagerly.
Did I mention that the story was set in France? Which did well for my French fetish.
The reason I'd bought this book in the first place was because it was ridiculously cheap, at a Popular books clearance sale. I hadn't thought much of the book, since I've never heard of the title and the author before. Books which I buy without actually wanting to buy them are books that are normally left on my shelf for a long time until I go through my booklist.
But this was different, and after finishing The Fault In Our Stars, I decided to read this book, which was strange.
Anyway, the story started off really slow and draggy, but I knew it wasn't a bad book because Liz Jensen can write really well, but the plot just wasn't moving fast enough for me. But I always ploughed on, desperate to finish the book because of its initial dullness.
And then today, I arrived at the part when things got exciting, not to mention well disturbing. Because if this book is anything, it's wildly disturbing.
Louis's perspectives were always chilling to the bone, because he thought such horrible thoughts for a child. And it was interesting how I was so tricked into believing the goodness of Natalie Drax, and how horrified was I when I -and everyone else in the story- found out about the truth. In short, there were a lot of surprising plot twists that later on made me howl in disbelief and shock (alone in my room, of course) as I flipped through the pages eagerly.
Did I mention that the story was set in France? Which did well for my French fetish.
September 16, 2016
I honestly don't know what to think of this book. The premise is good, really good, it has the potential to be epic. But the story feels rushed, the relationships between characters aren't built well enough for us to be sympathetic toward them, especially between Natalie and Pascal. Add to that, the "solution" of the mystery is obvious from the beginning, but I think the author was being transparent on purpose. She wanted us to know, maybe to make us feel smart that we "solved" the mystery before anyone else. But this is a thriller, I don't want to feel smart, I want to keep guessing and eventually feel like an idiot because it was all right there for me to see. On a positive note, the author excelled in the creepy department, there's a horror aspect to this book that I really enjoyed.
May 17, 2012
I feel like I know people like this in real life. People who are always having BIG HUGE ISSUES and DRAMA and everyone should feel sorry for them all the time. That's part of the reason I don't get on FB anymore. I think that colored my opinion of the book but I really did like the writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2014
Having read my first Liz Jensen (The Uninvited) recently, I expected The Ninth Life of Louis Drax to be equally difficult to categorize. It is definitely original, but more conventional in regard to the story than I anticipated. The answer to the mystery of why a nine-year-old boy is lying in a coma is just a matter of connecting the dots. I did that early on, but figured Jensen would turn everything upside down and present me with a totally unexpected mind-bending alternative. When she didn't, I grumbled a little and felt let down. But that says more about my preconceptions than it says about the novel. It's a very good book, if you can get past the parts where Louis yammers on in his vegetative state. Suspenseful, interesting, imaginative and quite the page-turner. One thing bothered me though. Suddenly there is a lot of philosophizing about women, women's nature, women's thinking and women's wily tricks, all based on one particular woman. One character even has to reassure another that not ALL women are conniving bitches. Where the frak did that come from?
July 8, 2008
Louis is extremely accident prone, having almost died eight times. His parents have a troubled relationship. On his ninth birthday, at a picnic, some horrible accident occurs. Louis's father disappears and Louis ends up in a coma. Here enters the other narrator, Pascal, a doctor specializing in coma recovery. After a series of stange and creepy discoveries, Pascal learns that Louis's mother, whim he has fallen in love with, killed her husband and attempted to kill Louis basically because she is pathologically self-centered. An enjoyable complex and surreal story, in which Louis himself - his character and attitude - is the very best part, especially his conversations with Fat Perez.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2017
Το συγκεκριμένο μυθιστόρημα της Λιζ Γένσεν (το μοναδικό της που έχει μεταφραστεί στα ελληνικά), ήταν ένα από τα βιβλία που έψαχνα με μια κάποια μανία στα διάφορα παλαιοβιβλιοπωλεία για κάμποσο καιρό, όντας από χρόνια εξαντλημένο και σχετικά σπάνιο. Τελικά το πέτυχα σε μια αγγελία ενός ιδιώτη στο ίντερνετ πέρυσι τον Οκτώβριο σε άριστη κατάσταση και, φυσικά, το άρπαξα. Άξιζε όλη αυτή η αναζήτηση και η προσμονή για την αγορά του; Σε πολύ μεγάλο βαθμό, ναι, άξιζε.
