Caprices de la chair by Jean Ferniot (review)

FERNIOT, JEAN. Caprices de la chair. Paris: Grasset, 2011. ISBN 978-2-246-77071-8. Pp. 235. 18 a. The seventeen stories in this collection follow the traditional schema of the short story genre: the narrator focuses on a specific incident or theme that is developed with a fair amount of suspense and concludes with an ending that usually comes about as a surprise. Although the thematic fabric differs, these short stories all present a portrait of the human condition that is bleak, grim, and even at times tragic. Evil tends to prevail and less noble aspects of mankind are emphasized. For the most part, these stories plunge the reader into a fictional world of murder, deception, treachery, revenge, and brutality. In some, it is a question of murder among spouses or relatives, or of malevolent individuals who attempt to outwit or betray others out of a desire for revenge or greed; other stories tell of how individuals consumed or governed by their own selfishness succeed in following their own narcissistic paths. Little trust exists among characters who rarely manifest respect for the rules of society or for those of religion, whose dicta exist only to be mocked or exploited or interpreted subjectively. In “Caprices de la chair”, a young priest, frustrated, lonely, and spent by sacerdotal duties, seeks help from a retired priest reputed for his benevolence. The latter tells the young man not to expect anything from God. Shocked but somehow enlightened , the distraught clergyman finds consolation in the arms of a prostitute. In the eyes of the elderly curate, the young man has done well and needs not repent , for God’s work has been accomplished: “Disons plutôt que cette fille et toi avez accompli une œuvre qui plaît à Dieu. Tu as un moment perdu ton âme pour en sauver une autre” (22). If these stories present a vision of the human condition that is fairly disconsolate , they are often counterpoised by comic or satirical elements that produce hilarity and lightness, leaving the reader with a sense of relief. For example, “Plus qu’un oiseau” provides some preposterously amusing scenes, depicting the escapades of a hyperactive and ingenious magpie who never ceases to captivate the clients of a local restaurant and who even interferes with the owner’s personal life. The descriptions of the characters, because they are exaggerations more often than not, border on caricatures, thus bringing to the stories a comical dimension undercutting their otherwise serious content. These descriptions are sometimes sustained by a wide-ranged vocabulary, a combination of the literary and the vernacular often interlaced with sophisticated if not farfetched culinary references. As the following example from “S’implanter” illustrates, this can very well elicit laughter: “Après avoir piaffé deux mois durant, Olivier Laplanche se trouve devant un homme corpulent, manches de chemise retroussées sur des avant-bras velus, un Gascon cuisiné à l’ail et à la graisse d’oie, qui roule les R comme son gave natal les cailloux” (108). This work makes for enjoyable reading. Ferniot is a master at manipulating the resources of the French language. The coexistence of humor, irony, and tragedy intensifies the dramatic nature of the narratives. Prevalent throughout is the element of suspense that constantly keeps the reader on edge. University of Southern Maine Lucia A. DiBenedetto Reviews 219 ...