Thrown into the worldthe latest novel by Sylvestre Le Bon, tells the story of a man who finds himself on the bangs of society, ejected from a world where love no longer seems to have any meaning. As with each of his texts, the poet and novelist gives us the rare pleasure of reveling in elegant, generous and demanding language. Dominique Bellier
Sylvestre Le Bon’s novels offer the rare pleasure of discovering worlds through characters in search of meaning, in search of themselves, but it would be simplistic to see them as initiatory novels. If the introspective dimension of his main characters or narrators is always present, it is only to better observe the world around them. For, in journeying along the shores of marginality, they choose to question the world in order to live their their lives, displaying an impressive lucidity.
It all begins with a scene that’s as plausible as it is improbable… A company accountant, Daniel Leval, missed an important meeting at his office the day before because he collapsed following the accidental death of his cat. Stunned by this explanation, his boss is so obnoxious that our character becomes rude and violent. The result is the kind of masterful beating you’d dream of inflicting on those who are only human in their total insensitivity.
Daniel may become an outsider for the self-righteous petty bourgeoisie, but he gains in authenticity. He meets revealing characters he would otherwise never have met. He lives through trying situations such as prison and squatting, but this passionate photographer finally takes the time to look at the world. Through him, Sylvestre Le Bon puts today’s Mauritius under the microscope. His language is that of a man who thinks like a poet, but expresses himself here as a true novelist.
