Philippe Besson

On reflection, this was a beautiful short read. I came very close to tears welling in my eyes, which for me is the equivalent of effusive weeping for regular schmucks. Ringwald's translation is sensitive and elegantly pitched; the whole affair is draped in a kind of fragile grace.
(My only complaint is both minimal and mundane, and directed at the translator, the one and only Ms. Molly Ringwald. I think we need to retire the use of the word "sex" as a noun describing the genitals. It's a little too... Lawrence Durrell.)… (mere)

Un soir d'été is the latest novel by Philippe Besson, published in January 2024. For the past four years, Besson has published a book every year, each time at the start of the new year. A number of Besson's novels seem to emanate or emulate upon the style of another author. Un soir d'été is much reminiscent of Marguerite Duras whose novel L'été 80 is referred to in the epigraph, recalling the long languid summers by the sea.

In Un soir d'été Philippe Besson has once more reinvented himself. Un soir d'été is the story of six teenagers, five boys and a girl. They're the best of friends, having grown up together. Through small details, brand names, things people used not to have, such as mobile phones or surveillance cameras, novels that came out or were popular, etc., the time of the story is clearly lodged in the 1980s. The reader is carefully drawn into that epoch.

The first part of the novel sets the scene, the halcyon days of long warm summers, life in a small village, a small band of quite ordinary teenagers. Everything is seen through the eyes of Philippe. 18-year old Philippe is sexually attracted to Marc, perhaps even to Francois, but this is hardly pronounced and sexuality plays virtually no role in Un soir d'été. It is funny that the young girl, Virginie, aged 13, sees through Philippe, even suggests he wants to get laid by Marc.

The second part of the novel is a real page-turner. The story takes a dark turn at a party, disco in the village near the coast. The events are not cleared up, but they form a lesson for Philippe. What is there for the reader is the realization of the connection between Philippe and Nicolas, a connection Philippe has hitherto not seen. It is typical of that period, that kindred sould were not aware of each other. The lone, unshared agony of not being understood, or being mobbed and teased, growing up in a small community.… (mere)