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Les sentiments by Agnès Michaux

2012; American Association of Teachers of French; Volume: 85; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/tfr.2012.0425

2329-7131

Nathalie G. Cornelius,

French Literature and Critical Theory

work, as in a passage where Lucie views her mother’s cancer with childlike jealousy : “[l]a maladie est sa plus tendre amie [...] ma rivale” (70). At times, though, Ledoux delves so deeply into the narrator’s grief that she dwells on details many readers will not find all that significant—like the fact that her mother’s name, Lise, is a subjunctive form of the verb lire, “une action envisagée,” whereas her own nickname, Lu, is a past participle, “un mode dit impersonnel” (90). This connection is not particularly developed. Nor is the sudden appearance, in the novel’s penultimate chapter, of a tripartite, sub-section-like structure, whose parts are numbered in both Greek and French. But in the end most readers will find this novel surprisingly well-wrought, not to mention incredibly moving, for its compact size. University of Wisconsin, Madison Ritt Deitz MICHAUX, AGNÈS. Les sentiments. Paris: Flammarion, 2010. ISBN 978-2-0812-4349-1. Pp. 232. 18 a. Despite the title’s reference to sentimentality, the subject matter of Les sentiments is firmly grounded in historical fact. Even when writing fiction, Agnès Michaux, a reporter for Canal+, uses a documentary style. Michaux’s retelling of the onset and aftermath of an affair between Marilyn Monroe and Yves Montand combines verified fact with fictitious episodes which humanize the complicated relationships that existed between Monroe, Montand, Simone Signoret, and Arthur Miller. The novel seeks to contrast the world of artifice demanded by the cult of celebrity, as the author puts it, with elusive personal authenticity, particularly shown in the character of Monroe. Cameos and cultural references to the time period give the novel realism and credibility, as do interspersed examples of correspondence such as a letter from Miller to George Cukor or a telegram from Marlon Brando to Monroe. The narrative style is direct, alternating character descriptions , action, and natural dialogue. Specific fragments are the pretext to explore the characters’ psyches, and reveal their fears and insecurities. Chapter headings, like the novel’s title, summarize not the incidents described within them, but their dominating emotions. A heated dispute between Monroe and her husband is titled la rage, and Monroe’s frustration and feelings of abandonment in a mental hospital, l’épuisement. The pivotal consummation of the affair, which changes the lives of the protagonists, appears twice with slight variations . At the beginning the chapter’s title is le bonheur and, in the middle of the novel, it is le vertige. However, the repetition, while indicating the importance of the occurrence, and at times shifting the perspective from Monroe to Montand, does not bring any new pertinent information. Michaux’s prose effectively maps the characters’ changing emotional states, particularly the rise and fall of Marilyn’s optimism during this brief period in her life, and the heartbreak, from which it is implied, she never completely recovers. Isolated moments of poetry emphasize the poignancy of the characters’ experiences . Monroe’s unforgettable smile is, for a departing Yves Montand, “posé comme un ruban de satin rose sur un cœur désespéré ” (164). This charming phrase read once, however, becomes maudlin on repetition, a recurring stylistic issue that detracts from the novel’s focus. Monroe’s gift to Signoret, a foulard through which Reviews 599 Signoret despondently stares as she recalls Monroe’s friendship and Montand’s infidelity , is a metaphor for the impact of the affair, “ une sorte de filtre, une trame imperceptible qui venait se superposer aux choses et rendait tout différent” (170). Some chapters are effective at evoking how the protagonists could have felt, such as L’amour fou where Monroe and Montand spend a night together incognito. However, the choice of illustrious names to populate a novel brings an expectation , if not an obligation, to reveal something new. Les sentiments is a fiction that is inseparable from fact, or at least preexisting legend. Marilyn remains the insecure, frustrated starlet whose sexual freedom and drug use fail to extricate her from an existence of artifice and exploitation. Despite the protagonist’s protests that she is a good actress who always has to play a part, the Monroe in the novel is still...