THE IDEA OF YOU by ROBINNE LEE 💡(Overview, Summary, Book Review) / Happy movie release day!

[@geraldfiroz5904]

Seen the movie twice now and very much loved it. So I’m excited to read the source material. When you mentioned the ‘Before Trilogy’. I went on Amazon and just purchased it immediately. Appreciate your review and looking to forward to the podcast where you discuss about the film. Cheers Sandra :)

[@SandrasLibrary]

Hi! Thanks so much for your comment! I really hope you love the Before trilogy as much as I do. The first film is older, but it’s such an amazing trio of movies. Really beautiful themes and relationships! I can’t recommend The Idea of You novel enough. Though the ending differs from the movie, it’s fantastic! Happy watching and reading!

[@shalysophia8281]

This book broke my heart. I cried for days after reading it.

[@SandrasLibrary]

Wholeheartedly agree. I burst into tears upon reading the last page and had to comment at the author, “How could you??” I refuse to accept that ending! But despite that, I love the characters and themes and their relationship and this novel has become a personal favorite. I’m so sorry it got you, too! 💜

[@sheranewalker5182]

Me too! I cried so hard at the end. I'm crying listening to this review. I wish there was an epilogue... We needed a little bit more for closure.

[@SandrasLibrary]

Who plans to watch The Idea of You on Prime today?!

[@janedorling1676]

💡 I watched the movie, then read the book, and agree with just about everything you said. The disconcerting aspect is that women who feel unseen at a certain age, which is a recurring theme in the book. The thing is that you shouldn't let anybody diminish you because you've hit a milestone birthday. Go out and do the things that make you happy and fulfilled. Travel, learn what makes you happy, volunteer in your community for a cause that you're passionate about. You'll be too busy and fulfilled to care about the naysayers. ❤

[@SandrasLibrary]

Ahhhhh, you're exactly right about that! You know, it's been a few months since I read the book and watched the movie, and I still think about it almost daily! I think that speaks to Robinne's writing and how prominent the book's themes are in my life. Love your energy-thank you!!

[@sheranewalker5182]

Spoilers!! * * * * * * * * In the end she chose her daughter. As a mom myself, I can totally understand her decision. Her relationship with Hayes was destroying her daughter and Solene chose to protect her daughter by ending it with Hayes. I'm crying days after reading this book, it touched my heart. As you mentioned some of the themes in your review - patriarchy. Isabelle's dad moved on and married a younger woman, had a new baby - no consideration on how this will impact his daughter. Yet he expects Solene to sacrifice her happiness and love for the sake of their daughter. That's what society also expected of her. It's so unfair. Great book, I just wish it didn't end so abruptly.

[@SandrasLibrary]

Yes!! In this “wonderful” system we have, we’re expected to make that sacrifice! This was such a moving, beautifully written book. I can’t believe how viscerally it affected me at the end. Have you seen the movie??

[@sarahblue7446]

This is one of the best audio books I've ever read 😭

[@SandrasLibrary]

@@sarahblue7446 it was fantastic! Beautifully done. So glad you loved it, too! 🖤

[@chelchelchel2749]

I just finished the book. Read it twice over in two days. SOBBED SO HARD that i went in to work with puffy eyes and no sleep, like I had just gone through a breakup IRL. It ended the only way it could’ve, and I really applaud Robinne for writing it that way. But that didn’t stop me from trying to find fan-written epilogues to help me cope. The. I found out the movie’s ending was a good palate cleanser and that it definitely was. Not gonna lie though, I still have a pit in my stomach and my heart still hurts and I swear this book is gonna stay with me for a while.

[@SandrasLibrary]

@@chelchelchel2749 You described my feelings perfectly! This story leaves you SO hollow and hurt. My dumb self thought the extra scene in the UK tie-in edition would be more hopeful and it absolutely was not. 😭 I must’ve watched the movie version 7x as a balm to my soul just because I needed more hope! 💔

[@chelchelchel2749]

@@SandrasLibrary ughhhh how I wish I can get my hands on the UK version and read the extra bit! I have also been binging the movie (and soundtrack). The movie is not anything like the book at all but I like to imagine that that was the ending to the book.

