The seventy-third book: #62 The Nun - Denis Diderot
I was quite worried about this one. Jacques the Fatalist was okay, but had some issues with its style that rubbed me the wrong way. At the same time, epistolaries like this book sort-of is don't appeal to me as much. The Nun pleasantly surprised me, though. While the novel isn't universally without trouble, it's quite a compelling story for the most part. Suzanne's journey, from being forced into a convent by her parents and forced to take her vows, to dealing with several different mother superiors who sometimes hate, sometimes love her, is compelling and well told. I felt for her and there's plenty of time for her own mistakes. She's active within the agency she has.
There are still a few speeches that might be slightly too long, but it works well enough and it feels like there's a shift in protagonists here that makes these novels a lot more entertaining.