So, about the job... I'm glad and relieved to say that it's all going very well. I've been in my assistant position for a bit over a month now and every day brings its load of teachings and challenges. Being a literary agent was never something I contemplated. My mind was always set on working within a publishing house but now, I'm gradually starting to think that being an agent (or an assistant for now) is maybe more in accordance with my goals and interests. 

I'm happy that I'm an assistant to an agent specialized in children, YA and graphic novels so I'm definitely getting my share of fantasy if not much SF.

The other good thing is that I get to read a lot of books before they're even published in the UK or US... We get loads of manuscripts every day and I'm anxious to get any kind of technological device that will enable me to read them on the train. Everyone working in publishing in France seems to have elected the Sony reader but I'm not convinced, it still seems very unpratical and primitive to me for the moment. I'm really waiting for Apple to combine the iphone technology with all of the ereader technology that's out there and then, maybe I'll consider buying one. But for the moment, my heart is set on the iphone... but that won't be till Christmas. With three hours of commute everyday, think of the time I'll be saving and it just might help me save my online life which has severely gone down the drain since I started working and I really miss it. 

Let's move on to the review, shall we ? (and again, I've got loads of reviews behind, you can't imagine the number of books I've been burning my way through in the past weeks... hey, like I said, three hours of commute every day!)



Author: Catherynne M. Valente (she's also on lj and on goodreads)
Title: Palimpsest  (youtube trailer)
Series: None
Genre: Fantasy - New Weird
Original publisher:  Spectra
First published:  February 2009

No French translation to this date.


I've been meaning to read this author for a while now. She's most famous in feminist and LGBT SF circles, particularly for her Orphan's Tales series which is what I wanted to read first. When I arrived at the agency, this was one of the books that caught my eye. It was standing on the shelf right in front of my desk: I took it as it and knew that now was the time to pick it up! We only had an advance reading copy though the book had been out for several months now, but I didn't mind. The cover was intriguing and I thought that perhaps it would be nice to start with a book I hadn't heard much about and also something that was not part of an overall series. 

Here's for the plot:

From Publishers Weekly
Four strangers are bound together in adventure, love and occasional sorrow in this parable from Tiptree winner Valente (The Orphan's Tales). The city of Palimpsest exists somewhere outside our reality, accessible only during the sleep that follows sex. The immigrants to Palimpsest, marked forever by the tattoo-like impression of a map on their skin, seek out one another for real-world sexual adventures that function as passports to new otherworldly quarters. In outstandingly beautiful prose, Valente describes grotesque, glamorous creatures sometimes neither human nor animal, alive nor dead, and mortal travelers who pursue poignant personal quests to replace the things (and people) they've lost. Valente's fondness for digression at times makes for a difficult read, and her fable of quest and loneliness is less an engrossing fairy tale and more a meticulous travelogue of a stranger's dream. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Here's what I have to say about it:

I can say in all certainty that I've never read anything like this book before. It's filled with very original ideas to say the least. And the author's style is very specific to herself and to the world she's created. This makes for a challenging, refreshing and surprising read. I can definitely see how this book illustrates the New Weird movement; a movement I have shied away from ever since my disastrous encounter with China Mieville and Iron Council (for those of you who don't remember, I read about 200 pages of Iron Council, I tried, I really did but I couldn't finsh the book. It's probably the only book that I couldn't finish). 

My problem with Mieville's world and I extend it to most of the works of the NW, is that I'm a character reader. If you don't give me good solid characterization, I'm going to struggle through the story no matter how enchanting your world building may be and well, if your main character is your world, that might turn out to be a problem for me. Valente's main character happens to be a city but the city is also clearly marked by its inhabitant and as far as characterization goes, Valente has nothing to envy Hal Duncan, Sarah Rees Brennan, George R.R. Martin and some of the best that are out there. 

Valente combines Jeff Vandermeer's talent for weird and enchanting world building and Jacqueline Carey's sensual and flourishing style. Why no French publisher has yet decided to publish this author is beyond me!
 
If the initial pages are a bit arduous (I really struggled at first, I was a bit lost), as soon as characters entered the picture and I got used the author's style, I no longer felt out of my depth. I really started enjoying the text and realized the full extent of the richness of her creation. 

To sum up: this is some very impressive stuff once you get the gist of it.

I'll admit that each time Valente drew back from her characters and went back to the city and mentioned some random things, my interest and attention diminished and I really felt like skipping those parts (which were minor in comparison to the overall story). This is probably a very subjective criticism as it really depends on what kind of reader you are and what you are looking for. I know that no matter how bizarre and twisted the world the author wants to take me in is no problem as long as I have characters to anchor me within the story and relate to. Perhaps most readers don't require this. 

Anyway, this was an immensely satisfying read that I can highly recommend. I especially think that Shannon and Katryn should give this author a try. 

We have the Valente's Orphan Tales series at the agency so I'll be sure to pick them up and read them. In the meantime, I really hope that a French publisher will want to publish them because this author really has a distinctive voice and develops the most original of ideas.

Hey guys!

As you might have guessed, things are a bit hectic ever since I started my internship in Paris. I have 3 hour of commute every day and I must admit that keeping up with everybody's posts is hard as it is, so I'm not even talking about updating my own blog!

Still, 3 hours of transport everyday has some good since it means far more reading time than I have had in a long long time... Of course, I'm extremely late on reviews but hey, wasn't I already prior to the internship... hum maybe... So I decided that I would have to change my way of doing things and post mini-reviews which are really raw impressions about my latest reads. 

I may post them here eventually but it's not something I can do right now. So if you want to know what I've been up to, reading-wise, I'm going to direct you to my Goodreads Profile where you can read about my most recent updates. As I said, these are short reviews and mostly impressions about a given book. As always comments are most welcomed!

Hope you're all well and kicking!

... no, far from it but real life is happening. I'm completely behind on reviews but also podcasts (am desperately trying to keep my podcast list below 30 and miserably failing!), reading, anime, tv series and everything else! Don't you just hate it when real life gets in the way of geekness and fandom! And it's not about to get any better, what with my internship starting next week!

Let me rewind a bit here. By the way, this is going to be one of those real life entries which, if you don't know me, probably won't be of any interest to you and so you may skip it with my blessing!

