Here is a new work of fiction by the always surprising Nothomb that subverts any attempts at categorization; a smart, singular, surreal novel about personality and philosophy, trauma and healing, solitude and human connection from one of Europe’s most talked about and beloved authors.
One morning, the heroine of this book, a well-known author named Amélie Nothomb, receives a letter from one of her readers–an American soldier stationed in Iraq by the name of Melvin Mapple. Horrified by the endless violence around him, Melvin takes comfort in over-eating. He eats and eats until his fat starts to suffocate him and he can barely fit into his XXXXL clothes. Disgusted with himself, but unable to control his eating, he takes his mind off his ever-growing bulk by naming it Scheherazade and pretending that his own flesh will keep an increasingly intolerable loneliness at bay.
Repulsed but also fascinated, Nothomb begins an exchange with Mapple. She finds herself opening up to him about her difficulties with being in the public spotlight and the challenges of her work. An epistolary friendship of sorts develops, one that delves into universal questions about human relationships. The bond between Mapple and Nothbomb will undergo a sea of change when the novelist discovers bizarre facts lurking behind Mapple’s complex personal story.
(From Publisher)
Amélie Nothomb was born in Japan of Belgian parents in 1967. She lives in Paris. Since her debut on the French literary scene a little more than a decade ago, Amélie Nothomb has published a novel a year, every year. Her edgy fiction, unconventional thinking, and public persona have combined to transform her into a worldwide literary sensation. Amélie’s books have been translated into thirty-nine languages and been awarded numerous prizes including the French Academy’s 1999 Grand Prix du Roman, the René-Fallet prize, the Alain-Fournier prize, and the Grand Prix Giono in 2008.
Alison Anderson’s translations for Europa Editions include Muriel Barbery’s bestseller The Elegance of the Hedgehog, and the Indie Bound bestseller, A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cossé.
Partly epistolary novel with a narrator named Amélie, who is almost indistinguishable from the author. The novel raises questions of war, dependence and the nature of writing and proves Nothomb’s originality.
| Author | Amélie Nothomb |
|---|---|
| Country | BE |
| Nominating Library | Croatia, Gradsku knjižnicu Rijeka |
| Publisher | Europa Editions, USA |
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