La belle étoile par Jean Védrines (review)

something wonderful, and how we often sabotage the happiness we have: no matter. We are here for but a small stay, so how does any of it actually impact us? Millburn H.S. (NJ), emerita Davida Brautman VÉDRINES, JEAN. La belle étoile. Paris: Fayard, 2010. ISBN 978-2-213-64427-1. Pp. 352. 19 a. La belle étoile initially appears as a sensitive portrayal of the post-World War II era of France told through the eyes of Giovan, a twelve-year-old boy whose family fled to France from Italy when he was seven years old. Thus, at first, the reader may expect the novel to treat in depth the reason for the family’s departure from Italy, particularly since Gioachino, Giovan’s father, was a steelworker who fought in the Resistance in Italy and who, from 1946 to 1947, wanted to continue the civil war against the bourgeoisie. However, this is not the case. Instead we are treated to a narrative of Giovan’s frustration with not understanding why his family left Italy and with why his parents are insistent that he learn the French language well. The novel is divided fairly evenly into three parts (the first section has nine chapters, the second seven, and the third eight). The first section sets the tone for the novel. It opens with Giovan following his father through a train station and ending up at a rally meeting of sorts for those wanting Gioachino’s support for a communist-leaning movement. Yet the narrative quickly changes focus to a linguistic one, that is to say, Giovan’s struggles with the French language. For example, the following discussion between Giovan and Moustache, one of Gioachino’s fellow workers at the factory, reveals the importance of language for assimilation to a new culture: [M]ais il sert à quoi, ce bâton de fer? [...] Oh, l’innocent! Un “bâton de fer”! On peut pas dire une chose pareille... Qu’est-ce qu’il t’apprend donc, ton père, en français? Un bâton se taille dans une bonne branche, du bois dur, de l’arbre vif, tandis que le fer, l’acier, c’est du métal, de la fusion, tout ce qui est coulé, fabriqué aux usines Saint-Jacques, dans la basse ville. (44) The second section continues with Giovan’s efforts to comprehend the family ’s hasty departure from Italy. He asks everyone, especially his father’s co-workers . But no one is able to answer his questions and he only collects small nuggets of information about the family’s history, opening up the doors for more unsolved mysteries. The third section culminates with Giovan’s interaction with his older brother Pietro, who is also trying to figure out why his family left Italy so quickly. It is Pietro who, in an attempt to understand what his father refuses to share with him and Giovan, turns to revolutionary literature. However, one morning in 1968, when the workers occupy the factory where their father works, Gioachino is forced to re-enter the arena of controversy, finally making it possible for Giovan and Pietro to begin to grasp the consequences of their family’s history. Although La belle étoile is more of a portrait of an immigrant family than a depiction of life and political unrest in post-World War II France, it does have a certain appeal. Moments, such as for example, when Giovan contends with learning the Reviews 797 French language under the watchful eye of his parents, as well as learning to find his own voice as he matures into a young man, will appeal most to French language teachers. Canisius College (NY) Eileen M. Angelini YERGEAU, PIERRE. Conséquences lyriques. Montréal: Québec-Amérique, 2010. ISBN 9782 -7644-0762-2. Pp. 338. $24,95 Can. C’est un roman déconcertant. Un roman tout court? Non pas! L’attente du lecteur qui tourne les premières pages d’un roman, n’est-elle pas de pénétrer l’intimité des personnages qu’il va rencontrer, de devenir témoin de leur vie quelle que soit l’époque et le climat social, politique...