Un été en famille by Arnaud Delrue

Abstract

Reviews 259 Jude and correctly translated and edited by the celebrated author of historical novels. One might ask,is this novel a remarkable work of well-documented apocryphal writing? Is this a literary work attempting to validate the existence of siblings and demystify the perpetual virgin concept initiated in the fourth century? Is the author seeking the historical Jesus and not the one of faith? These are few questions which render this novel an intriguing literary coup de force. Jude might trouble the impassioned believers but it is bound to please the curious. Metropolitan State University of Denver, emeritus Alain Ranwez Delrue, Arnaud. Un été en famille. Paris: Seuil, 2014. ISBN 978-2-02-115526-6. Pp. 159. 16 a. The innocuous title of this first novel gives no warning of the twisted human relationships and behaviors hidden within the pages of this short work, many aspects of which call to mind L’étranger. The opening sentence “Notre sœur était morte depuis une semaine” (13) is but one example. The tone is set. Short, brutal phrases in the passé composé resemble those of Camus and the main character’s comments, actions, and strained relationships suggest a strange detachment from the world. A glance at the layout of the novel reveals a structure that is regimented to an extent rarely seen in fiction; major sections are headed with roman numerals, chapter titles alternate between the names of characters and places-names, and in the ‘character chapters’ each paragraph is numbered. These constraints, along with reference pages and a table of contents give the distinct impression that there is something here that needs to be tightly controlled. And such is the case. Philippe, twenty-six, is our narrator and the protagonist of this story. In the chapters that bear characters’ names he speaks to his eleven-year-old sister, Marie. Claire, his other sister, has just killed herself at age twenty-five, and Philippe seems compelled to make a series of revelations that allow us to see into his world. He explains how, during the summer after Claire’s death, he struggled to interact with family and friends, how he quit his job, how he filled days and nights—a movie, a bar, a shooting range, vacation outings, dinner, sex.We also see his pain, deeply rooted in his past, and we learn that Claire was his sister, his lover, and the mother of his daughter, Marie. His sister Marie, age eleven. The chapters with place-names abruptly bring the reader into Philippe’s present moment. We accompany him as he drives by night from the house where his mother, an uncle and Marie have been staying for the summer. Chapter titles allow us to trace his trajectory from just outside of Paris through central France toward Spain. We witness first-hand his turmoil, his fatigue, his fears and we come to know his madness. What is remarkable about this novel is its ability to pull the reader into the dark world of Philippe and his famille. Delrue, a well-known photographer, presents snapshot-like images to divulge what has transpired and foreshadow what is to come. Not unlike the family members in the novel who do their utmost to avoid looking at the truth, we allow ourselves to hope that the description of Philippe and Claire’s adolescent bedroom is without importance (34) and that the photo of Claire, Philippe, their mother, and the infant Marie is just a family portrait (42). And then there are the drops of blood (57). Un été en famille is, among other things, a mystery novel whose ending needs to be discovered, not revealed. Read to the end, if you can. Metropolitan State University of Denver Ann Williams Émond, Danny. Le repaire des solitudes. Montréal: Boréal, 2015. ISBN 978-2-76462363 -3. Pp. 160. $20 Can. Literary newcomer Émond’s dark side has a heart, even if in the path there is all horror and loneliness. Take the narrator of “Manque d’oxygène,” whose mother has just committed suicide. Every night for three months, he dreams of her hanging from the kitchen ceiling, her mouth gripping a light bulb that casts...