Literature

Dive into the murky world of «Bleu calypso».»

3 reading minutes

written by Lauriane Pipoz · 08 October 2019 · 0 comment

Dive into the murky world of «Bleu calypso»

Tuesday's books - Lauriane Pipoz

Calypso Blue, a whodunit written and set in a cabin south of Montpellier, is a singular blend of delightful descriptions and twists and turns. Mixing wild life and dynamic investigation, it follows Niels, a fisherman, as he plunges deep into the investigation of a series of murders. A little in spite of himself, and a little in spite of his character's lack of subtlety.

«The kayak had an ideal drift. The northerly wind was pushing it at one or two knots, in the direction of a vast weed bed, just at the entrance to the pass. Without making a sound, I slid the paddle under the canvas seat so it wouldn't get in the way, then grabbed my rod. I knew that wolves were posted in that bundle of green seaweed, ready to leap into the light like spring-loaded devils bursting from their boxes. It was the beginning of spring.»

From the very opening of the detective novel, we are plunged into Niels' world. The author skilfully depicts nature in a polished, soothing style. The wild life of his main character is recounted over several pages, which the reader can devour with pleasure. This pleasant characteristic is repeated many times throughout the rest of the book: the world of fishing and life away from the hustle and bustle of the city seems to be familiar music to Charles Aubert's ears.

So be sure, fans of beautiful descriptions and curiosity in general, to learn a lot about the catch and release - the «ethical fishing» practice of releasing caught fish, the life of fish after being wounded by a hook or even Japanese green tea: from the precision of the information contained in this story, the author seems to have shared some of his interests with his main character, and has the talent to pass them on to us.

A few redundancies

While these characteristics give us the pleasant impression of listening to a story conveyed to us in a direct and natural way, they are perhaps taken a little too far in certain passages. The oral style, which is very welcome when inserted skilfully and in short bursts into long tirades, when the reader is deeply caught up in the vivid nature of the story's descriptions, falls awkwardly when it is too present in the dialogue. Yes, the setting of the story does impose a particular register of language, but this is in stark contrast to some of the lines, which are too sustained to be natural.

This brings us to what I consider to be the major flaw in this story: perhaps in an attempt to convey the main character's thoughts as faithfully as possible, certain redundancies punctuate the narrative. Firstly, the repetitive expression of Niels' desire not to take part in the investigation; we understood from the first that he was taking part in this quest against his will... And for the beautiful blue eyes of a journalist who, secondly, will prove to be a definite irritant for the main character, but also - and certainly even more so - for the reader.

The plot, while not incredibly surprising, is well-crafted and very pleasant to follow. The twists and turns appear at just the right moment, making for a very enjoyable read. We're immersed in Niels's world: if the pieces take a while to fit together and we don't fully understand the plot at first glance, it turns out to be full of carefully-crafted twists and turns. It's worth noting that, while not all the elements are given right from the start, the protagonists in the main character's inner circle are described in minute detail: we can follow the investigation at the same time as the main character - which will delight the most playful among us. Could it be that Charles Aubert's repetitive style, which may seem a little clumsy in some respects, is simply a corollary of his desire to place us as close as possible to his character?

Write to the author: lauriane.pipoz@leregardlibre.com