Dominique Fabre (1) (1960–)

My Life as Edgar by Dominique Fabre and translated by Anna Lehmann is an interesting look at the world through the eyes of a child who is considered "different" by the world around him.

I have only read one other book by Fabre and for me this one did not measure up. The frustrating part is that I can't quite put my finger on why. It is a child's perspective, so I wasn't bothered by what interested him or how he perceived things. I did care about him, though not as much as I would have expected after spending so much time in his head. Ultimately I think I simply wasn't offered, or at least didn't take away, any lasting thoughts that might have changed my life or perspective.

What I guess I expected was to gain some insight, some pearls of wisdom, whether from Edgar's actual pondering or from my adult reception of his thoughts. But it seemed like most everything just left me thinking I was following someone's life without anything in it for me. And if there isn't something in a book for a reader (entertainment, new ideas or perspectives, even a deep glimpse of a different way of life) then why read it? What I took away kept me from being too negative, there were moments that gave me pause and made me think about things. But those moments were never built upon and I fell back into just following along. Admittedly this could just be a disconnect between me and the book rather than something specifically about the book. But there it is.

I would, selectively, recommend this book. In fact, I have a couple people in mind who I think would really like it. I just wouldn't go to everyone I know and suggest it.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (meer)

A slow, musing, sweet read. I have come to the conclusion that all novels set in Paris require that the reader keep a street map of the city at hand, as the geography is always detailed: streets, avenues, train stations, parks, squares... Fabre gives us other neighborhoods many Parisian novels do not: the 17th arrondissement, not the 1st or the 7th, peopled by ordinary working folks - office workers, nurses, students, middle-aged divorced people living - and trying to make sense of - ordinary lives. There is little Drama with a capital D here: an aging single man, trying to figure out whether the curtain is coming down on his life, while wondering if F. Scott Fitzgerald was right about there being no second acts. Online dating, a young adult son about to fly the coop, and a couple of friends with whom he shares some history of a deteriorating neighborhood, downsizing, divorce, depression. That's about it. But it turns out to be enough, after all. One friend - the one they worried about - makes it out in one piece. The other is stable and content. He and his son talk. A date grows into friendship and more. And yes, they still live in Paris where you can find a bar for a coffee or a drink within a few steps almost anywhere. Another little gem from New Vessel Press.… (meer)