NEW FRENCH FICTION IN TRANSLATION : My French Life™ BOOK CLUB discussion

1) FRENCH CONTEMPORAY LITERATURE , a new pattern : While Didier Eribon and Édouard Louis are turning sociology into literature, Laurent Binet and Éric Vuillard are turning history into literature
2) 2 opposing POV : a very lyrical and emotional book vs why retelling history already known, 160 pages only for this prestigious Goncourt Prize ?
3) STYLE ( and translation )

Carolyne Lee
I just went into Amazon France, the boutique kindle section, where I was able to view the first few pages of "L'ordre du jour". I know nothing at all about this book, not its era nor subject matter, nor even if it is fiction or non-fiction (the latter category, by the way, that French people have told me is not much used in France--something to discuss?). Anyway, immediately I fell in love with the poetic language of the first paragraph (have no idea if the first para in the English translation sounds as beautiful), so I will buy the Kindle version and read it: « Le soleil est un astre froid. Son cœur, des épines de glace. Sa lumière, sans pardon. En février, les arbres sont morts, la rivière pétrifiée, comme si la source ne vomissait plus d’eau et que la mer ne pouvait en avaler davantage. Le temps se fige. Le matin, pas un bruit, pas un chant d’oiseau, rien. Puis, une automobile, une autre, et soudain des pas, des silhouettes qu’on ne peut pas voir. Le régisseur a frappé trois coups mais le rideau ne s’est pas levé. »
Have just become aware of the bleakness of the subject matter. The juxtapositioning of poetic language with such a subject is a confronting conundrum, and something which will likely engender worthwhile discussion.
Anne Beckinsale
I just read the first paragraph in English and it seems quite similar and quite lyrical

Tomi Kent Smith

My thoughts when I first learned of this book was that it would be a typical history of the order that started World War II.

And in many ways it is, but it defines is not a typical history book.

It starts with a meeting of all the major industry leaders discussing the situation of the 1933 economic effects especially as relates to Germany. During this meeting they make a joint decision to throw their companies clout and financial assets behind Hitler.

This meeting or event binds these men together for better or for worse as Hitler decides to work on the leaders of Austria about reunification of Germany and Austria, with him as leader of course. There were few in government that opposed Hitler and his growing Nazi political influence.

I found it interesting how Vuillard wrote as though a fly on the wall listening and observing the quibbles between the various parties.

I have to be honest that my enthusiasm for the story lagged during the middle of the book. Why, I don’t really have an explanation but probably because I have read some very many books from different points of view about the Anschluss of Austria.

But as World Literature Today states in their jacket comments: “...the worst tragedies of the century are proceeded or accompanied by the ludicrous activities of mediocre individuals.”

Carolyne Lee
I was very glad to read this book. I thought the prose (in French but I assume it was the same in translation) was poetic at times, and at other times biting and direct as befitted the subject matter. I learned a great deal from this book about that terrible time, and the combination of solid research from primary documents coupled with scenes rendered in a fictional structure yielded very powerful truths. I'm currently researching the Nazi period and its aftermath and this book really helped me put flesh onto historical events. It was also a good model of an innovative structure, as I think Jacqueline put it so well a little while ago - using fiction to tell history.
I should add that although it wasn't particularly difficult to read, I learnt quite a lot of new vocabulary. One of the main benefits for me in reading books in version 'numérique' is the ease with which I can look up unfamiliar words just by tapping on them.