Sarah's Key discussion

***************SPOILERS*************************

What do you think of this "connection" between Sarah's son and Julia? de Rosnay seems to be hinting at a romantic connection but it just seemed odd and forced to me. I mean sure they should be friends but I got a different vibe from them and from her.

Thoughts?

I'm not sure about this. I recently saw the movie and they were having drinks and talking but you didn't get the feeling they were having a relationship (yet.) I did get the feeling that they were from the book and it did seem forced. De Rosnay seems to be tidying everything up with a happy little bow.

I coudn't find the movie. It has the same name as book?

I didn't see the movie yet...

I didn't feel like there was any romantic connection form the two of them. I thought it was more of just that Julia was so happy to discover something about Sarah and to be able to talk with her son.

Farrah, I agree with you. I felt de Rosnay was hinting at the start of something romantic and that didn't sit well with me. I'm glad she didn't spend more time developing the relationship (be it just friendship or something romantic) as it leaves the story open and there is room for the reader to imagine how the happily ever after truly ends.

But what about when they were in the hospital and after she told him everything, he was getting up to leave and she didn't want him to. I think it said, " she felt so comfortable with him..." I just wonder about little details like that.

The movie is also called Sarah's Key and is playing at the art house theater where I live. I don't think it made it to any of the larger theaters but it should be on DVD before too long.

Thank you. Not in the Family Video dvd rent-store and not im my library so far. Will try to ask in other places!

Hmmm...I didn't get that feeling reading the book. I just felt the awkwardness was the conveying of, well, awkwardness. She knew so much about his mother, and so much more than he initially wanted to acknowledge. Maybe I missed it.

I felt that it was forced, it seemed to be a bit to much of a forced "happy ending" to the book. The movie tends to leave out and skip entire portions of the Nattator's personal story, which I found disappointing. I agree with you on this one.

Farrah wrote: "***************SPOILERS*************************

What do you think of this "connection" between Sarah's son and Julia? de Rosnay seems to be hinting at a romantic connection but it just seemed o..."

Just finished the book. No desire to see the movie. The ending was disappointing. Romantic connection "hinted"? No way it was blatant. Spoiled the story.

I didn't like the romantic connection bit. I thought it really dumb to try to add something like that. Why ruin a good story? I also didn't like how they both just happened to end up living in the same city. How convenient. I did like this book though. I inhaled it.

It definately seemed like she was trying to hint at it. really throughout the whole book from their first meeting. I'm glad that she didn't go into it more but felt the last few pgs at the end were just unnessicary. Like she wanted to start the idea but didn't have time to do it well, or reached her pg count or something. Poorly thrown in =(

agreed!

Yes, I thought that was definitely hinted at, and it really bothered me. I felt the main character was too dependent on men for her happiness. I wanted her to ditch her horrible husband and be able to grow and find peace on her own--not by immediately taking up with another man.

Loved the book and enjoyed the film very much although it is quite different from the book.
I did not find any romantic overtones as mentioned above just a nice wind up of a long journey to find the story or truth by two people.

I agree with Kerri, Farrah, and Sheila. It seemed like more than a hint to me. I think it is implied that this is the next thing that happens to Julia whose personal life was so boring TO ME and was a drag on the story.

I felt like there could be a romantic connection, and this may be a really stupid question but is sarah a real person she researched or did she make that whole part up about sarah and her brother?

I definitely felt like there was a hint that something may have been starting between them at the end of the movie/book. However, I'm glad she didn't develop it further and force too much of a happy ending.

Nonetheless, I don't find it too hard to believe that, if this were reality, they may have sparked something. Julia and William are both finally finding their independence after both getting out of marriages. They share something in common. They live in the same city. Hey, it could happen? I don't think it was too out of the ordinary. :)

I found the first half of Sarah's Key to be a terrific read; I hated to put it down. The second half was so corny and maudlin, I find it hard to believe it was written by the same author. It seemed that de Rosnay took a leave of absence and asked someone else to finish the book for her. She should have stayed with her original device of going back and forth between the present and past and omitted the soap opera about Julia's pregnancy, her husband's infidelity and her move to NYC where -OMG- she meets William. It's not that this is difficult to believe. The problem is that a book that had such great potential turned into a "Penny Dreadful."

Amen, Sheridan!

BRAVO!

That is the thing that ruined the book for me. I was loving the first 75% of it then it got all 'chick-lit' on me. I found that relationship to be forced and unneeded. It devalued the other parts of the book. It was almost as cheesey as naming the baby she had Sarah.

I must have really missed a lot....I read these posts in total amazement! A modern woman living and writing in Paris uncovers a mystery that she cannot let go of, all the while her personal life is in termoil. The switches between her here and now and the unraveling of Sarah's story are marvelous but she still continues digging and when she follows the story to the US she discovers Sarah had a son...she looks up the son who is the only one surviving except some French people that remember the young Sarah departing to America. The son had NO idea and she starts him on a discovery of his own genealogy which leads to his own self discovery and later as both are starting thei lives over they meet up and share the last bits of their two discoveries of Sarah and her past ....they feel a bond because of their joint journey but why turn every male female interchange into romance instead of respect and friendship? There was no Harlequin romance here..it was basically uncovering a very well buried horror that happened in Paris during the war and tracing detail to fill in the blanks of a family then and now. That Sarah's son is grateful for having the pieces of his past finally filled into place was well expressed.

I agree with Sheridan and Morgan!

I agree with Kerry, the last few pages with the hints of a relationship didn't need to be there. Perhaps she was trying to end the book on a lighter note considering such a somber subject..

I loved the book, and did not want to see the movie as I don't think it will compare to what I have pictured in my mind.
I did not get the impression of a romance at the end. I found it to be a very moving experience to learn more about the truth.

Denise wrote: "I loved the book, and did not want to see the movie as I don't think it will compare to what I have pictured in my mind.
I did not get the impression of a romance at the end. I found it to be a v..."

So agree re book but I have seen the film and some time after reading the book and it is just te same yet different enough to work on it's own merits.

I did not enjoy the movie...I suppose if I had not read the book, I might have liked it a little. They cut too much of the storyline.

I loved the book, but some of the images stayed with me for a long time.

Pat wrote: "I loved the book, but some of the images stayed with me for a long time."

I agree with the images lasting a long time... Is still cringe to think that she locked her brother in the cabinet.

Sheridan wrote: "I found the first half of Sarah's Key to be a terrific read; I hated to put it down. The second half was so corny and maudlin, I find it hard to believe it was written by the same author. It see..."
I completely agree 100% with you!!

I don't think there were HINTS at all...they were blatant, ridiculous NON hints. I mean, common! They googled each other, their knees brushed against each other, her face flushed, she didn't want to sound too enthusiastic when talking about her boyfriend, Neil, etc, etc, etc....ANNOYING, 7th grader-ish ending!

Right on, Jill! Or should I say "write" on ?!

It was such a shame because it was such a good book until the last few chapters. The end completely ruined it for me. The story of Sarah was the best, even though it was intense, while the modern story was less appealing to me.

The hinted at romantic connection was actually what led me to give this book a lower rating.

The whole book was the past and present connecting, I thought it was a really beautiful way to end it. It's not necessarily a happily ever after, like so many other moments in the book, it could be a fruitless hope. The ending up for the reader's interpretation, can't imagine a better way to end it. The film was definitely a poor man's version though, nothing compared to the novel. Sloppy with no character development.

I saw the hinted end romance coming as soon as they met and she mentioned him being handsome. It was so obvious.