This semester (my very last semester at University ever!) was supposed to be easygoing and relaxing and full of catching up on my reading and viewing and listening... and well, surprisingly or not, it wasn't! As some of you may know, most of French Universities have been on strike for nearly five months now, that means that we've had nearly no classes at all for the whole of the second semester. And while most of these social events haven't really affected my studies in the sense that most of the work I was to hand in this semester is to be made at home (that's the good thing about being a translator), it certainly disrupted the basic functionings of our Universities and put into question the sanity of our government officials but that's another question.

So, for a while, me and my classmates floundered around, waiting for our teachers to give us something to work on which they finally did but only in April! Keep in mind that I wholeheartedly support my teachers who were on strike and that I understand and share their fears about what the current administration is trying to do to French education. But basically, we were forced to translate and hand in diverse translation-related works in a month as opposed to the entire semester we were supposed to have!

Need I mention that since the beginning of the strike and the suspension of classes, I'd been giving more and more private tutoring (everyday! girls gotta eat, right?) and, in an attempt to diminish my podcast list, jogging (I forbade you to laugh!). 

Plus, I've become more or less active on some French website called loonéo. I mainly write reviews on a wide range of products (though you know me, chances are these products are books and include faster than light traveling or, at the very least, pointed ears) for which I am granted a certain amount of money to spend on online.

So yes, my book shelves are glaring at me under their heavily page loaded eyebrows (yes my bookshelves have eyebrows, just check, I'm sure yours do too!). If you're a French speaker, kindly check out my profile and my reviews and click on the green OUI which will give me more points for next month!

Also I got my first ever paid translation along with two friends of mine and thanks to two of our teachers... though we haven't been paid just yet. And I'm also going to start translating a French fantasy short story in English for the Black Science Fiction Society Anthology coming out next year. 

I may not have had a lot of classes this semester but I've been keeping busy, trying to earn money in a variety of ways. I'm also trying to prepare myself for the transition from a student life to a so-called adult life, namely the transition from university to working which will happen sometime in December of this year.

I'm beginning my internship in Paris at Flammarion next tuesday. So I'll be taking the train twice a day to get there for the next six months (no summer holiday for me, just like last year). Working full time is not going to help me keep this blog up and running. I'm obviously favoring Loonéo because, heck, I'm getting paid for it! But that doesn't mean this blog is going to die... I'll do my best to make sure this doesn't happen but I'm definitely not going to be around all that much. No worries though, I'll be back. I have plans for this blog or maybe another which would become exclusively book related and become some sort of professional blog as professional as I can ever be anyway...

So that's what's been going on... I wish you all a lovely (if not sunny) day !

PS: Also, last fm no longer being free for people living in Europe, I've deactivated my account there and turned to deezer where you can find me as edroxy. 

Hey, I'm in a podcast! I joined Aaron (the host of Scifi Dig) and diggers, Rod, Bruce and Mike to discuss Storm Front by Jim Butcher. You guys already know what I think of the book, I put up a review a few weeks ago, but it's nice to hear other people's take on it. Some interesting points came up and then we got sidetracked and talked about other genre series.

www.scifidig.com/archives/484

This is just one of the many examples of what the digger community is about. 

Yes, I know... I'm not doing a great job at catching up on reviews but I am keeping up with what I'm reading.... and well, I can't stop reading, can I?

Author: Cory Doctorow
Title: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Genre: Science Fiction
Original publisher: Tor Books
First published: 2003

French Title: Dans la Dèche du Royaume Enchanté
French Publisher: Folio SF
Translation Published: 2007
Translator: Gilles Goullet

I'm fairly certain I don't have to introduce Cory Doctorow to any of you, but this book which came out in France two years ago is the first chance French readers got to discover this Canadian author. I'm sorry to say that the book almost went unnoticed on this side of the Atlantic. But then, when you see the (hideous!) cover art and the fact that it was immediately released in paperback and simply didn't get the attention it deserved publicity-wise, you can understand why. I'm hoping that it will still catch some French publishers' attention and that they will continue publishing Doctorow in France, especially considering the success of his latest YA novel "Little Brother". 

Anyway, this was not my first experience with Cory Doctorow. Though I never reviewed it, I did listen to his own reading of his novel "Eastern Standard Time" on his podcast. So I knew what to expect of this author and what not to and well, knowing that, I wasn't disappointed. 

Welcome to the future, where death is dead and so are money and work... so basically the world is nothing like the one we know. That's Bitchun Society for you. Only one thing matters and that is your level of whuffies which tells others about your social level and is defined according to your experience and good (or bad) deeds. Julius is one of the old ones, one who has experienced the world prior to the Bitchun Society. He has had the time to learn ten languages, compose three symphonies and currently lives in Disney World with his girlfriend. Everything is perfectly fine until an old friend of his, Dan, shows up. Dan wants to put a permanent end to his own days, no time off for a thousand years or so waiting for something thrilling to happen to humanity, no more downloading his consciousness into a new cloned body, Dan just wants to end this once and for all. He just can't seem to... 

I've read elsewhere that some consider this a light and shallow novel. I disagree completely though I have an idea as to where this criticism is coming from. When you read a Doctorow novel (this has been my experience with the two novels of his I've read so far) you're not reading it for character development or psychology. Nope. You're reading to explore new concepts and see the conclusions and reflexions you can draw from them. In short, you're reading for the "science" bit in science fiction. 

Let me point out the fact that I am in no way depreciating or minimizing Cory Doctorow's work. I really like what he does, his works have always introduced me to new perceptions of the world and made me realize how tied my thinking was to the contemporary world and traditional conceptions. This guy's really made me think. And he knows how to set up his stories and bring forth the reflexions and notions we wants to put through them. And that alone is pretty cool.

I'm just emphasizing the fact that it's not the characters you get attached to, it's the technological concepts of the story that stay with you. Overall, I would say that this is a short and interesting read that will easily appeal to cyberpunk or hard science fans. 

I'm still terribly late on reviews, I know. I'm trying to catch up. Coming up as far as books are concerned: Texaco by Patrick Chamoiseau, The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind, In Praise of Creolness by Patrick Chamoiseau, Jean Bernabé and Raphael Confiant, I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé; for mangas: Fullmetal Alchemist; for TV series: Being Erica. So yeah, a nice diverse bunch that'll be coming ASAP.

