Underground Time, By Delphine de Vigan

With all that money and sex, don't you pity these characters?

David Evans
Sunday 11 March 2012 01:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Delphine de Vigan's follow-up to the prizewinning No and Me alternates between two unhappy protagonists.

Mathilde is dissatisfied with her marketing job because her overbearing boss is not giving her enough to do: "I earn three thousand euros a month and I want to work!" she moans. (Poor her.) Thibault, a paramedic, is dissatisfied with his relationship with his sex-mad girlfriend, who "could only love him when horizontal". (Poor him.)

The author never fully explores her characters' inner lives, and as a result their mopeyness seems out of proportion with the facts as they appear. Still, the ending, which nods to Baudelaire, is refreshingly ambiguous.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in