Thursday, February 03, 2022

Paris-Briançon by Philippe Besson

Paris-Briançon


by Philippe Besson is an unputtable-down book. His characters, twelve in total, leaving Paris for the final destination, Briançon, are wonderfully well portrayed in short chapters that define their existence, what they are searching at the moment and why they decide to leave Paris. Some of them are in the french capital just for a visit: other ones wants to reach Briançon for a new start after a heavy period in their life: a group of teenagers search for idealistic purposes, fun, love and adventure. This story sets in a train is incredibly well-written thanks also to the acute observations of the writer on life, situations and developments of the encounters. 

I love stories sets in closed spaces because of their intensity and because, in general, in these occasions people manifest who they are, speaking frankly with perfect strangers of sensitive topics that, in opposite case they wouldn't never reveal or tell to anyone.

People are set free from their discretion, because no one will express any judgement and the filter of the existence shared with a perfect stranger read by the second one with benevolence, curiosity and understanding.


When they arrive to the railway station for catching the train de la nuit, there is in their souls a bit of curiosity mixed with fear, surprise for the strangers that they will meet along their way, hoping that the night would be over soon, without traumas or problems of any genre.


An experience like this one, in a train de la nuit, is a revelation for some protagonists: they understand their real necessities and exigencies, and in some cases their inner desires.


The reader will also realize how an incident, it is a thematic unfortunately part of our peaceless world, will alter their future projects, ruining existences, destroying desires, building different paths.


Intense book, you'll love it!


I thank Editions Julliard for the physical copy of this book.


Anna Maria Polidori 







 




No comments: