French Prize-Winner is "A Mess"

The complete review has reviewed Jonathan Littell's The Kindly Ones and has given it a C- and called it "a mess." This prix Goncourt-winning book weighs in at almost 1000 pages and has garnered much attention now that an English translationwill be published in early March. The Literary Saloon (the complete review's blog) discusses the review and concludes that The Kindly Ones isn't worth reading:

Littell's is a big, 'serious' book that tackles very serious issues and history -- but there's little here that hasn't been covered before, and the parts that are original -- Littell's fictional padding -- are simply terrible.