In the meantime, I'm reviewing a book I read years ago or was read years ago by the wonderful James Marsters who did a great job on the audiobook. I'm rereading this as part of the Scifi Dig Bookclub. I'm not big on rereads for the simple reason that there's already so much out there that I'll never have time to read, let alone if I spend my time rereading. Still, I knew I wouldn't mind going back to Storm Front because the events of the first two books where unclear enough in my mind for there to be discoveries the second time around. Plus, if I was going to reread this, I wanted to pick up the French translation to see what it was worth and so I'll have some notes on that at the end. 

Author: Jim Butcher
Title: Storm Front (Book One of the Dresden Files)
Genre: Urban fantasy
Original publisher: Roc
First published: 2000

French Title: Dans l'Oeil du cyclone
French Publisher: Bragelonne
Translation Published: 2007
Translator: Grégory Bouet

The Dresden Files series is set in the clear tradition of the noir genre, a genre I know very little about, at least nothing beyond its most obvious clichés... and well, you'll get to see how Jim Butcher calls upon quite a few of them and has fun twisting them around. I'll be getting back to this but let's get on to the plot. 

Harry Dresden is a private investigator of a special kind. He is a wizard, a very fine one at that, it's just that he hasn't had much luck with wizards or humans so far. And it's not about to get any better. When he gets a call from his friend Karrin Murphy over at the Chicago PD's Special Investigations, Harry leaps at the chance of getting a pay check and keeping a roof over his head. But Murphy's double murder is a very complex one as it involves magic and there's only one known wizard in town, you can find him in the yellow pages and that's Harry. In parallel, Harry must also deal with a pesky and sexy reporter, a damsel in distress who's sending mixed signals about being saved, the sexual needs of an air spirit, his stuck up warden and failing electrical appliances.

Storm Front is light and quick read, even the second time around (I finished this in a day!). You get easily caught up by the story and whether you like or not, you want to see what's coming up next. The writing is not high literature but hey, it's not trying to be. All this story wants to do is entertain you and Harry's first person narration is engaging enough to do just that. So yes, sometimes you think that Harry is not the brightest chap to have seen the light of day, sometimes he reflects too long on certain things, sometimes he does stupid things because he has not reflected on them long enough, sometimes Jim Butcher has decided to be very cruel to his character but hey, it doesn't matter, it's fun anyway!

See the thing is, Harry is not your typical smooth, cool and macho PI you usually encounter in the noir genre. He's trying to be that's for sure, but it appears Jim Butcher won't give a second of rest. Harry's got the macho part all worked out. He's at the frontier of gallantry but his assumptions about women, the way they work and their feelings never fail to annoy me. Hopefully, the author never actually proves his character right.

For instance, when Harry first sees the scene of the double murder, he suspects a woman. Why? Because, according to Harry, only a woman could call upon such feelings as jealousy and passion to channel them into a spell so powerful it could tear out the hearts of two human beings. As the story unfolds, the reader will realize that Harry couldn't have been more wrong. 

Additionally, the only time Harry gets close to score with one of the many female characters of the book, the lady is under the effect of a love potion and both of them are trapped in a protective circle of about 90 centimeters while a demon is circling them, waiting for an opening. But the love potion is making the lady in question very insisting and convincing and Harry is doing everything he can to keep them alive. When they do escape, said lady ends up throwing up her guts in an alley. That's a romantic evening with Harry Dresden for you. 

It constantly feels like Jim Butcher is making fun of him and I certainly wouldn't have appreciated the story this much had he let Harry's macho/gallant attitude go unhindered. That's something the TV series didn't do and one thing which annoyed me greatly. Butcher does that till the very end when Harry is brought back to consciousness, thanks to mouth-to-mouth, by none other than his old Warden. So yes that was another fun trick played on our macho man. 

I'm surprised to say that I enjoyed this second reading more than the first and this has nothing to do with James Marsters's reading quite the contrary! Instead, it has all to do with expectations. The first time, I had been told so much about the Dresden Files that I was expecting a great deal from them and was disappointed when it didn't turn out to be this life changing, complex philosophical reading experience (which thankfully all books aren't, otherwise I probably wouldn't be reading as much as I do! It'd be exhausting !). The second time, I knew what I was getting into and so, could effortlessly let go and follow the rapid pace of the story.

I know the books have been well received in English speaking communities but I've seen some negative reviews in French circles. Of course, this doesn't mean that the book was ill-received throughout the country. I don't think it was since the publisher is pursuing its translation of the following books. I do think that some of the negative reviews it got was because certain people are tired of seeing the publisher in question literally flooding the speculative fiction market with its productions. And it's true that its monthly number of publications is very impressive and it's probably leading to the death of others smaller independent speculative fiction publishers, still I don't think it reason enough to say that everything they publish is rubbish. Don't get me wrong, some titles are and I don't think they are worth being translated, but hey, those are probably the ones that make the most money. Plus, I have to mention that what they pay their translators is an outrage to the entire profession. But they are also the ones who make sure Scott Lynch, Graham Joyce and soon, Elizabeth Bear are published in France. So you gotta give them some credit for that. 

And so that gets me to some translation notes and more precisely, some questionable choices made by the translator and/or the editor. For instance, when Jim Butcher describes vampire Bianca, he gives the names of two actresses. I can't remember what those names were in the original version but in the French version, here, pops up Fanny Ardant and Simone Signoret. My problem is that when you're reading a translation, you *know* that it's a translation. In Storm Front, the reader knows that the story is taking place in Chicago, why do you, the translator, have to put the names of French actresses in the story? If you're doing it for context and for French readers to have a better understanding of the description then you use the names of other American actresses which are more famous in France than the ones originally picked by the author. That makes a lot more sense and doesn't jolt your French reader out of the narration and have him wonder: hum... we're in Chicago, and I'm fairly certain most Americans have no idea who Fanny Ardant and Simone Signoret are. There were other such instances I won't comment upon since this was the most shocking one in my mind.

That's it for now. 

Story by Marcus Ewert
Illustrations by Rex Ray
Title: 10 000 Dresses
Genre: Illustrated book for children
Publisher: Seven Stories
First Published: 2008
Pages: 32

This book first caught my attention when it got on the finalist of the Lambda Literery Awards in the transgender category. Then, Cheryl Morgan mentioned it on her blog and then I realized it was published by Seven Stories. Have I ever mentioned how much I like this publisher? If you haven't already done so, you should definitely check out their catalog. They're doing some wonderful work. 

