Amelie stole our hearts with a sweet story, wonderful imagery, and a fantastic film style. Without a very complex and intricate narrative, the film focuses on every single detail in the life of this girl and her quest for real love. Since its release, many have been able to see life through a different lens. Although the story was written and directed by filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet, there are some amazing novels that remind us of that fantastic and sweet tone we love from the film. Here are some of them, so prepare to lose yourself in that heartwarming feeling of Amelie while you devour them.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (2006)
A novel about parallels and the concealment of one’s true passions in life. Barbery tells the story of Renée, a concierge who has been working in the same fancy building in Paris for 27 years. Although she shows herself as the stereotypical concierge who only cares for trivial things in life, deep inside she’s a cultivated self-educated woman who enjoys reading the greatest philosophers and Russian classics. In the same building lives a 12-year old girl, Paloma, who, like Renée, lives a double life. She seems to be the typical pre-teen girl who doesn’t care about school or even people. However, after seeing how despicable and vain her neighbors and family members are those in the building, including her family, she decides to end her life on her thirteenth birthday.
Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (2011)
Overnight a mysterious circus appears in town. No one knows where it came from or anything about it, except that it only opens its doors at night. In “Le Cirque des Rêves” there are unique characters but among them, there’s a pair of magicians, Celia and Marco, who have an eternal feud to see who’s the best. Both have been trained since they were kids, and since then, they’ve been competing. But soon, after incredibly fantastic events, this competition will turn into a passionate and magical romance that will definitely make you devour each page.
Froth on the Daydream by Boris Vian (1947)
A sad yet beautifully illustrated novel that tells the love story of Colin and Chloé. After their wedding, Chloé gets a terrible and unknown disease in which a water lily is pressing her lung. This terrible condition can only be cured by surrounding her with very rare and special flowers. Colin doesn’t care about spending it all to cure his beloved wife. In a parallel way, their friends Chick and Alise get a very generous gift from Colin so they can start a new life together, but soon all the money is lost after Chick spends it all on tracking the books of a philosopher he’s obsessed with. This is a story of failed loves and how money can be futile when more important things are at stake.
Jules et Jim by Henri-Pierre Roché (1953)
Henri-Pierre Roché transports us to the marvelous times of the Parisian Belle Epoque. Jules and Jim become friends in the busy and intriguing Bohemian circles where they meet Kate, a beautiful and mysterious German girl both fall in love with. The novel becomes an autobiographical love triangle set in this fantastical and unique moment in history. Their story was popularized by the great François Truffaut, being called the most beautiful hymn to love and relationships.
Enchanted Night by Steve Millhauser (1999)
Set in a southern Connecticut town, the Pulitzer winner’s novella shows a collection of unique and bizarre characters living on the verge of reality and fantasy. All in all, the story becomes a treatise on loneliness and solitude that shows how even when we’re surrounded by people, we’re really anonymous beings wandering in a crowded yet solitary world.
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For those Amelie hardcore fans, don’t miss these:
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