People Like Us The Keszthelyi Chronicles Book 1 edition by Zichao Deng Literature Fiction eBooks
Download As PDF : People Like Us The Keszthelyi Chronicles Book 1 edition by Zichao Deng Literature Fiction eBooks 
Good food, sunshine, cheap wine, and a little slice of the French countryside to call one's own who could ask for more?
Into this world steps Nicolas Keszthelyi, an unscrupulous young antiques dealer with an amoral devotion to beauty and an eye on the art collection of the local Carmelite convent. For Keszthelyi, used to the frenetic pace of London life, a trip to the French countryside to look at religious bric-a-brac seemed like such a relaxing prospect.
Seemed.
Now two people are dead, the convent has been burnt to the ground, and a priceless work of art has vanished. Nicolas Keszthelyi is fleeing from the forces of law and order, and the only way for him to escape the consequences of his actions is to tell the whole story, including the parts that the police would rather stayed hidden.
People Like Us is a story about aesthetics, unrequited love, and what to do with frozen courgettes.
People Like Us The Keszthelyi Chronicles Book 1 edition by Zichao Deng Literature Fiction eBooks
Do dot be fooled by the cover! This novel has so much more to offer than just a poor foggy illustration. In fact, it reminds me more of some of the wonderful literature of the past, with the setting updated for today's European expat community (Britons in Brittany).The characters in this book were the best thing. They were quirky, weird, recognizable, crazy, rogues, criminals, bizarre, puffed up, alcoholic, lustful and nosey. The only real thing they had in common that everyone agreed on, was that the worst thing you could be was to be BORING.
The novel takes place in a small expat community of Britons in France. in essence, it is just like a small British town. Everyone knows everyone else, as well as the intimate details of their ongoing lives. Gossip is a town-wide sport in which everyone takes part. Being the purveyor of a new piece of hot gossip is quite a high status position.
Into this environment enter two good looking thirty something year old men of excellent education and wit. One is following a hot tip that a an original work of art can be found at a convent within the community. When he drives there, he meets an old friend from school, who happens to have a house down the road from the convent. And so the fun ensues...
Our art enthusiast is an antiques dealer, and believes the painting to be extremely valuable. He must find a way to get it without running afoul of French laws regarding art stolen during the war. In the meantime, there are women, dinner parties, get togethers, a stunning police woman and a jealous husband that he must contend with. He is the primary protagonist, and my favorite character. His ongoing sarcastic wit and ironic outlook are high entertainment. He goggles in amazement at the locals as they illustrate again and again that they will forgive anything, including murder as long as the person adds new excitement to their lives. He is basically a decent human, though shallow and decidedly self-centered. He will clearly cross the line into criminal activity when it gets him what he wants. Erudite, humorous, witty, charming, a rogue, mildly criminal and loves women.
Estrade, the friend he meets who has the house is something of a cypher. He clearly does not have the means to own such a place. He spends time messing with the minds of the neighbors. He delights in tormenting them psychologically. He agrees to help his friend get the painting out of the convent for a cut of the take. He is a cross between the Artful Dodgers and the Scarlet Pimpernel. An educated, charming and clever man who fools everyone regarding his secret life, which is deemed criminal by some, but even some of those who think he is a criminal still respect him.
Now the die is cast and things move forward in unexpected ways. The characters all have secrets - some big and some small, but all will play some part in what happens - even the stunning police woman.
The plotting is very round about, but easy to follow if you pay attention. This is a story about being human. It is a snapshot of life for a certain community, but change the locale, the dialogue and the clothes - it could be set in any time period in European history. There are so many observations about people and life in general in this book that it is worth reading just for that alone. Of course, the entertainment value is stellar.
I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoyed the witty characters of Dickens, Sabatini, Fielding, Austin, there are so many others. Just buy it. You won't be sorry.
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People Like Us The Keszthelyi Chronicles Book 1 edition by Zichao Deng Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews
Well now, that was a rush at the end. First, let me tell you I’ve already bought the second book. I’m not ‘going’ to buy it, I’m not ‘looking forward’ to it. I bought it. The instant I finished People Like Us, I bought it. Why, you might ask? Sit back and let me explain.
I LOVED the writing and cynical dry humor, the aloof yet deep character of Nicolas, and the oddly alluring Estrade. There was something about the way they were written that just entranced me when reading. Here’s a few excerpts (this is told in first person from Nicolas’ perspective)
“He (Estrade) has, however, an unsettling, heavy-lidded way of smiling at you, as though he is the only one present who has seen the joke...”
“He went over backwards, and about two seconds later Estrade appeared at the door, with a heavy, nasty-looking semi-automatic pistol of his own. I suppose someone with as well developed knack for irritating people as he possesses learns caution quickly.”
“In this risky business, clearly I was going to have to be the responsible, reliable one. It is not a position to which I normally gravitate.”
I have so many other quotes I’d rather use but I fear they might be spoilers for those trying diligently to figure everything out. These little tidbits of amazing description and aloof outlooks towards things most would find appalling was oddly addicting. D.Z.C. is an amazing writer and I am captivated by his skill.
