24 pages • 48 minutes read
The Lover
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Brief
117
Novel • Fiction
French Indochina • 1920s
1984
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
The Lover by Marguerite Duras is a semi-autobiographical novel set in French-colonial Vietnam, where a young girl from a poor French family begins a complex affair with a wealthy, older Chinese man. Through their clandestine relationship, the novel explores themes of colonialism, poverty, and femininity, culminating in the girl's departure for France and the enduring, melancholic impact of their relationship. The novel addresses sensitive topics such as abusive family dynamics and underage sexual relationships.
Melancholic
Bittersweet
Romantic
Contemplative
Nostalgic
Reviews & Readership
60,622 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Marguerite Duras' The Lover boasts poetic prose that vividly captures emotions and atmosphere, earning praise for its lyrical style and deep introspection on love and identity. However, some find the narrative fragmented and the characters underdeveloped, making engagement difficult. It's celebrated more for its evocative language than its plot structure.
Who Should Read The Lover?
Readers who savor introspective and evocative narratives will enjoy The Lover by Marguerite Duras. This novel appeals to fans of The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje and Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan, with its profound exploration of memory, identity, and forbidden romance set against a colonial backdrop.
60,622 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
117
Novel • Fiction
French Indochina • 1920s
1984
Adult
18+ years
Continue your reading experience
Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.