Anyway, when a single book keeps popping up, it usually means something, so I decided it was about time I ordered it. 

According to the publisher's info, this book is aimed at children aged 4 to 8. I would definitely want my kids to read this if I had any. We need more books like this one.

Book premise: every night, Bailey dreams of wearing dresses but when Bailey wakes up and asks for a dress, the answer is always: "Boys don't wear dresses !"

I found that the most interesting element of the narration was the inner dialog and the way in which Bailey is refered to as female through various pronouns and only considered as a boy on the outside and thus, refered to as male by her family. This introduces the idea of a double identity as well as the notion that one's body does not necessarily define one's identity. This children book brings forth complex and delicate questions about identity and perception in a very simple way, allowing its adult reader to realize that things aren't so complicated after all: deep down inside, we know who we are and we should just stick to that and allow others to do the same. Simple, right? 

About the art, I really like Ray's mosaic and almost patchwork-like illustrations. Sure, it does give a child-like stamp to the story but it also smartly echoes the notion of a plural identity constantly int he making. 

All in all, it's a wonderful book for both children and adults and I wish there wasn't such a debate around its publication what with people calling it "inappropriate" when clearly the only thing that is "inappropriate" is their own reaction. 

Author: Xavier Mauméjean
Title:Lilliputia
Genre: Fantasy
Original Publisher: Calmann-Lévy
Collection: Interstices
First Published: 2008
Pages: 445

Science fiction and fantasy foreign editors, if you have some original and interstitial SF&F (some call it "new weird") and if you're looking to have some of your works translated in French, you need to seriously consider editor Calmann-Lévy's collection Interstices. So far, it's published works by Jeff Vandermeer, Christopher Moore, Koushun Takami, Patrick O'leary, Austin Grossman, Sean Stewart, Daniel Keyes... and on the French side, Xavier Mauméjean who is one of France's most interesting and promising genre author. 

Like most of the Interstices collection, Lilliputia is a novel difficult to place in one single category. It's as much affiliated to urban fantasy, historical fiction, mythology or the tale genre. According to fans, Lilliputia is Xavier Mauméjean's best work yet. I wouldn't know since, though I'd heard about him for years, it's the first piece of fiction by him that I've read (besides a short story published on Utopod). So far, I must say that I admire his soft and subtle style, his weird sense of humor and the gravity and complexity of the themes he broaches. 

USA. Early 20th century. Taken away from his natal Europe, Elcana is forced to join the amusement park Dreamland. He is to live in the town of Lilliputia where hundreds of other little men and women like him have already been rounded up. The men who kidnapped Elcana have been travelling the world in search of these little people, carefully selecting those that are not dwarves but true Lilliputians with proportions similar to adults'. As soon as the park opens, American families rush in to spy and go oh and ah on Elcana and his fellow Lilliputians. During opening hours, the Lilliputians' lives are carefully orchestrated so as to fulfill Americans' need for entertainment. Considered as little more than freaks, the Lilliputians have no choice but to endure the humiliation and abasement of their situation. They are waiting for a saviour. Is Elcana the fire fighter, the bearer of fire, to be this liberator?

Xavier Mauméjean who is very fond of philosophy and mythology offers us an interesting and smart retelling of the Greek myth of Prometheus who stole fire from the Gods and brought it to humanity. His punishment consisted in having his liver eaten by an eagle every single day for the rest of eternity as it regrowed over night. One better understands, the novel's main character, Elcana's liver issues throughout the book. 

But the historical background is just as important as the mythical elements. Mauméjean sets his narration in the early days of modern America, at a time when the country strives for progress, industrialization, money and entertainment. The grotesque aspect of the novel, impersonated by the voyeurism of Americans, is not without reminding us of Tod Browning's Freaks (1932). 

The many references, more or less easy to spot, greatly participate in giving the novel its complexity, nuances, layers and richness... and they also make it all the more difficult to categorize it. In the end, it's all up to the reader: urban fantasy? historical fiction with a mythological twist? Whatever you choose, you can't deny that it's a wonderful stylistic and literary achievement. 

I think it's a nice place to start reading Mauméjean. For all its depth and complexity, the novel's greatest success rests perhaps in its capacity to adapt to its reader. If you know nothing about Greek mythology, early American 20th century or Tod Browning, you will still enjoy this novel. Chances are, it's even going to make you curious. 

Lilliputia is a highly recommended weird, accessible and rich read. 

If you'd like to know more, Xavier Mauméjean gave a very insightful interview on Mauvais Genres about this particular work of his.

Author: Aimé Césaire
Title: La Tragédie du Roi Christophe
Genre: Play
Original Publisher: Présence Africaine
First Published: 1963
New Edition: 1970
Pages: 153

English Title: The Tragedy of King Christophe
Publisher: Random House Tradepaperback
Translater: Unknown


I don't read a lot of plays to say the least. Quite frankly, the last play I read was probably back in 7th grade and chances are, it was probably a Molière. Yet, here I am again, reading another play for a class, my Caribbean literature class. It's also my first introduction to Aimé Césaire's work and knowing my relationship with poetry, I think it's best for me to start with his plays than with his weird and obscure poetry which would have, without a doubt, put me off *permanently*.

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I'd never taken a serious interest in the man before. His works seems to be more famous in English-speaking circles than in French ones. I grew up in the Caribbean and not once, in any of my literature classes, was he mentioned. Never once was I taught was his movement "négritude" was all about. I only knew because my father told me about it but truth is, most people from the French Caribbean only know him by name and that's sad. 

School programs are imposed by the French government and the latter does not leave any room for the teaching of regional literature or culture... and I'm not only trying to defend Caribbean culture here, I'm also talking about Brittany, Corsica and all those other French regions which have strong identities and are literally being squashed by the main government in the name of equality and fraternity. 

It seems completely surreal that, me, someone who grew up in the Caribbean, with a whole part of her family living in Guadeloupe, has never been given the chance, within the teaching institution, to discover the richness of a part of her inheritance. Had I not gone to college, had not looked for this specific class (which is only opened to a small number of people within the university itself!), I might have never known all that I've learned in the past month!

