This is one of those books I never would have picked up on my own, but it came highly recommended by an independent book store in our area. The author, who won the Nobel in 2008, is French, although he also lives part-time in New Mexico and Mauritius. The story takes place in Mauritius from the 1890s through World War I. I admit being annoyed by repetitiveness, and by the focus on description rather than action -- perhaps a cultural bias -- but his descriptive language is beautiful and mesmerizing. Le Monde refers to the book as a "parable of the human condition" -- the central character's attempt to find his treasure and get back to the idyllic existence of his youth. Even with the little annoyances, I couldn't stop reading this book. It gives us a glimpse into another culture and time, an insightful view of WWI, and a sampling of world literature.