Η περίληψη στο οπισθόφυλλο της ελληνικής έκδοσης, λέει τα εξής: "Ένα συνηθισμένο παιδί έχει κλίση στη μουσική ή στη ζωγραφική. Ο ΛΟΥΙ ΝΤΡΑ στα ατυχήματα. Ένα συνηθισμένο παιδί έχει μια ζωή. Ο ΛΟΥΙ ΝΤΡΑ ζει την ένατη, μία για κάθε χρόνο που κατάφερε να γλιτώσει από το θάνατο. Όλοι περίμεναν ότι κάποτε θα του συμβεί κάτι πραγματικά τρομερό. Όπως και συνέβη. Κατά τη διάρκεια ενός οικογενειακού πικνίκ, το αγόρι πέφτει σ’ ένα φαράγγι. Ο πατέρας του εξαφανίζεται. Η μητέρα του παθαίνει νευρικό κλονισμό. Ο ΛΟΥΙ σώζεται σαν από θαύμα και μεταφέρεται στην κλινική του διάσημου δόκτορα Πασκάλ Ντανασέ. Βυθισμένος σε κώμα, μοναδικός μάρτυρας και θύμα εκείνης της μοιραίας πτώσης - ή μήπως εγκληματικής ενέργειας; -, βρίσκει τον δικό του τρόπο να επικοινωνήσει με τον έξω κόσμο..."
Πρόκειται για ένα αρκετά διαφορετικό από τα συνηθισμένα μυθιστόρημα, που συνδυάζει αρκετά ικανοποιητικά το ψυχολογικό δράμα με το θρίλερ μυστηρίου, ενώ μπορεί να πει κανείς ότι ίσως υπάρχουν ακόμα και λίγα στοιχεία φαντασίας. Η πλοκή έκρυβε αρκετές ενδιαφέρουσες εκπληξούλες και αρκετό σασπένς σε διάφορα σημεία της. Η όλη ιστορία μου κράτησε το ενδιαφέρον από την πρώτη μέχρι και την τελευταία σελίδα και ήταν ένα βιβλίο που άνετα θα διάβαζα σε μια μέρα (αντί για δυο όπως έκανα), αν δεν είχα και άλλες ασχολίες στο μεταξύ. Η γραφή μου φάνηκε πολύ καλή και ιδιαίτερη, ευκολοδιάβαστη και εθιστική, ο τρόπος που ξετυλίγεται η πλοκή δύσκολα θα κάνει τον αναγνώστη να χάσει το ενδιαφέρον του ή να βαρεθεί. Την ατμόσφαιρα θα την χαρακτήριζα κάπως μουντή και περίεργη. Κάποια στιγμή στο άμεσο μέλλον, θα δω και την ομότιτλη ταινία του 2016, σε σκηνοθεσία Alexandre Aja.
Η περίληψη στο οπισθόφυλλο της ελληνικής έκδοσης, λέει τα εξής: "Ένα συνηθισμένο παιδί έχει κλίση στη μουσική ή στη ζωγραφική. Ο ΛΟΥΙ ΝΤΡΑ στα ατυχήματα. Ένα συνηθισμένο παιδί έχει μια ζωή. Ο ΛΟΥΙ ΝΤΡΑ ζει την ένατη, μία για κάθε χρόνο που κατάφερε να γλιτώσει από το θάνατο. Όλοι περίμεναν ότι κάποτε θα του συμβεί κάτι πραγματικά τρομερό. Όπως και συνέβη. Κατά τη διάρκεια ενός οικογενειακού πικνίκ, το αγόρι πέφτει σ’ ένα φαράγγι. Ο πατέρας του εξαφανίζεται. Η μητέρα του παθαίνει νευρικό κλονισμό. Ο ΛΟΥΙ σώζεται σαν από θαύμα και μεταφέρεται στην κλινική του διάσημου δόκτορα Πασκάλ Ντανασέ. Βυθισμένος σε κώμα, μοναδικός μάρτυρας και θύμα εκείνης της μοιραίας πτώσης - ή μήπως εγκληματικής ενέργειας; -, βρίσκει τον δικό του τρόπο να επικοινωνήσει με τον έξω κόσμο..."
