Mody, a tormented writer lacking inspiration, is mysteriously contacted by an old man to write the story of his life: his love affair with Solange. Chronicle of a successful series transposed into a novel, with a backdrop of murder and pop music seventies.
At first reluctant to write the memoirs of a dying man, Adrien, known by his pen name Mody, soon becomes intrigued by the story of this illustrious stranger, who comes to him with the idea of writing down his love affair with Solange. Seemingly taciturn and quiet, Albert Desiderio reveals in the course of the recordings that he and Solange had formed a couple of serial killers which took place every summer in 1970s France. The first murder was an accident, the subsequent ones carefully planned. Their relationship was as fusional as it was complex, and above all, totally out of control. Yet they never seemed to falter.
In the summer months, Solange and Albert went on vacation, crisscrossing the roads and committing murder after murder; the rest of the year, they were a quiet, model couple, working in their own hairdressing salon. And the more the memories recounted by old Albert Desiderio accumulate, the more Mody furiously lets off steam on his keyboard, laying down this text as if he were fighting in a ring. For he's beginning to realize that the story Albert tells him is not unlike his own.
No skimping on haemoglobin
Initially, Black butterflies, is a frenzied whodunit in the form of a six-episode series, broadcast on Arte and Netflix, which turns into a psychological drama, probing the impulses of the characters. Whether it's the couple Albert and Solange or Adrien Winckler, no one hesitates to give free rein to their violence, even if it means having to wipe away the traces of blood afterwards. But this deafening violence is never gratuitous, creating an atmosphere heavy with unspoken words and revelations that turn the plot and the viewer on their head.
«I'm telling you dates, names, places, I'm describing scenes with details, but that's not what's essential. What's essential is what was going on in our heads, and that can't be told. You have to experience it to understand it. That's where your talent comes in, Adrien. It's up to you to transcribe all that, to imagine it, to immerse yourself in it, to feel it. That's why I called on you.»
Visually, the series is a true delight! The retro grain and disco music magnetize all the action. See Black butterflies, To read the book is to plunge into a boisterous, acidulous atmosphere, to the rhythm of a plot made up of secrets and excesses, to swing through flashbacks in pop, sunny hues, in stark contrast to the darkness of souls and their crimes. But does reading the book mean finding that same tempo?
There's one last surprise in this series, which is full of twists and turns: the book Mody writes throughout the six episodes is now available in bookshops. While it's quite usual to see films adapted from novels, the opposite is far more surprising. Especially since this is not the story transposed to the screen, but rather that of Albert and Solange, as written by Mody. All that remains is to find out whether the text published by Le Masque is up to the standard of the series...
Less blood on paper, but the same music?
From the very first pages, the nervous, jerky writing makes us feel the throbbing rhythm of the series. The oral style is powerful and immediately endears the two protagonists; the succession of images plunges us back into this almost psychedelic frenzy. Behind the «Mody» cover is Gabriel Katz, author of some 30 novels in the shadows, as well as several fantasy books, thrillers and even comic strips.
The paper version of Black butterflies has far fewer scenes gore than its sordid counterpart: it focuses more on the sometimes contradictory feelings that cement Albert and Solange's relationship, and explores the triad of jealousy, desire and revenge. With reason sometimes floating above! While the beginning of the novel is very convincing, and the melody that made the series so catchy and addictive can be found again, the narration slows down in the last third of the book and ends up a little fishy...
The initial concept was most intriguing and promising: to be able to hold in your hands a text written by a fictional character, what a brilliant mise en abyme! Especially after having been totally won over by the series. Unfortunately, the novel is not as striking and lacks surprises. Nevertheless, it's not just a goodie and it's fun to follow the whimsical story of these Bonnie and Clyde of the seventies. Minus the electrifying side of disco.
Write to the author: quentin.perissinotto@leregardlibre.com
Photo credit: © Quentin Perissinotto for Le Regard Libre
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Gabriel Katz
Black butterflies
The Mask
2022
270 pages
French 
German 
English