Anyway, enough rambling. I'm frustrated enough by French's educational system (methods and content) as it is. Let's get down to the play.

After the Haitian revolution (1791-1804) which freed the island from French domination and put an end to slavery, Jean-Jacques Dessalines comes into power and rules as a despot. When he is murdered in 1806, the country is split in two: President Pétion rules over the South while Henri Christophe, proclaimed King Henry I, rules over the North. 

The play tells the story of Christophe, from his accession to the throne to his death. It tells the story of men who freed their country from slavery and ended up turning into tyrants themselves. It's a very strong and poignant tragedy about decolonization which makes a point of highlighting the ridicule of Christophe's court which only aims at imitating the courts of Europe in search of legitimacy. It's a carefully constructed and written piece of work. Some images and phrases hold a very poetic note to them and sometimes you can't help but laugh out loud though you realize how sad the whole situation actually is. You fight for your freedom, you obtain it, you manage to keep it but what then? How are you to break the circle when you only have one model of governing to choose from? 

A short read, a profound reflection. A must read for all those interested in issues of race and colonialism. 

Brief note: I think the play deserved a proper introduction which gave a bit more context to the story but also to the place the story held in Césaire's work instead of the long and vague back cover it got. 

Author: Jeanne-A Debats
Title: La Vieille Anglaise et le Continent
Genre: Science Fiction
Original Publisher: Griffe d'Encre
First Published: 2008
Pages: 71

This novella initially caught my attention (apart from the gorgeous cover, credit to Christopher Sivet for that) because of all the awards its won during the past year: Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire 2009 in the short story category, Lundi 2008 and the Prix Julia Verlanger 2008. 

Here's a translation of the back cover before I get to my general impressions about this short piece of fiction:

"Some people are so deeply attached to Life and all its many forms and shapes, that they devote their entire existence to its preservation and go as far as sacrificing that of others... Ann Kelvin is going to devote her death."

A possible translation of the title could be the following: "The old Engliswoman and the continent".

When I was younger I nourished this secret dream of becoming a biologist specialized in submarine life. It's also one of the reasons why I enjoy diving so much. There's just something about what's going on down there that intrigues me and triggers my imagination... that and growing up on an island probably had something to do with it. 

Knowing that, you can understand the fact that I immediately went into rapture about the story of a dying old woman who has always fought for the preservation of marine life getting the opportunity to have her consciousness downloaded inside a whale. Her life continues as that of a whale on borrowed time; but that's going to be time enough to accomplish her mission. 

I can't really tell you more plotwise without spoiling it. It is, after all, a novella. Let me just tell you that being a whale is not quite as easy as it seems. If the ecologist theme is not what you're looking for in your reading, know that plot is tightly constructed (as it should be for a novella) despite the narration which is twofold: Ann's last days before the intervention and her time as a whale. The writing is elegant and simple (special mention for the Star Wars reference! Yay geeks!), alternating between a militant style and a poetic one.

It definitely deserves the awards and various nominations it got. I'm hoping to hear more about this author whose only published short stories so far. Griffe d'Encre's collection of novellas has also caught my eye. Since their catalogue contains a lot of unknown authors, novellas is a nice way to go about discovering them. Plus, the price. I bought this novella at the Salon du Livre for 8 euros. Just to give you an idea hardbacks in France can cost as much as 25 euros. Yep, books are very expensive here. So when you can get some new good quality writing for a fair price, you take it! So, I'm definitely going to keep a close eye on this young publishing house. 

Author: Alain Damasio
Title: La Horde du Contrevent
Genre: Science Fiction
Original Publisher: La Volte
First Published: 2004
Pages: 736 (for the trade paperback)

As you may have noticed I'm taking more of an interest in French publications these days.

This little (just above 700 pages long!) jewel won the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire back in 2006. It's the most prestigious French award as far as speculative fiction is concerned. Previous winners include Pierre Bordage, Jean-Pierre Andrevon, Fabrice Colin, Maurice G. Dantec and Francis Berthelot in the French fiction category and Robert Charles Wilson, Ursula K. Le Guin, Graham Joyce, Christopher Priest and Jeffrey Ford in the foreign fiction category.

Alain Damasio is probably one of France's most promising young voices and La Horde du Contrevent is just his second novel. He is most acknowledged in science fiction circles and that's just too bad for mainstream readers, writers and publishers who just don't know what they are missing out on. Still, the most amazing thing is that Damasio hardly reads any science fiction or fantasy at all. What he does read however is a lot of philosophy and that says a lot about science fiction writers being modern day philosophers. But that's a whole other debate, isn't it?

Let me tell you one thing though, whether you are a speculative fiction reader or not, you've *never* read anything like this book. And I do mean NEVER. More than just treating the book as a simple medium to deliver a message, Damasio has conceived this specific work as a book universe. The medium is intimitaly linked to the message and well, I'm sad to say it, but this remarkable achievement simply makes the book intranslatable. You'd have to rewrite entire parts of the book to make them work in another language. It'd be a tremendous work and you'd never be sure whether or not you'd be betraying the author's original speech.

You know something about this book is different as soon as you pick it up and start browsing through its content: the pages start at 700 and decrease all the way down to 0. A limited edition of the book was released with a soundtrack. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to put my hands on it, but the very concept of a book having its own soundtrack is one that I find extremely relevant and original. I read with music and I often associate discs or tracks with specific books or even chapters. Sometimes it happens by accident. For example, it is just happens to be a new CD that I'm listening to while reading a book, but, at others times, the choices can be more deliberate. Anyway, I don't know of any other instances when a publisher has released a book with a soundtrack, so the idea is original enough to be toyed with. I know Mélanie Fazi, another talented young French author and translator, has released on her blog the name of the tracks she was listening to while writing a given piece of fiction but it's nothing quite as elaborate as actually putting together a book soundtrack.

But there's so much more about this book and it's just about time I got around to telling you about the plot, isn't it?

In a devastated world, living to the rhythms of the unbearable winds which rule it, an organization selects, raises and trains children from a very young age so that they will become the next horde. The 34th horde counts 23 members; each has a specific function (tracer, scribe, troubadour, hunter, protector, carer, maker of fire, wood maker, etc.). They have been traveling the world for over 30 years in search of the origin of the wind.