Πρόκειται για ένα αρκετά διαφορετικό από τα συνηθισμένα μυθιστόρημα, που συνδυάζει αρκετά ικανοποιητικά το ψυχολογικό δράμα με το θρίλερ μυστηρίου, ενώ μπορεί να πει κανείς ότι ίσως υπάρχουν ακόμα και λίγα στοιχεία φαντασίας. Η πλοκή έκρυβε αρκετές ενδιαφέρουσες εκπληξούλες και αρκετό σασπένς σε διάφορα σημεία της. Η όλη ιστορία μου κράτησε το ενδιαφέρον από την πρώτη μέχρι και την τελευταία σελίδα και ήταν ένα βιβλίο που άνετα θα διάβαζα σε μια μέρα (αντί για δυο όπως έκανα), αν δεν είχα και άλλες ασχολίες στο μεταξύ. Η γραφή μου φάνηκε πολύ καλή και ιδιαίτερη, ευκολοδιάβαστη και εθιστική, ο τρόπος που ξετυλίγεται η πλοκή δύσκολα θα κάνει τον αναγνώστη να χάσει το ενδιαφέρον του ή να βαρεθεί. Την ατμόσφαιρα θα την χαρακτήριζα κάπως μουντή και περίεργη. Κάποια στιγμή στο άμεσο μέλλον, θα δω και την ομότιτλη ταινία του 2016, σε σκηνοθεσία Alexandre Aja.
November 17, 2017
4.5* Loved this my third book by Liz Jensen and one that's been on my shelf ages (why?) Couldn't put it down, loved the style of writing and the characters including little Louis. You could see where it was going but it was still a great story.
May 18, 2015
…the boy came back to life, two hours after being pronounced officially dead.
I’m never been a fan of this genre in a book. I mean NEVER.
Not until I was reading my Glamour Magazine. There’s an interview there, of Jamie Dornan & Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) and there’s a ‘On Their Future’ thingy and Jamie answered “I’m filming The
9th Life of Louis Drax.” So yeah! I got curious and I found out its based on a book… *grin*
(Glamour 2015 Pg. 275)
It was so good! Few days after I finished reading it, I’m still ‘feeling’ it. It was a BOOK HUNGOVER. *thumbs up*
It kept me up all night, I finished it past midnight…
*MC’s Corner*
Note: Spoilers.
• First, thanks to this book I think I’m going to start reading books with this kind of genre. I’m kinda excited, I don’t know why.
• It was a slow paced with alternating point of view of Louis Drax & Dr. Pascal Dannachet.
It wasn’t always on the same timeline. Sometimes Louis is on the present sometimes he’s just recalling his past. I kinda love how it was written. I love the interview style of telling a story.
• At first I thought this book is some sort of paranormal-thingy. But then the story goes on… I realized it’s mostly a ‘fantasy’ that a nine year old boy came up. I really didn’t know what to think then.
• Liz Jensen captured the spirit of a nine year old boy. It was just amazing. I love it everytime Louis parts come up.
• There are some scenes that are so predictable. But you know what? It makes it even greater. Then I have this feeling that I-know-what-is-going-to-happen-next but still feeling the mystery that I still want and trying to solve.
• I love the way it ended. It’s just perfect!
@gleekidMC
January 5, 2015
This was one of those books with a lot of characters I couldn't stand, who did things I was constantly rolling my eyes at. I often thought about quitting the book because the main characters were so frustrating. The doctor, Pascal, was supposed to be sympathetic but instead just came across as a complete idiot, especially when it comes to women. The title character Louis wasn't exactly sympathetic hisself, but still interesting enough to want to delve deeper into. Louis Drax's mother was awful from the very beginning, and the romance between her and Pascal was so mind-bogglingly cliche and ill-conceived I had to rush through those passages.
