The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 31 July 1998
by Michel Butor
In the spirit of James Joyce and Dylan Thomas, French nouveau roman author, Butor paints a portrait of himself in his youth as a developing young philosopher and alchemist. Taking place during and after the World War 2 occupation of France, there are layers of mystery and chaos. Young Butor attaches himself to a coterie of philosophers and eventually takes an apprenticeship in Germany at the feet of an eccentric count, the caretaker of the second largest private library in Germany, and solitaire enthusiast. As fascinating as that sounds, Butor applies a peculiarly surreal and impressionistic style to the tale. He interweaves his discovery of books and artefacts in the library, with a dreamy tale of enchantment and vampires. The book is artfully crafted, with reality and fantasy often hard to discern. It is, at times, impossible to unravel the young author's obsessions and discoveries. The reader can get lost in a twisted labyrinth of language and story. Definitely keep a dictionary handy.
Also by Butor: [Passing Time] [The Spirit of Mediterranean Places]