Damasio has created a world in which the wind is omnipresent and its divine character is alluded to several times throughout the book. The narration is not told from a single point of view, each one of the 23 characters gets a go! To succeed in pulling this off without confusing his reader says a lot about the author's talent. Furthermore, each switch of point of view is announced by a sign belonging to a character. So not only do you have to deal with 23 characters but you also have to remember each character's personal symbol... I did it effortlessly and this has nothing to do with any unparalleled memorization capacity of mine because, well, let's face it, what I usually have an unparalleled capacity for is forgetting things. The polyphonic dimension of the book might be what initially puts you off, but trust me, you'll get the hang of it faster than you think and in the end, the polyphony is precisely the book's greatest quality.

23 characters which have been living with one another for over 30 years, who know nothing else besides fighting the wind, going forward no matter what, who don't always get along, who love, hate and don't understand one another, let alone the purpose or utility of their mission which really is a religious one. Damasio weaves a wonderful, touching and suspenseful story about faith, friendship, hardships and science. The mythology and technology he creates around the wind and the way the inhabitants try and often fail to adapt to its raging strength is truly unparalleled.

I very strongly recommend this book to anyone who reads French. This book is a very singular experience all together and it renewed my passion for reading (not that it has gone anywhere, but it's like a habit which requires things to be spiced up once in a while and this book did the trick).

This review was long overdue as I finished reading this masterpiece over a month ago. As a matter of fact, I've read several books/audiobooks/mangas since so I'm loads of reviews behind and getting lazier by the minute. Still, know that what's coming up includes more French speculative fiction but also books I've been reading for my Caribbean Literature class. I'll get to all of this eventually.

On another note, I went to the Salon du Livre in Paris, which is the biggest book fair in the country. And guess what? I bought more books ;-)

I'll try to post pictures at some point.

Author: Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio
Title: L'Africain
Genre: Autobiography
Original Publisher: Mercure de France
First Published: 2004
Pages: 124

I'm not quite sure what drove me to buy this book in particular. When I found out that Le Clézio had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature last year, I felt that, as a French reader, I needed to have at least read him once. So I browsed my local bookstore's shelves and found this little piece entitled The African (I'm not sure what it's been translated as or even if it's been translated in English at all. I know some of his works have been, but I'm not sure about this particular one.).

I came to this book knowing absolutely nothing about the author's life or works and I was a bit worried that this might turn out into some colonial like type of narration. And boy was I wrong. 

This short autobiographical narration deals mainly with the author's father: this authoritarian, withdrawn and solemn father figure who is a stranger in his own country, in his own family, though, as a doctor, he is entirely devoted to his patients. A man who refused to conform to western hypocrisy and formality and decided to practice medicine throughout the world, namely South America and Africa. A character who has been changed by war and all that he's witnessed and that the narrator only meets once he is 8 years old. They meet in a strange land, when the narrator moves with his mother and his brother to Nigeria to join his father. 

A short (124 pages!) touching and intriguing story written in a non linear manner and illustrated with pictures taken from the author's own archives. A great introduction to an unknown writer for me and which allowed me to learn about the author's life and to become more familiar with his soft and poetic prose. 

Highly recommended. 

And now, I have to pick another book to read... and I just can't seem to choose !

Author: Pierre Bordage
Title: Les Aigles d'Orient (Book Two of the series Wang)
Genre: Science Fiction
Original Publisher: L'Atalante
First Published: 1997

This is the second and final book in the series Wang and it's definitely a nice wrap up to the overall series as it ties up all the loose ends and finally leaves our main characters in a comfortable place... Perhaps it even wrapped things up a bit too nicely for my taste.

The first book ended with the Fredric Alexandre winning the Uchronic Games against all odds, mostly thanks to the Chinese immigrant Wang. The second book opens on another final of the Uchronic Games, two years later. The mixed feelings and jealousy Fredric experiences towards his first officer Wang are quite obvious and render their military association somewhat hazardous. 

Outside the Games, the stakes are still the same: Western Nations are attempting to fight an invisible enemy whose numbers are fewer but which possesses a greater and much more advanced technology. This enemy sees in Wang the one who will lead the immigrants' army and bring down the electro-magnetic wall which separates the West from the rest of the world and bring an end to Western domination. 

The first 150 pages take place during the Uchronic Games and while there were some very poignant scenes illustrating the extent to which the immigrants are forced to go to in order to survive, 150 pages was just too long for me. And so, it momentarily suspended the pace of the series. But then, things started to get interesting again as soon as Wang was out of the Games and thrown into real life issues (though those being as life threatening as they were during the Games, you might not notice the difference). 

My main complaint about this conclusion to the series is that it's been too well introduced, i.e. it renders the book too predictable. You know how it's going to end, you know why and there are very few surprises. I still consider it a worthwhile read, but the first book was far more interesting and engaging the second one. Still, if you've enjoyed the first volume, you need to read the second, it's still a very powerful conclusion but it definitely doesn't compare to the first. 

I'm looking forward to reading some more Bordage. My boyfriend, who's an unconditional fan, swears that Wang does not come close to some of his best works, especially Les Derniers Hommes or Les Guerriers du Silence. 

Up next: L'Africain by JMG Le Clézio

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Title: Twilight (Book One of the Twilight Saga)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Original Publisher: Little Brown
First Published: 2006
Read by Ilana Kadushin

First off, I think I need to state that I have a problem with romance as a genre in general. No doubt it has to do with the fact that, as a girl, you're a constantly being hinted at that romance is specifically designed for you (that's when it's not being pushed down your throat). So much so that I have shied away from romance books, movies, tv shows, etc. from a very young age. And it's not because I'm a SF&F fan that I have to enjoy paranormal romance. Unless you feel like being imaginatively murdered with a book, do not offer a book the likes of Laurell K. Hamilton's or Kelley Armstrong's, etc. It's probably the reason why I haven't given Charlaine Harris's books a try, though I've been watching True Blood and there are both good and bad things to be said about it... but that will be for another post. 

Anyway, I may have to resolve my issues with romance at some point, because the fact that my dislike of the genre has to do with an extreme reaction to a pressure imposed by society is also something that disturbs me. I don't want to be defined by what others think I should like, but I also do not want to be defined by a reaction to what others think I should like. Is this making any sense? Nevermind, anyway, it's not the purpose of this entry though it's related.

So I went to see Twilight to the theater the other night, because I really wanted to understand what the fuss was all about (what with the trailer making the movie look so cheesy and mushy)... and well, it was pretty and all but I was still puzzled after viewing the film, so I decided to borrow the audiobook from a friend. This is how much I am *trying* and *willing* to understand.

Let me say this for the audiobook. Ilyana Kadushin offered a wonderful reading of the novel. Her slightly hoarse voice gived a very sensuous edge to some of the dialogues between Bella and Edward and also to Bella's descriptions of Edward... although I got really tired of hearing how much of a godlike creature he was *rolls eyes*. Were all those repetitions really necessary? Anyway, the twelve hours of audio went by quickly. I think the author's style perfectly lends itself to the audio format, the writing being overall clear, consise and engaging. I'll admit to having been entertained though I knew the story, having seen the movie a few days before. Still, I'm surprised it's gotten so much attention. It's okay, fairly interesting, but it's certainly not groundbreaking or addictive. Again, I may be biased (see my previsouly explained issues with romance). I will probably borrow the rest of the series from my friend, but it's definetely not something I'll re-read or go all fangirly about.

This isn't going to be a book review per say. I'm not going to summarize the book. I think I was probably that last person on the planet having not read them. This will merely be me rambling trying to comprehend!

Now there were elements in the books that I appreciated and to my understanding, that did not just happen to be there by coincidence. Bella is depicted as your traditional teennager: awkward, outcast, shy, introvert, more comfortable with books than with people, clumsy beyond help, used to fend for herself. Hey, I can totally identify with that and probably so can most people (teens or no teens). 

In Twilight, Bella is very much a damsel in distress though she tries to fight against it, demanding that Edward change her so that they can be "equals". I appreciate that, I really do, but it feels like Edward is happy to maintain her as his innocent, fragile little thing. Would he like her as much if she were to become a vampire? In this first novel, it feels like it wouldn't be the case. When he said things like "it's all in the leading" (I may be misquoting here but it's something along those lines), even though he was refereing to dancing, it irked to no ends. It felt like he was herding Bella, wanting her to go in a specific direction, in a gentler way than the guys from Port Angeles, but to a same result nevertheless. 

Bella challenges him constantly and I'll admit my preference went to the parts of the novel when she did, rather than those where she swore him eternal submission love.

There is that part in the movie, around the time James catches Bella's scent; soon after, Edward rushes her to the car and wants to buckle her seatblet and in the movie, she protests, saying she can do it herself. I was glad she did, it felt so silly these moments when he went all mummy on her. In the book, Emmet is the one who buckles her up on Edward's order. She doesn't protest but later one, she's the one who comes up with a sensible plan and that was a nice proof that she didn't want to be lead around and treated as a doll. 

These were part of the many hints at a certain, dare I say,  feminist awareness left by Meyer. You can add to that the fact that Bella hesitates between reading Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility (I don't want to turn this into a discussion about Jane Austen and feminism so let's got there please), or the subject of her essay: mysogeny in Shakespeare's MacBeth. 

I could see all those elements and how they were made to depict Bella as a self aware, challenging and strong character... and yet it didn't work. It's not the fact that she fell love that ruined it for me, it's the way Edward treats her that bothers me. So okay, he's this god like creature with a smirk that sends butterflies in everyone's stomach, he has this chilvalry thing straight out of another century, but that's doesn't justify his attitude at all. Even when Bella is lying, dying on the floor of the ballet studio, Carlisle tells Edward "it's your decision" when really it's not. It's Bella's! She should be free to decide what to do with her own life, shouldn't she? 

Now I suppose the question could be: is Edward protective of her because she's human or because she's female? I strongly suppose that it's a bit of both. This pattern in those vampire-human relationships in which the male is the vampire and therefore almost always have the upper hand, bothers me (True Blood, I'm looking at you). I would have liked for it to be the other way around and have the man be the fragile one and the female the strong one and still, somehow I'm sure if such a story were to exist, it wouldn't emphasize so much the differences between the two protagonists and have one dominate the other. (If such a book does exist, please let me know, I'd be eager to check it out if it's not Anne Rice material).

I'm going to cut this rambling, but before that, I need to add one more thing. I found it hard to relate to the other female characters in the book. Rosalie and Bella's friends at school were so one-dimensional and cliched, it was infuriating. Don't even get me started on Bella's mother. The only exception was perhaps Alice who was the one character I found interesting. 

As always I may be reading too much into this but overall, I have this sense the Bella and Edward's relationship illustrates the oppression of women by men and how some women try to buy time and work within the boundaries imposed by patriarchy to achieve some sort of freedom. Can such women win in the end? I'll read the rest of the series to see what happens in the hope that Bella's character gets this chance. 

Eager for comments as I know many of you are fans of this series. Like I said, I liked, though parts made me sick, I tried to focus on the positive elements of the novel. I understand how it could appeal to a great number of readers but really, I'm not so sure it deserved all the attention it's getting. 

Author: Laura Gallego Garcia
Title: La Maldicion del Maestro (Book Two of Las Cronicas de la Torre)
Genre: Fantasy
Original publisher: SM
First published: 2002

French Title: La Malédiction du Maître
French Publisher: Baam! (J'ai Lu)
Translation Published:  2008
Translator: Faustina Fiore

No American edition as far as I can tell. 

Second book in the series, second book I've read in Spanish and I want more! The events of book two take place between 10 and 15 years after the conclusion of book one.

Dana is the Mistress of the Tower. She is in charge of four students. Salamandra is the newest addition to the Tower. She is a young and impulsive creature who has a thing for mysterious elf-wolf Fenris ever since he saved her from the stake... though she probably could have done that herself. Let's just say that her name Salamandra is a name she's chosen for herself and not the one her parents gave her.

Following Maritta's death, Kai briefly visits Dana to warn her of the soon to come revenge of her old Master. Dana is split between finding a way to keep Kai by her sides and her duty as Mistress of the Tower to protect her students and her school.

But an elven powerful witch who has been entrusted the security and education of spoiled though talented elven princess, Nawin, visits the Tower. This only mean one thing for Dana: further complications.

