Irene Nemirovosky. Suite Francaise.

New York: Vintage International, 2006

Nemirovosky's purpose for writing Suite Francaise is to show the

relationships formed between German's and the French during German
occupation. Irene develops the story to show different views of average
French lives, from those who hated the German "conquers" to some who
view them as just more young men who were doing just the work of war. She
helps readers to truly gain a better grasp over of how many were affected by
the war. In the beginning of Dolce Nemirovsky compares how Madame
Angellier feels about the Germans and how she used to be. Against how
Lucile might be feeling about the German occupation, even though her
husband Gaston is being held captive. Irene also depicts the German soldiers
being naive about the native French and shows them being tricked into
buying things overpriced and being friendly to the people. This view wouldn't
be thought of by me if not for this book, so I believe Nemirosky wanted to
show different views readers might have about both sides of the war.
The Germans start out as these imposing numerous numbers marching
down the streets as the "masters" of Bussy. They march past views from
boarded up windows and are not thought of kindly at all by some and others
were curious of them. The soldiers soon become friendlier with the people;
because they have been away from home for so long and they were curious
about the people they start to buy things for higher prices. And the French

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locals were more than happy to sell anything they could to the soldiers at
higher prices because they feel like it's only right since they were treated
unfairly. You also see how they are friendly to the children who run up to
them to greet them because they are curious even though their mothers call
them back insistently and are rewarded with candy and coins.
Still the German views about being the new "masters" do not go over easy
with the people. According to Bing Dictionary Dolce means sweetly: sweetly
and gently, which is how I would describe this period of the book because
there isn't any fighting occurring in this part of the book. So this is an uneasy
period between both the Germans and French. The older people it seems to
have a completely negative view of the Germans while the younger
generations seem to struggle between the views that these men have
conquered their country and the views that they are young men who are
flirtatious because of them being away from normal life for so long. So even
between the French there is uneasiness.
Lucille is shown to not actually be in love with husband Gaston who is
captured. Who is Madame Angellier's son. Madame Andgellier has a negative
view against the Germans so this is tension between them. Tensions also
grow between men and women. Men dislike the soldiers because they find
the soldiers as competition and women like the soldiers because they are
polite and are young and strong. The soldiers presences are becoming more
and more normal because they have been around so long.

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Bruno talks about the life of a soldier and describes it as sad and lonely.
The German officer and Lucille fall in love and struggle to manage a
relationship. Madame Angellier becomes completely against the German and
Lucille being together because she struggles knowing about Lucille not loving
her son and him having an affair and child with another woman. So when
Bruno is injured and becomes sick she is happy. Madame Angellier becomes
enraged with the Germans. She locks herself in her room and imagines the
death of all Germans. This shows the extremes of the hatred some people
had compared to some who grew to accept them as normal people and the
division that could develop even in households.
Lucille decides to let Benoit hide in her house because the he killed Bonnet
and his dog and the Germans put up a new law saying they would kill anyone
aiding a German soldier murder. But because he was smoking and Madame
Angellier didn't think anyone was in the house she went downstairs and
found Benoit and invited him to stay in her room.
Having Benoit in Madame Angellier's house strains the relationship between
Lucille and Bruno. Bruno then ends up and the Benoit tries to make it to
safety. This leaves the book kind of hanging in suspense because you never
find out what happens next. You never find out if Bruno comes back for
Lucille or if Benoit makes it. This is because On July 13, 1942, French
policemen, enforcing the German race laws, arrested Nmirovsky as "a stateless
person of Jewish descent." She was transported to Auschwitz, where she died in the

infirmary on Aug. 17. According to the New York Times

Bing Dictionary
(http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/books/review/09gray.html?pagewanted=all)
Review by PAUL GRAY Published: April 9, 2006