Let me just tell you, there was one part that I was dying! It involves a shotgun and a face. I seriously couldn’t stop laughing. It’s kinda sick, but I couldn’t help it. It was the way the scene was written. Hopefully, if you ever read it, you’ll not think me a horrible person for finding the scene so hilarious.
You’ll notice this book took me quite a while to read, which is out of character for me. Usually when I start a book I stick to only that book until I’m finished. If I would have stopped reading at any point up to 3/4’s completion, I would have rated this book a 4. It was the ending that shot it up to 5.
The reason I was more inclined towards 4 in the beginning was because it had a very slow start, for me, anyways. Furthermore, there were soooo many references to stuff I just didn’t get. I’m a rather sheltered girl who is unworldly, to put it mildly. So a lot of stuff hung me up. However, when I sat down with it yesterday--I was only 35% done--, I decided to forgo trying to understand every reference and just read for the story and characters. Once I did that, it went by much quicker and I sailed through the book.
The ending was a rush of events with a closure that left me grinning. As much as I love and am fascinated by Nicolas, there are things he does that I’m not supportive of, yet I couldn’t help but smile at him. Don’t go into this book expecting a perfect little hero wrapped up in a bow. There are no heroes in this book. There are life-like people doing things tons of people do, while other things are a little more fictional, or at least not as common. Also, do not expect a nail-biter of a book. This is a slower read with a lot of getting involved in the...community the book is set in. If you pay attention, it all kinda connects.
There are some grievances out there that this had loose ends. It sure did, and I didn’t mind one bit. This is told from purely a first person perspective, so what our narrator doesn’t know, we don’t. I’m fine with that. I know there is a second book and maybe we’ll get some answers. Maybe we won’t. But it wasn’t a hang up for me. I enjoyed having these tiny unknowns floating around. It just made the book that much more mysterious and further immersed me.
Overall, it was the writing and these two beautifully imperfect characters that has me picking up the second book.
Although very well written and edited [bar a few odd duplicated words], the story itself left me perturbed. I found it hard to put down, yet I disliked the protagonist quite intensely. By contrast, the character known as Estrade left me wanting to know more, this despite the fact that he is supposed to be the more villainous of the two. I blush to say that I kept seeing Benedict Cumberbatch /as/ Estrade. Imagine the British version of Sherlock, now imagine Cumberbatch playing Moriarty. Ahem... Curious characters in a curious story, but very readable. )
Do dot be fooled by the cover! This novel has so much more to offer than just a poor foggy illustration. In fact, it reminds me more of some of the wonderful literature of the past, with the setting updated for today's European expat community (Britons in Brittany).
The characters in this book were the best thing. They were quirky, weird, recognizable, crazy, rogues, criminals, bizarre, puffed up, alcoholic, lustful and nosey. The only real thing they had in common that everyone agreed on, was that the worst thing you could be was to be BORING.
The novel takes place in a small expat community of Britons in France. in essence, it is just like a small British town. Everyone knows everyone else, as well as the intimate details of their ongoing lives. Gossip is a town-wide sport in which everyone takes part. Being the purveyor of a new piece of hot gossip is quite a high status position.
Into this environment enter two good looking thirty something year old men of excellent education and wit. One is following a hot tip that a an original work of art can be found at a convent within the community. When he drives there, he meets an old friend from school, who happens to have a house down the road from the convent. And so the fun ensues...
Our art enthusiast is an antiques dealer, and believes the painting to be extremely valuable. He must find a way to get it without running afoul of French laws regarding art stolen during the war. In the meantime, there are women, dinner parties, get togethers, a stunning police woman and a jealous husband that he must contend with. He is the primary protagonist, and my favorite character. His ongoing sarcastic wit and ironic outlook are high entertainment. He goggles in amazement at the locals as they illustrate again and again that they will forgive anything, including murder as long as the person adds new excitement to their lives. He is basically a decent human, though shallow and decidedly self-centered. He will clearly cross the line into criminal activity when it gets him what he wants. Erudite, humorous, witty, charming, a rogue, mildly criminal and loves women.
Estrade, the friend he meets who has the house is something of a cypher. He clearly does not have the means to own such a place. He spends time messing with the minds of the neighbors. He delights in tormenting them psychologically. He agrees to help his friend get the painting out of the convent for a cut of the take. He is a cross between the Artful Dodgers and the Scarlet Pimpernel. An educated, charming and clever man who fools everyone regarding his secret life, which is deemed criminal by some, but even some of those who think he is a criminal still respect him.
Now the die is cast and things move forward in unexpected ways. The characters all have secrets - some big and some small, but all will play some part in what happens - even the stunning police woman.
The plotting is very round about, but easy to follow if you pay attention. This is a story about being human. It is a snapshot of life for a certain community, but change the locale, the dialogue and the clothes - it could be set in any time period in European history. There are so many observations about people and life in general in this book that it is worth reading just for that alone. Of course, the entertainment value is stellar.
I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoyed the witty characters of Dickens, Sabatini, Fielding, Austin, there are so many others. Just buy it. You won't be sorry.
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