I enjoyed this book more than I did the first one in the series. Gallego Garcia abandons Dana's sometimes flat character to explore the new members of the school, especially Salamandra who is nothing like her Mistress. This character brings a bit more spice to the overall series.

Additionally, certain revelations are made: we learn a bit more about Fenris's past.

If you've enjoyed the first one, this second one will also fulfill your expectations. A fantastic, light and fast paced read. Recommended to younger readers.

Author: Pierre Bordage
Title: Les Portes de l'Occident (Book One of the series Wang)
Genre: Science Fiction
Original Publisher: L'Atalante
First Published: 1997

Wang, Les portes de l'Occident is an enthralling fast-paced futuristic novel offering an in-depth look at current social and geopolitical issues. Pierre Bordage's engaging prose introduces his readers to a possible future evolution of our civilization in which the Western world has achieved considerable technological progress and political stability by completely severing its ties with Southern and Eastern countries. Thus, the West remains apart from the Great Nation of Islam (G.N.I.), the Sino-Russian Republic (S.R.R.) and South America (Amsud).

These countries have undergone a complete regression, eliminating nearly all technology under the pressure of tyrannical governments and religious authorities. Hence, Southerners and Easterners live in total poverty, struggling daily to provide enough food, water and heat for their families and themselves. Meanwhile, Westernes have become an elderly population maintained alive and good-looking thanks to numerous surgical interventions, and who experience the better part of life through sensors. Happy behind the Electro-magnetic wall (EMW), Westerners enjoy a carefree life of virtuality, opulence and complete hygiene, unconcerned by the needs of their neighbors.

Wang is a young Chinese, living in Grand-Wroclaw, Silesia, with his grandmother. Much like the rest of the cities of the S.R.R., Grand-Wroclaw is a ghetto ruled by gangs among which that of Assöl, the Mongolian, who maintain law and order by killing, raping and tyrannizing the population. In order to provide for his grandmother, Wang is forced to steal from Assöl. Repercussions are not long to come. Wang is left with a choice: join Assöl to repay his debt or die. Grandmamma Lo refuses to see her grandson become a murderer and a rapist and so, she urges him to join the masses of immigrants hoping to go beyong the EMW. Wang finally agrees but rumor has it that the West only opens its gate every few years to collect immigrants as slaves or organ donnors. But something else altogether awaits Wang in the West... He is to participate in the Uchronic Games (who have long since replaced the Olympic Games), during which the greatest Western strategies face one another, reenacting historical battles, through virtual armies they command thanks to transmitters directly implanted into their brains. The battles are broadcast throughout the Western world and they are all virtual but for the final one. 

If you want more, I have a four page summary of the novel that goes quite into details that I had to write for an essay this semester. Pierre Bordage is one of France's leading fantasy and science fiction writers and it really is a shame that no English or American publisher has ever taken on the challenge of introducing him to an english speaking readership. 

This was a fabulous compelling read. More than just being a display of excellent characterization and engaging prose, or just an action packed page turner, Bordage has written a reflection on nowadays society's definition of humanity and tolerance. A fulfilling read on more than one level, Les Portes de l'Occident is a wonderful cautionnary tale blending military science fiction and post apocalytic themes. 

Those of you who read French should really give this series a try. 

That's it for now. Oh, and my books have arrived ;-)

Author: Laura Gallego Garcia
Title: El Valle de los Lobos (Book One of Las Cronicas de la Torre)
Genre: Fantasy
Original Publisher: SM
First Published: 2000

French Title: La Vallée de Loups
French Publisher: Baam! (J'ai Lu)
Translation Published: 2008
Translator: Faustina Fiore

American Title: Valley of the Wolves
American Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Translation Published:2006
Translator: Margaret Sayers Peden

This is the first novel I've ever read in Spanish, so this was somewhat of a personal challenge. I'm glad to say that I read all of its 317 pages (and that doesn't include the pages in my dictionary) in less than a week. It just might be back on speaking terms with Spanish. Anyway I am very eager to read the rest of the trilogy as well as the prequel. 

Everyone knew that Dana was different though they all treated her the same as everyone else. She never played much with others, spending most of her time on her own... or rather with her friend Kai that no one else seems aware of. One day, a wizard of the first order comes to take her away from her family and farmer's life to have her attend the famous school of witchcraft of The Tower. Dana's world changes forever a she begins to understand just how special she is and that things aren't always what they seem.

A traditional children's fantasy book the likes of many and yet a very entertaining read all the way through. The main plot and various subplots as well the general pace of the book could easily have made it a young adult novel. The writing however makes it pretty clear that it is a book aimed at a younger audience... which is all very well because otherwise I wouldn't have picked it up in Spanish. The vocabulary is purposefully limited and pretty accessible.

Nevertheless, the trilogy is a bestseller in Spain and as far as I know, it's been translated in French and English. It's a wonderful and touching fantasy tale which will not fail to delight young readers. While the book's premises are typical of traditional fantasy (wizards, unicorns, elves, dwarfs, etc.), it's overall different enough to grab the reader's attention to the very last page.

Recommended for young readers.

Now really it's not my fault. I've been holding back for months! I really tried you see. I *really* did... 

And I just blew it all today... Amazon kept sending me emails and kat_nic 's just post a review of the Lies of Locke Lamora reminding how much I'd loved this book and looked forward to reading its sequel... and really after the crappy Christmas holiday I've just had, I need, no I mean I NEED some comfort... it's okay, isn't? It's only three books. Three books I've been wanting to read for ages (okay, a year? maybe less... still, it *felt* like ageS).

For those for whom this post makes no sense: I've just made an amazon order for books... again... YES AGAIN!!!

I hope my bank account will survive and I hope my shelves will forgive me... it's not just me you see, I have to take them into account too!

Kathryn, I hope you are aware that this is all your fault! ;-)

Oh and so this post isn't entirely useless, the books are: Red Sea Under Red Skies (Scott Lynch), Ragamuffin (Tobias S. Buckell) and The Name of the Wind (Patrick Rothfuss)... too lazy to put links, go find them yourselves, I have a paper to write, a bank account to nurse and shelves to mentally prepare, 'kay? I'm a busy girl.

Like always, loads of reviews behind... I'll get to them... eventually... some day... maybe... bye now.