22 August 2014

Book Review: Invisible Love by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt


Whew.  It's been so long since I've written a book review that I've been putting it off.  Seriously. Not since April--I just checked.  I've blogged a lot of bookish things since then, and I did several posts in the readalong for Caitlin Moran's forthcoming novel, How to Build a Girl, but an actual book review?  Nope.  This is embarrassing, and for those of you who come to this site looking for bookish things, I extend my apologies.

I'm an unabashed fiction reader, through and through, and while I love to read novels, I don't pay as much attention to short stories.  Oh, I might read one or two story collections a year and the occasional stand alone story in a publication like The New Yorker, but most of the time I really prefer to sink my teeth into a book and become immersed in its world. Let's face it, good short stories are more difficult to write than good novels--at least from this reader's perspective, since good short story collections seem a bit scarce on the ground, whereas good novels are being published every day. However, if all short story collections were as good as Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt's book, Invisible Love, I would soon change my reading habits.

Every single story in this collection was very good, and a couple of them verged on excellent, but one of them?  Ahhh, one of them was nothing short of sheer perfection. The first story, "Two Gentlemen From Brussels," tells the twin narratives of two couples. One young couple is getting married in the town cathedral to much fanfare, whilst in the back, two men secretly murmur the young couple's wedding vows to each other, sealing their union under God, if not in the eyes of the state. The men take a proprietary interest in the young couple's relationship and guard over it, keeping watch over the baby they produce as the young boy grows up, showering him with treats and honoring him as a child they could never have themselves.

In another story, "Ménage À Trois,"  the young widow of a musician becomes increasingly convinced that her new husband has an unhealthy obsession with her dead husband's original music.  Uncomfortable, she goes about her life feeling like her marriage bed is a bit crowded, sandwiched between her current husband and the ghost of her first one.

It's the story called simply "The Dog" that broke my heart wide open and made me appreciate anew just how much emotional ground one short story can cover.  I'm not sure I've ever read a piece of Holocaust literature than has moved me more.  An old man kills himself within a week after his beloved dog dies, and his daughter and only friend are left to piece together the old man's history, which is quite different from what he's always told his daughter.  I think any reader would appreciate this story, but if you're an animal lover, and in particular a dog lover, I think this story will completely undo you. To say more would be to spoil, so I'll just say this: "The Dog" is, I think, the best short story I have ever read. If it's not the best, then it ties for first place with Annie Proulx's "Brokeback Mountain," which I haven't read since it was first published in The New Yorker seventeen years ago.  No other short stories have their equal for emotional heft.

These stories are exquisite little gems of literature that are full of philosophy and quiet moments of epiphany, those moments when the story pivots in the reader's mind to cast an entirely new slant of light on what has just been read. Each one left me with a sigh of satisfaction and contentment, but also a little bit slack-jawed with amazement that so much could be accomplished with such efficiency -- the longest story is only fifty pages. If you value fine writing and the remarkable execution of a difficult craft, this is a book you should purchase right away.

I don't make sweeping proclamations very often, but I will say this: Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt is the finest short story writer of our time.  I wish more of his books were translated into English, but thanks to Europa Editions, this is his fifth book available to readers like me.

NB: This book was provided at my request by my sales rep.

7 comments:

  1. Wow, this sounds great. I read short stories every once in a while and it sounds like this is one I should add to my list!

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  2. Wow, what an endorsement. FANTASTIC and you better bet your little britches that I will read this collection, but maybe NOT the dog story. I don't think I can cry another dog-story tear in this lifetime.

    If it is ok with you I will print this out for my Cambria Writers' Workshop meeting on Wednesday. This will be great for all the short story writers and anyone who just loves to read.

    Cheers,
    Sharon

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    1. Well, the dog story is the best one. It's as close to perfect as any short story I've ever read. Hope your workshop friends like it i they end up picking it up.

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  3. Ahhh! I've read Odette Toulemonde et autres histoires because I was super-into the actress who played Odette in the film version, but THIS SOUNDS REALLY GOOD and I'm so glad he's getting recognition over here. All hail the Schmitt

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    1. What?! There's a film based on one of his books? Er, presumably one of his stories, not entire book. Didn't know that. Just looked it up on imdb and the english version of that book was The Most Beautiful Book in the World. Now I will add that to my Netflix queue. Thanks for the tip!

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  4. I agree with you at least 200% about how short stories have GOT to be harder to write than novels because it is SO HARD to find a good collection of short stories. And I like short stories so hooray that this collection is good!! And I mean, this could not be a better endorsement. Yes, I'll need to read this.

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Please, sir, may I have some more? (Comments, that is!)