However, without giving too much away, I will say that the writing kept me going - even though I hated everyone I was reading about - and I'm glad I didn't quit. The last 30% of the book I flew through, and it revealed many things I suspected. The ending was incredibly well done and satisfying, and I feel like the author did all of the characters justice in the end. Even the stupid ones. Like Dr. Pascal. God, I hated him.
However, without giving too much away, I will say that the writing kept me going - even though I hated everyone I was reading about - and I'm glad I didn't quit. The last 30% of the book I flew through, and it revealed many things I suspected. The ending was incredibly well done and satisfying, and I feel like the author did all of the characters justice in the end. Even the stupid ones. Like Dr. Pascal. God, I hated him.
Want to read
June 16, 2016I don't really read this kind of book, but Jamie Dornan will play as the doctor so I wanna give it a try! LOL
*edit*
JAMIE JUST POSTED THIS ON HIS INSTAGRAM!
I'M SO GOING TO READ THIS ASAP!!!
*edit*
JAMIE JUST POSTED THIS ON HIS INSTAGRAM!
I'M SO GOING TO READ THIS ASAP!!!
September 3, 2008
Read this. It was awesome. A little boy gets hurt and ends up in a coma... this book is about what happens to him, his doctors and his family while he's 'under'. A little bit bizarre, and of course, that's what makes it fun.
July 15, 2017
Um livro surpreendente.
Surpreendentemente negro.
Surpreendentemente inteligente.
Supreendentemente rico.
Concluindo - nada do que estava à espera.
Pensei que seria um livro bem humorado, leve que me faria sorrir e rir um pouco. Nada disso.
Fez-me pensar, e muito.
Surpreendentemente negro.
Surpreendentemente inteligente.
Supreendentemente rico.
Concluindo - nada do que estava à espera.
Pensei que seria um livro bem humorado, leve que me faria sorrir e rir um pouco. Nada disso.
Fez-me pensar, e muito.
July 12, 2014
10 dakikadır ekranın karşısında oturmuş kitaba dair bir cümle yazmaya çalışıyorum. Olmuyor. Sanırım hayatımda okuduğum en garip, en tuhaf kitaptı. Ayrıntılı yorumum çok yakında yirmidortsaatacikkitapci.com'da...
Görüşmek üzere.
Görüşmek üzere.
June 22, 2017
Q:
Мы выходим на террасу, за которой сразу начинается сад. Обжигающий ветер сводит с ума, и я стараюсь его игнорировать; дух захватывает от красоты этого укрощенного кусочка земли: воздушные потоки хлещут листву, превращая ее в смуту из серебра, пурпура, розового, лилового и белого.
(c)
Q:
Мы выходим на террасу, за которой сразу начинается сад. Обжигающий ветер сводит с ума, и я стараюсь его игнорировать; дух захватывает от красоты этого укрощенного кусочка земли: воздушные потоки хлещут листву, превращая ее в смуту из серебра, пурпура, розового, лилового и белого.
(c)
Q:
October 2, 2020
I don't have a shelf for weird and strange, but that is probably my next shelf addition. BUT, while strange... it was clearly one that held my attention and kept me up almost all night as I read JUST ONE MORE PAGE and then ONE MORE CHAPTER. Louis Drax IS a boy like no other. Despite being brilliant, he has been dead and then alive, in a coma and then sitting up and talking. There is something very strange about that child. His mother is as scary as ah get out despite being a woe is me and poor me kinda girl. But who can blame her?
According to her, her husband pitched Louis, their son over the edge of a ravine, and then ran off never to be found again. Or did we find him? Louis is dead from injury and drowning until he isn't.. Mom is a wreck..
If this doesn't draw you in... it should
4 stars
Happy Reading!
According to her, her husband pitched Louis, their son over the edge of a ravine, and then ran off never to be found again. Or did we find him? Louis is dead from injury and drowning until he isn't.. Mom is a wreck..
If this doesn't draw you in... it should
4 stars
Happy Reading!
October 19, 2017
Definitivno drugačije od svega što sam ikada pročitala. Sve preporuke 😊
October 16, 2016
Perturbador e cruel. Seriam estas duas as palavras que usaria para descrever este livro.
