This angers Philippe because he believes Thomas should be able to do whatever he wants, blind to his own privilege of having been born into a family that values education and upward mobility. Thomas is resigned to never leaving his hometown so he can care for his family. Much of the drama centers on the two lovers keeping their affair a secret, but the book also explores the tensions of growing up in a small town. The bulk of the story takes place in 1984, but it flashes forward later on to 20.
The story is told by Philippe, who in his last year of high school begins a relationship with another boy, Thomas Andrieu. It both alludes to the more risque scenes of the book, as well as the fact that the relationship at its center is founded on secrecy and deceit. Lie With Me, published in French as Arrête avec tes mensonges in 2017, makes use of the double entendre of its title. But first, if you’re not already a member of our Babbel Book Club Facebook group, it’s never too late to join! The Book We’ll start with an overview of the book and some discussion questions that we’ll come back to as the month progresses. More than that, it’s a man looking back on his youth and pondering how his coming-of-age determined the course of his life. This novella is a brief but powerful look at a fleeting love affair between two high school boys in 1984, during a time when homosexuality was discriminated against in France (though the country’s record has improved since then). As we make it into summer, we’re reading another book about love: Philippe Besson’s Lie With Me.
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