The Kites

Wonderful piece of literature about a young man with an eccentric but loving family in a small village in Normandy, in love with Lila through the ordeal of World War II and the French Resistance. Sadly, I had not heard of this author, who apparently is renowned in France. The writing itself is enough to carry the reader along to the end. Each sentence is a jewel.It is clear that Gary knows what he’s talking about in covering the war and the resistance. That in itself was fascinating in its detail and its humanity. There are a breadth of characters here, each one charming, unusual, touching. The theme of the kites runs throughout and has a complexity of meanings, many of them quite profound. The book never minimizes this period of history, but manages to make it playful, human, and full of the gravity it deserves, all at the same time.

I generally don't write reviews, but this is the exception that proves the rule. This is the first work that I have read by Gary, and it was a breathtaking read. Romain Gary gives us a mesmerizing perspective on life, love, loss, despair, and happiness, wrapped up in the context of a love affair during one of the most horrible periods of modern history. What is even more interesting is how well Gary weaves in 'real' people and events, such as Pastor André Trocmé and Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, all while pursuing the theme of using memory and imagination as a weapon against oppression. Gary contemplates the human condition, questioning if inhumanity, as shown by Nazis and even by the French, is an integral part of being human. While I have not read the work in the original French, Mouillot's translation flowed organically. High praise for both the author and translator.

Character drives this novel, set in a small town in Normandy and Poland before and during WW II. A math genius with a perfect memory, his uncle, a celebrated maker of imaginative kites, the owner and chef of a gourmand restaurant, an impulsive, sensual young woman, even a Jewish Madame. The math wizard and the madame conceal their identities, while working in the resistance. The chef's resistance is to preserve flaunt French gastronomy. The characters engage the reader and cling to the end. Impulsive conduct if not the rule, is no exception. The writing is fluid, the plot flows, and the story is compelling. It is an original contribution to the genre. Sheldon Greene is a novelist.

44 years later the moving plots and descriptions have not lost their impact . In fact this tome is more pertinent to the world of 2024 than 1980 when there were so many more people alive that had direct memory of these events. I wish that this would be rediscovered in today’s world as there is much wisdom here coming from a master writer about a subject that he was intimately familiar with. The temptation to devour this work for the sensation should be resisted so that the nuanced themes and references can be savored ( like any fine meal )

The best fiction I've read in a long time. Having visited Normandy, it was easy to imagine the landscape and the people who experienced WW II. Reminders are everywhere in that region. Gratitude, as well, from the people of the region toward Americans, the Brits and Canadians.But this story is not about conquering heroes in that sense. It's concerned with the human spirit and the nearly impossible effort to keep it alive and and sane in the face of humanity's darkness. It's about the need to have something greater than we are to which we devote ourselves. Idealism, love, morality--these are weapons in the face of evil. It brings the large story of World War II down to the human level of friends and neighbors and the cost of survival. The kites represent the yearning and hope in every human heart to live as individuals, free to express one's gifts and allow one's spirit to soar.As an aside, the author was a fighter pilot himself, lending an even greater depth to the words he wrote.

Gary has a style that grabs the reader and does not let go until the last word. The translation is superb. There are timeless passages that are as relevant today as when they were written. Even though the end is somewhat predictable, getting there was joyous. This is simply a beautiful and moving story.

I felt the style somehow lacking in getting me to stick with the book, although I did to know what happens to the characters out or curiosity.The characters themselves are interesting and it does have a different take on your typical World War perspective but you still are somehow left wanting more in terms of juice!

I admit that many ...many times I wanted just to leave this book...I couldn't get in the story...but it really gets much better in the second half...and at the end surprisingly I liked it.Very well written World war II story ,partially it is a love story .Thanks to Goodreads I won this book ....Not bad....not bad at all...

Meine Tochter ist zufrieden

Polish women rock. Dodgy & they still got us by the short hairs.

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This is an engaging story set around the Second World War. There are lots of interesting characters and poignant moments.

This is a quite exceptional book. It is wonderfully well written; the story is beautifully told. As a work of historical fiction, it is amongst the very best. The pace of the book is consistent, the characters are alive and warm. The full kaleidoscope of humanity, from saintly to evil is represented in this book but the complexities and nuances of human emotion and response are woven in and integral to the story. Romain Gary committed suicide shortly after the publication of this book; what an epitaph.