Alexander Maksik's You Deserve Nothing was just the read that I needed during the week of dread that was the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Hannah, my roommate, recommended it to me and mentioned that it was like Dead Poets Society mixed with some international intrigue. The book certainly peeked my curiosity because I love Robin Williams, used to date artistic/troubled school boys exclusively (you know who you are), and think that bilingualism is hot. However, the book turned out to be a little different than all of that...
The book was told from three different perspectives: the three main characters. However, each character in the novel was so fleshed out that I almost remember it as having several more point of view narrations than there actually were. The names are almost unimportant. I remember them as their archetypes. The "sexy professor," the "awkward teenage boy," and the "teenage girl too sexy to know what to do with herself." Each is on their own personal journey and must make the kinds of life choices we all make, and are all pushed around by the waves of reality that make our desires more difficult to obtain and our choices harder to make.
There's definitely lots of existentialist influence and underlying tones. The French setting helps this along, and of course, all of the existential discussions that occur in "Mr. S's" (that's the sexy teacher) advanced English class for high school seniors at the International School where he is employed. Eventually he has the affair with Marie (the sexpot high school senior), and has a really meaningful experience with Gilad (awkard teenage boy, aptly named), which, consequently, has made me nervous every time I'm on a subway or train platform.
So, overall, I give it four stars out of five for being a great read that's also really smartly done. It may be a little too smart for it's own good, and maybe let's Mr. S off a little too easy in the end. But then again, life is never fair and we all must do the best we can with the hand we've been dealt.
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