Este livro veio parar-me às mãos sem estar à espera. Uma amiga que o aconselhou, e mesmo sem ter lido a sinopse peguei nele.
As impressões iniciais foram contraditórias. Se por um lado não me estava a cativar, pelo outro queria saber o que tinha acontecido ao Louis e a verdade por detrás do acidente.
Não é de todo o meu género de leitura, no entanto gostei
Este livro veio parar-me às mãos sem estar à espera. Uma amiga que o aconselhou, e mesmo sem ter lido a sinopse peguei nele.
As impressões iniciais foram contraditórias. Se por um lado não me estava a cativar, pelo outro queria saber o que tinha acontecido ao Louis e a verdade por detrás do acidente.
Não é de todo o meu género de leitura, no entanto gostei
June 30, 2016
This book kept me at the edge of my seat. It reminded me some of Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects with the dark and sinister tone of the book. However I have to say once I figured out what was happening I was a little let down. I was hoping for something more.
May 19, 2018
I came to this book in a rather roundabout way. I've been on a kick of renting DVDs from my library, and each movie has several previews featured, which are usually "my" kind of movies. I saw a trailer for The 9th Life of Louis Drax, and when I saw it was based on a book, I had to read it. I'm ever so glad I did.
Louis Drax is a very strange boy, one who is very accident-prone, and who seems to be on his eighth life, like a cat. He's bullied at school, called Wacko Boy, and his parents, who are on the verge of separating, have him seeing a psychologist that he calls Fat Perez. He's not a very likeable boy at all, and he talks about things that no 9-year-old boy should know about. And then, for his 9th birthday, his parents take him on a picnic outside Paris, where he falls off a cliff and dies. But then in the morgue, he comes back to life, except he's in a coma. It's then that we meet Dr. Pascal Dannachet, a specialist in the treatment of patients in comas, and the book then switches back and forth between Louis in his coma, and Dr. Dannachet dealing with both Louis and his mother Natalie, as Louis's father Pierre seems to have gone missing after Louis's horrific accident.
But is it an accident? Did Louis tumble off the cliff to his seeming death, or was he pushed?
This is such an odd and strange book, but I must say I really liked it. I'd call it a psychological thriller, although it's rather a slow burn. You keep reading, wondering how everything fits together, why Louis talks about the things he does, why he's such an unlikable kid, why his mother is so attached to him, why his father is missing. And slowly, like a flower unfolding its petals one by one, each fact is revealed to the reader. Jensen masterfully increases the tension with each chapter, even as she makes the reader uncomfortable and off-balance with Louis's internal monologue.
To be honest, I wasn't even sure I even liked this book until I reached the end, and then I was blown away by how Jensen wrapped everything up. I'm surprised to realize that the book was written in English, with all the French references. And yet it annoys me that the movie has Anglicized several characters' names, like Peter for Pierre (Louis's father), and Dr. Allan Pascal for Dr. Pascal Dannachet.
If you like strange and unusual books, this might just be right up your alley. I loved it.
Louis Drax is a very strange boy, one who is very accident-prone, and who seems to be on his eighth life, like a cat. He's bullied at school, called Wacko Boy, and his parents, who are on the verge of separating, have him seeing a psychologist that he calls Fat Perez. He's not a very likeable boy at all, and he talks about things that no 9-year-old boy should know about. And then, for his 9th birthday, his parents take him on a picnic outside Paris, where he falls off a cliff and dies. But then in the morgue, he comes back to life, except he's in a coma. It's then that we meet Dr. Pascal Dannachet, a specialist in the treatment of patients in comas, and the book then switches back and forth between Louis in his coma, and Dr. Dannachet dealing with both Louis and his mother Natalie, as Louis's father Pierre seems to have gone missing after Louis's horrific accident.
But is it an accident? Did Louis tumble off the cliff to his seeming death, or was he pushed?
This is such an odd and strange book, but I must say I really liked it. I'd call it a psychological thriller, although it's rather a slow burn. You keep reading, wondering how everything fits together, why Louis talks about the things he does, why he's such an unlikable kid, why his mother is so attached to him, why his father is missing. And slowly, like a flower unfolding its petals one by one, each fact is revealed to the reader. Jensen masterfully increases the tension with each chapter, even as she makes the reader uncomfortable and off-balance with Louis's internal monologue.
