When Jean Echenoz gives us a real literary treat

Tuesday's books - Ivan Garcia

With Life of Gérard Fulmard, takes the reader into the life of an overweight former steward, Gérard Fulmard, who becomes a private detective, investigating dissension within the FPI, a small political party. But our dear Fulmard, a broken arm and a bit of a simpleton, won't do his job without a struggle, and will learn the hard way that political intrigue comes at a price... especially when you're an extern. An avalanche of surprises and a tornado of laughter guaranteed!

After Special Envoy (2016), Jean Echenoz signs his literary return with an eighteenth novel in which he tackles the life of a little-known public figure, Gérard Fulmard. As the author the author of the story, «Gérard Fulmard's career has not been has not attracted enough public attention. Perhaps it was time to to outline it.» And so here we are, involved in the life of an anonymous a bit of a maverick, which quickly takes on the air of a tragi-comedy.

In the heart of sixteenth arrondissement of Paris, in an apartment on Rue Erlanger, lives a lives a strange character. Gérard Fulmard, a former air host who lost his civil rights lost his civil rights because of a murky affair on a Paris-Zurich flight, ponders his future in food. At the start of the novel, his favorite hypermarket just been reduced to mush by a falling Soviet satellite, our protagonist satellite, our protagonist ponders which refueling point is best suited to his needs. his needs. And what about his professional future? a piece of cake. 

Protagonist in search of employment

Fulmard, whose name name evokes the fulmar, the seabird that vomits on its predators. anti-hero. Overweight, lonely and average, our hero doesn't sell dreams, as he puts it. Attached to his small apartment on Rue Erlanger, he leaves it only to go shopping and to and to visit his beloved psychiatrist, Dr. Jean-François Bardot. Jean-François Bardot. In this well-adjusted daily routine, Fulmard could be anyone's neighbor. And perhaps that's why we become so attached to this strange bird. A «good guy», victim of life's misfortunes, surviving as best he can. survives as best he can.

«Apart from this name, I'm not sure I'm enviable: I look like anyone else, only worse. Below-average height and above-average weight, graceless physiognomy, studies limited to a patent, social life and income close to nothing, family reduced to nobody, I have very few assets, advantages or means.»

Determined to Gérard Fulmard launched his own handyman business, Fulmard Assistance. firm, Fulmard Assistance. At first, it was a flop. But a strange turn of events gave him the opportunity to step up his game and learn about the private detective profession. It's in front of his screen that the protagonist learns of the kidnapping of Nicole Tourneur, national secretary of the Fédération populaire indépendante (FPI). Distraught by the kidnapping, the party president, the mysterious Franck Terrail, is plunged into embarrassment.

Secretly in love with his daughter-in-law, the ravishing Louise Tourneur, Terrail is forced to confront internal divisions and power struggles, with a certain faction leader, Jean-Loup Mozzigonacci, seemingly pulling the strings behind the scenes. Through Dr. Bardot, a «secret» member of the FPI, Gérard Fulmard is asked to investigate Louise Tourneur, whose flesh he admires, and the mysterious Mozzigonacci. Faced with such big fish, will Fulmard succeed in his reconversion?

A novelist with a taste for detail

To lead the two voices interweave in the story. That of an omniscient narrator, omniscient and adept at digressions, and that of our protagonist protagonist, Gérard Fulmard, who also likes to gloss over trivial matters. A about specific subjects such as the frequency of satellite crashes, true to Echenoz's style. These interludes give the reader time to breathe to breathe, and help the reader get to know the characters better. And it has to be said, they're charismatic.

«[...] it's around a go grid that the brothers Apollodore and Ermosthène Nguyen confront each other: they try to replay the famous game known as "Go". des Oreilles rouges which saw Hon'inbō Shūsaku and Inoue Genan Inseki clash in Osaka, from September 11 to 15, 1846.»

Jean Echenoz possesses gift for characterization. With rather stereotypical names and specific details the author succeeds in creating characters that we like, that make us laugh that make you laugh and stay in your head. He is an observer of everyday life who, in his his wanderings, spotting places that then feed into his fiction. It's no coincidence that the protagonist lives on Rue Erlanger.

«I've got you by the balls»

In a recent interview for Le Temps, As Jean Echenoz once said, «Rue Erlanger is an unglamorous street, but it's full of strange happenings». And yes, it has been the scene of many strange happenings. In 1975, at 6 rue Erlanger, singer Mike Brant committed suicide. Gérard Fulmard recounts this story in the novel, as well as the horrific crime committed by the Japanese Issei Sagawa at 10 rue Erlanger in 1981, who murdered and then devoured a student. And now there's also Life of Gérard Fulmard which enriches this world of facts and fiction. Just goes to show that some Parisian streets are full of potential stories!

Finally, the author likes to reward his readers by scattering subtle references to his previous works. «I've got you by the balls», said a character in Special Envoy. In Life of Gérard Fulmard, This is the famous phrase uttered by a character to the protagonist, who has no choice but to obey. A nod to Echenoz's universe. In any case, short of «holding us by the balls», this new novel proves to be a real favorite. A must-read!

Photo credit: © Ivan Garcia

Write to the author: ivan.garcia@leregardlibre.com

Jean Echenoz
Life of Gérard Fulmard
2020
Les Editions de Minuit
235 pages