[@SandrasLibrary]

@@chelchelchel2749 Hi!! So here are pictures of the UK front and back cover. The back shows the UK ISBN number if you want to purchase that copy on Amazon or Ebay or some other place. I got mine from blackwells.co.uk But this is the bonus scene: drive.google.com/file/d/1nTfyUNVZsIQ94226u2sUwA1lmAlWrpOS/view?usp=sharing

[@elenasingleterry5854]

OMG! Before Sunset is my all time favorite movie. I also loved Before Midnight (Before Sunrise seemed a bit saccharine for my taste). I highly recommend Swedish tv series Love and Anarchy (Netflix). Also an older woman-younger man thing. The most incredible chemistry I’ve ever seen on screen. Gorgeous actors of the exact ages they play on screen. Nothing is photoshopped and polished the way Hollywood would do it - skin, emotions, story - everything is more real here, since it’s European aesthetic. It’s much better and deeper than the trailer might suggest by the way. The story of a woman coming undone (but with a happy ending). The chemistry and flirtation in the series largely takes places without words - via gazes, glances, secret smiles (it all happens at a work place). So, when I was watching the Idea of you, I almost started to suspect that they got inspired by Love and Anarchy in how they relied a lot on non-verbal ways to convey chemistry (but to a noticeably lesser effect). And I loved how in the series, much like in the first two Before movies, NOT ONE « I love you » is spoken. It’s instead shown via interactions and facial expressions. The Hollywood love for « I love yous » in love stories cheapens things, makes them too in your face in my humble opinion.

[@SandrasLibrary]

Your love for Before Sunset makes me trust you implicitly on your recommendation! Adding Love and Anarchy to my list of things to watch immediately. I agree with you on your points about Hollywood aesthetic and its obsession with ‘I love you.’ Everything tends to be turned into a rom-com for it to be more widely received, and while I thought The Idea of You movie captured the raw attraction and respect between Solene and Hayes, many other things differed from Robinne Lee’s book. But I did enjoy both for their own reasons. I adore the Before trilogy heart and soul. The scripts are deeply profound and really highlight the performances of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. So grateful for your thoughts, Elena!

[@elenasingleterry5854]

@@SandrasLibrary are you going to make a video about The Idea the movie? )) Would love to hear your thoughts. I just watched it myself. Julie Delpy is a fascinating person. I watched a lot of her French interviews for my language practice, and she is funny, smart, and intelligent, and very observant. Writes her own movies and directs them too. I liked her Two Days in Paris. And also The Countess - coincidently, it also features a younger man/older woman dynamic, and is slightly weird (in a good way)🥰

[@SandrasLibrary]

@@elenasingleterry5854 I think I will review the movie-I've done non-books before! I actually just recorded a conversation with my high school best friend for our Story Darlings podcast, so that episode will be available in 1-2 weeks. But I think I'd like to talk about the movie here, too :) Julie Delpy is sooooo fascinating. She does strike me as very wise and educated, and I feel like I've just learned something new with your comment! Haven't seen either of those movies, so here I am quietly adding them to my growing list hahahaha Thank you!

[@elenasingleterry5854]

@@SandrasLibrary I’ll be watching both your videos! 🥰🥰🙏

[@SarahDelSasso]

I just finished the book. It was sad but I agree with her decision at the end. Very interesting book.

[@SandrasLibrary]

@@SarahDelSasso SO interesting! Did you watch the movie, too?

[@SarahDelSasso]

@@SandrasLibrary no, not yet. I did hear they changed the ending. Did you watch it?

[@SandrasLibrary]

@@SarahDelSasso the film made a lot of creative changes, but the heart of the story is still the same. I've seen it so many times I've lost count and LOVE it!

[@mara1]

I’m obsessed with this book too rn and am so happy to find videos of people discussing it as passionately as I loved it. I don’t think I’ll ever recover?? I’m usually the type of person who finishes a book and then goes “ok great, next”, but I have been thinking about it nonstop since I finished it last week. So much so that I too reread it and listened to the audiobook. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before. The feelings this book made me feel, the highs and lows, the passion, the lessons on womanhood and valuing yourself, are just so special. LOL I’m just rambling now but I just needed to share my thoughts with someone since idk anyone personally who has read it. If you have any recommendations for books that are on the same level as this please let me know because right now I can’t imagine finding anything soon that will top it

[@SandrasLibrary]

Ugh, I love your comment! Okay-it's been like a month, if not more, since I read it, and I STILL can't stop thinking about it! I also immediately reread and listened to the author narrate the audiobook, which was exceptional. I agree with everything you said-the themes and characters, and the love story itself were so unique and incredibly well done that I haven't been able to find anything else that hits like this did. Just the character depth and how art and music were interwoven into the story were so fascinating to me! Did you watch the movie? I did watch it and ADORED it despite the wildly different ending, but I feel like they both have their own place! If you're open to films that hit a similar vein, you might really like the Before film trilogy with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. All 3 of them have masterful scripts! If I find a comparable book, I'll share! hahahaha

[@mara1]

@@SandrasLibrary I actually saw the movie first, and thought it was so cute. When I realized it was based on a book I knew I had to read it, and am SO glad I did. And I totally agree, the book & movie are each good in their own way, even though I wish the movie stayed a little more true to the source material (like Solene being more sophisticated, Izzy’s age, them meeting up in different cities instead of her following him, but that’s probably much harder to squeeze in a 2 hr film haha) And I LOVE the Before trilogy, some of the best romance films ever made!

[@SandrasLibrary]

@@mara1 YES. I wish they would've kept Izzy's age younger and stuck with Solene's French-raised artistic depiction. I also kind of wish they would've kept Hayes at 20 rather than 24-it seemed more...not profane, but scandalous perhaps? Just even more of an uphill battle for Solene! You know, there were 2 things not in the movie that upset me a little: first was Solene comforting Hayes with that beautifully stated quote on art. And second was her birthday (in Paris, maybe?). In the movie, they made her turn 40 immediately, but in the book, Hayes had such an integral part of making her 40th birthday/last day in her 30s such a special moment, I was so sad it wasn't in there! But there were many moments like that between the two of them I was bummed to not see, but I still enjoyed the movie! I saw recently that Robinne Lee has finished writing another manuscript after several several years of battling imposter syndrome and doubt, and I'm hopeful her next book will be just as deep and thoughtful! I'm definitely a reader for life.

[@mara1]

@@SandrasLibrary Yes to all of the above!! Another thing I wish they included was the saying ILY in Paris/aspen instead of the end. So many missed opportunities in the movie, I wish Robinne had at least some say in the script, but oh well it is what it is. I had no idea she was writing another book, it’s going straight to the top of my tbr as soon as it comes out. Also reader for life!!

[@SandrasLibrary]

Wanted to share this fantastic TIME article that the author, Robinne Lee, wrote. Give it a read: time.com/6973358/the-idea-of-you-robinne-lee-fanfiction/

[@sheranewalker5182]

Question to all the ladies commenting - if you could rewrite the ending of the book what would you change it? How would it end for you?

[@SandrasLibrary]

If you’ve watched the Prime adaptation of the book, I’d make it more like that! I think it still balances the themes around women’s sacrifices and expectations but ends on a more hopeful note! 💜

[@ameliazation]

Hello, did you find the seven minutes with Hayes?

[@SandrasLibrary]

Hopefully! Fingers crossed bc the UK tie-in edition is supposed to arrive tomorrow!

[@SandrasLibrary]

so it arrived yesterday and it had the bonus scene, but I did NOT get the closure I needed! 😭

[@helento1270]

@@SandrasLibrary can you share the Seven Minutes with Hayes? Can't find it anywhere in the US. Just finished he book last night. I have never cried reading a book...until last night. Gutted!

[@SandrasLibrary]

@@helento1270 Did you find it anywhere yet? I’m out traveling until Sunday so I don’t have the book with me! I’m so sorry it hit you so hard! I feel your pain! 💔

[@helento1270]

@@SandrasLibrary I cannot find it anywhere online or herein Hawaii. I would love to read that bonus chapter 🌺

[@amateur_bug7277]

💡

[@SandrasLibrary]

💜

[@minarose3193]

I just turned 53 and I rem being solene when I was 39! A few younger 20 something year old guys were trying to connect with me. But because of my fear I rejected them. I look back now and regret it because at 53 men don’t consider you desirable. It’s the age in itself that is unattractive. No matter what you look like I think men consider over 50 old lady and creepy. It reminds me of that wedding scene in peaky blinders where the brothers are setting up the arrange marriage of their youngest brother and he freaks out and says “ she better be under 50 “

[@SandrasLibrary]

@@minarose3193 having those regrets is tough! I totally get it. And I agree about the desirability factor going out the window. It’s like sticker shock-as soon as they hear the number, they bounce. But the independent, experienced ladies are where it’s at!

[@SarahDelSasso]

💡