To be honest, I wasn't even sure I even liked this book until I reached the end, and then I was blown away by how Jensen wrapped everything up. I'm surprised to realize that the book was written in English, with all the French references. And yet it annoys me that the movie has Anglicized several characters' names, like Peter for Pierre (Louis's father), and Dr. Allan Pascal for Dr. Pascal Dannachet.
If you like strange and unusual books, this might just be right up your alley. I loved it.
February 6, 2017
ترسناک بود. نه به اندازه ی هم نوعای هنرمندانه تر خودش، ولی خب فکر کنم تقریبا به چیزی که می خواست رسید.
شخصیت پردازی خوبی داشت؛ لویی خیلی خوب عجیب بودن و ترس رو القا می کرد، و مادرش هم همین طور. کتاب انگار چیزی بین نوجوان و یزرگسال معلق بود، و بعضی جاها نثرش یکم قاطی می کرد. جمله ی اول ماضی بود و بلافاصله جمله ی بعدش مضارع. و طوری که انگار داستان در طول یه مدت طولانی نوشته شده باشه، نگارش و بیان آخرای کتاب نسبت به اولش پیشرفت کرده بود.
درمورد اصل داستان... چیز خوبی بود. رازهایی که کم کم برملا می شدن واقعا جذاب بودن، ولی خب این موضوع که آدم مطمئن بود یه راز وجود داره و انتظار شنیدن یه چیز عجیبو داشت، یکم شوک رو کم می کرد؛ هرچند فکر نمیکنم چاره ی دیگه داشت. دیالوگ های لویی و بخش هایی که از دیدگاه اون بود و فضاهای ذهنیش، این که حتی از خواننده هم چیزهایی رو پنهان می کرد، عجیب و جالب بود.
(اسپویلر نیست خیلی ولی خب فکر کنم خونده نشه بهتره )
درمورد آخرهاش و کاری که دکتر داناشه توی جنگل انجام داد، باید بگم حس میکنم یه مقداری غیرعادی بود. هرچقدر علاقه عمیق باشه و آدم توی موقعیت بد و تحت فشار قرار بگیره... خب فقط واقعا بعید می دونم کسی این کارو بکنه.
جمع بندی کلی: خوب بود ولی نه طوری که هوس کنم یه دور دیگه بخونمش.
شخصیت پردازی خوبی داشت؛ لویی خیلی خوب عجیب بودن و ترس رو القا می کرد، و مادرش هم همین طور. کتاب انگار چیزی بین نوجوان و یزرگسال معلق بود، و بعضی جاها نثرش یکم قاطی می کرد. جمله ی اول ماضی بود و بلافاصله جمله ی بعدش مضارع. و طوری که انگار داستان در طول یه مدت طولانی نوشته شده باشه، نگارش و بیان آخرای کتاب نسبت به اولش پیشرفت کرده بود.
درمورد اصل داستان... چیز خوبی بود. رازهایی که کم کم برملا می شدن واقعا جذاب بودن، ولی خب این موضوع که آدم مطمئن بود یه راز وجود داره و انتظار شنیدن یه چیز عجیبو داشت، یکم شوک رو کم می کرد؛ هرچند فکر نمیکنم چاره ی دیگه داشت. دیالوگ های لویی و بخش هایی که از دیدگاه اون بود و فضاهای ذهنیش، این که حتی از خواننده هم چیزهایی رو پنهان می کرد، عجیب و جالب بود.
(اسپویلر نیست خیلی ولی خب فکر کنم خونده نشه بهتره )
درمورد آخرهاش و کاری که دکتر داناشه توی جنگل انجام داد، باید بگم حس میکنم یه مقداری غیرعادی بود. هرچقدر علاقه عمیق باشه و آدم توی موقعیت بد و تحت فشار قرار بگیره... خب فقط واقعا بعید می دونم کسی این کارو بکنه.
جمع بندی کلی: خوب بود ولی نه طوری که هوس کنم یه دور دیگه بخونمش.
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