Monsieur Rene

by Peter Ustinov

Book Overview

Monsieur Rene has come upon a great idea. As the Permanent President of the International Brotherhood of Concierges and Hall Porters, he and his service industry brothers are privy to huge amounts of sensitive, exclusive information and gossip from heads of state, world leaders, diplomats, and the wealthy, which they happen to overhear while working in the rooms, dining halls, and elevators of Geneva's finest hotels. As waiters, porters, and servants,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573927406
• ISBN13: 9781573927406
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A Pleasant, Witty, Read

M. Rene is a very pleasant, worldly novel that has all of the charm that one would expect from Ustinov, but also some very real intelligence, obviously the product of a thoughtful life. The writing can be a bit meandering, but I'm more interested in characters than plots, so that was not fatal. The story of an old man having an awakening, having a rebirth of sorts, is a wonderful thing, showing the fact that our lives are always capable of being renewed in spirit. Ustinov also gave us a nice glimpse into Swiss society and into the world of those who work in fashionable hotels, which are doubtless more familiar to him than they are to the rest of us! Overall, I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to those in search of a book with some brains and a sense of humor. Just don't look for a "thrilling, intricate, page-turner of a novel." It's more ruminating than that, and infinitely more satisfying.