Les Corps Perdus

by François Gantheret

In a desert camp, a man is half-alive, at the bottom of a well. Around him are other men similarly imprisoned. Tamia, a young woman, hides behind rocks, waiting. Lost Bodies is both a heartbreaking love story, and a searing tale of terrorism and political repression in North Africa.

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Laetitia]

Elle ne vit que par le d�sir de retrouver son homme, Elijah� Lui survit dans l�espoir de sortir du puits pour retrouver l��tre humain qui est en lui�Mais que peut-on trouver apr�s tant d�ann�es pass�es � attendre, � esp�rer atteindre l�autre rive de son r�ve ?Ils vivent dans la perspective de retrouver ce qui a fait d�eux ce qu�ils sont. Mais est-ce vraiment une vie ? L�espoir fait-il vivre ?On ne sait pas vraiment o� on est, ni � quelle �poque, ni qui sont les v�ritables h�ros de cette histoire dure et cruelle. Mais on sait l�essentiel : les sentiments qui les animent, leurs terreurs, leurs incertitudes et les espoirs qui les portent. Une belle �criture soign�e et profonde mais qui a tendance � laisser le lecteur � l��cart, maintenir une certaine distance avec lui. Et l�auteur a bel et bien r�ussi � me tenir � distance� Mon avis sur ce roman est donc assez confus. Je me suis sentie � la fois impliqu�e dans leurs histoires et totalement �trang�re au cours des choses. Emotion de lectrice surprenante, je n'y suis pas habitu�e... je reste perplexe ! Et �a me pousse � d�couvrir cet auteur � travers d'autres ouvrages car son style m'a vraiment s�duite.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spare but evocative writing brings a clear vision of desert environment, the setting for the torment of
a prisoner who escapes captivity and is aided by a woman who is searching for a lover she believes is held in the same prison.
The relationship which develops between the two is fragile as they cross a severe landscape and although it becomes closer as they reach civilisation. The past envelops them leading to a disastrous end.
Brilliant writing reminding me of Camus's "The Stranger"

[Penda · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Lost Bodies we follow 2 characters during a time of heavy political repression as their stories intertwine.
It begins with Andres- a man who is half-alive in a desert camp at the bottom of a well. He’s been there for several years, the exact numbers are never revealed. But he isn’t the only one, around him are several other men imprisoned in the same conditions guarded by soldiers.
And then we have Tamia- a woman hiding behind rocks on the outskirts of the fort hoping to hear news about her partner who is supposedly a prisoner in that same camp. By way of luring a young soldier she eventually learns her lover died months ago.
On that same night she finds Andres trying to escape, thus both of their stories merging.

Now I want to start off by saying this book is a haunting and heartbreaking love story of two people who form such an unlikely bond but are tested against all odds. You sympathize with the characters and this novel is filled with such amazing prose and written so lyrically that most times I completely forgot that it's translated from French! That’s how great of a job Euan Cameron did with translating Francois’ story, not once did it throw me off or have me questioning whether or not this is what it was supposed to mean in it’s actual language.

Within the pages of this short novel I got really invested in the story and just wanted to know how does this end? Francois did a spectacular job to describe Andres’ terrible ordeal that it got under my skin. Andres’ is at a bottom of a well, where its pitch black. He doesn’t have much room to roam so his only form of exercise so not to get his legs bucked is to basically do squats and massage them. He is filthy, can hardly remember what he looks like, is fed about once a day, has the guards piss on him sometimes and sits amongst his own feces. The only thing he wants is for it all to end. To close his eyes and never to wake again. He has lost all hope until one day a guard forgets to pull up the rope they use to send down the food. This is Andres’ only chance of escaping. But was this rope left there deliberately? He has no idea what may await him up there.

And as for Tamia, I have never read about a more strong willed female character. A character who’s spirit just can’t be broken and who keeps going against all odds. She hides in the outskirts of this camp in search of her husband. The only way for her to know of his fate is by luring a young soldier and giving him the one thing those soldiers don’t get. Pleasure. Even when it comes to the young soldier himself, he is described and written in such a profound way. Francois Gantheret could write about a dang leaf and STILL make you feel some typa way about it.
He’s like the J. Cole of writing.

This book wrapped up wonderfully… the way it ended just ripped out my heart and then just stitched it back in again. It left me pondering about life and the many struggles that comes with it but at the same time made me appreciate it a bit more. I gave this book a 5/5 stars and it was my favourite book of 2014.. out of the 38 books I've read so far this year this one had the most affect on me. After I closed this book and was done with it… I was hoping that I too, like the characters, could just let go. But I couldn’t and 6 months later I still can’t. If you ever get the chance, or have this book sitting on your shelf or at your local library, pick. It. Up. You wouldn’t regret it.

[Adriane Devries · Rating 3 out of 5]

Translated beautifully from the French, this lyric novel traces the intersecting journeys of three outcasts struggling to survive amid the political repression of North Africa. When reading it, one can’t help but ask what would we do for those we love, what would be worth surviving for, what roots us to this place we find ourselves?

[Michael]

first novel of the summer.

[Ann Barlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it was so eloquently written and haunting that I got lost in it. The only criticism I would have is that it ran out of pages all too soon.

[Stephanie Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not hate this book, but the writing and story were overly simplistic. Nothing was explained and things just happened.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lost Bodies is a quiet but gripping story. The subject matter alternates between disturbing and soothing. The ending was genuinely surprising.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

VG. N. Africa prison camp