Synopses & Reviews
In this darkly playful novel, polymath René Belletto tells two complimentary stories: In one, a man finds himself paying a ransom demanded by the kidnappers of a woman he’s never actually met; in the other, a second man makes plans to fake his own death to escape a woman whose devotion has begun to terrify him. Fast, funny, and sarcastic, partaking of the same vocabularies, imagery, and pitch-black sense of humor, these two variations on a single theme form a novel as much at home in the surreal as in everyday reality.
from Dying:
“One evening, shortly before my departure (just hours before my departure, truth be told: I only set aside my quill to make my escape), I resolved to put the story of my sojourn at the Rats and Vermin Hotel down in writing. Alas, I didn’t succeed. I learned that I wasn’t master of my own hand. It was stronger than I, yes stronger than I . . .”
Synopsis
A metaphysical thriller about the lengths to which men will go to escape the inevitable—be it love or death.
About the Author
René Belletto was born in 1945. He is a screenwriter, guitar teacher, poet, and novelist. He is the author of numerous books of fiction, criticism, and poetry, including the novels Dying, Eclipse and Machine. His novel L’Enfer was awarded the Prix Fémina in 1986.Alexander Hertich is an Assistant Professor of French at Bradley University. In addition to translating, he has written about Jean- Philippe Toussaint, Raymond Queneau, and other modern French novelists.