| Dick and Nicole Diver live pleasant, idyllic lives on the French Riviera as American expatriates. Rosemary Hoyt, a young rising actress joins them for the summer, falling "in love" with the Divers and their way of life. Piningly attached to Dick, Rosemary coaxes Dick into a casual affair, then seperates from the couple as she witnesses Nicole in a state of mental illness. The next part dives back into time, explaining the Divers' history; Dick was a psychiatrist to Nicole (once sexually abused by her father), and is essentially "bought" into marriage to care for her. Though Nicole's recovery is successful, her strength comes from Dick, no longer working, and no longer independent. In a series of angry outbursts and Dick's drinking into depression, Nicole breaks away from her broken husband, whose life was spent serving her. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - depressed Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's Romance/Romance Problems Yes Kind of romance: Family, caring for ill Yes Who is sick? - wife because he/she is - mentally ill Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Lover is Married, fooling around? Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - society Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 8 () Europe Yes European country: - France - Italy - Switzerland Misc setting Writing Style Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references only Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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