The Servant of Two Masters And Other Italian Classics (Eric Bentley's Dramatic Repertoire; v.4), Vol. 0 Book

Duras, who was rightly nominated for a Oscar (Best Screenplay), for Alain Resnais's 1959 film, has produced a Painful, haunting and unforgettable piece of writing, exploring themes she has always held close to her heart, that being love and reminiscence. A Japanese architect and a French actress form the basis of this celebrated short novel, set in Hiroshima, which, essentially is a metaphor for one's inability to forget the wounds of history, during the aftermath of the Second world war. The single couple make up the story where lovers turned friends spend considerable time pondering on previous romances and life experiences. They intertwine their memories on the past, whilst trying to come to terms with the devastation caused by the atomic bomb, and what lies ahead. Sombre in tone and minimal in it's approach, the delicate, sparse narrative is a classic example of how to write about love, striping away all the melodramatic nonsense that clogs up so many other love stories, laying itself down bare, with sorrow and tenderness.

Less of a novel, more a work of art. 5/5