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The Night
The second novel of Michèle Bernstein follows on 'All the King's Horses', is also written for cash, and again cannibalising the plot of 'Les Liaisons dangereuses', featuring the same characters as her debut. The story remains the same, but the book is different, this time parodying the style of the nouveau roman, with its elongated sentences and non-linear sense of time and place. As its protagonists drift through the streets of Paris, and the ennui of a summer holiday on the Côte d'Azur, 'The Night' is littered with détournements and clues that give insight into the lives and spirit of both the author and her husband Guy Debord.
- GenresFrance
155 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
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140 people want to read
About the author
Michèle Bernstein
9 books22 followersMichèle Bernstein (born 28 April 1932) is a French novelist and critic, most usually remembered as a member of the Situationist International from its foundation in 1957 until 1967, and as the wife of its most prominent member, Guy Debord.
Early years
Bernstein was born in Paris, of Russian Jewish descent. In 1952, bored by her studies at the nearby Sorbonne, she began to frequent Chez Moineau, a bar at 22 rue du Four. There she encountered a circle of artists, writers, vagabonds and petty criminals who were beginning to establish themselves as the Letterist International. With one of these, Patrick Straram, she toured Le Havre in August, 1952, in order to see the places upon which Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea had been modelled.On 17 August, 1954, she married another member of the group, Guy Debord, and from then on she took a more active role in contributing to its publications (primarily its bulletin, Potlatch). Bernstein recalls that Debord had earlier tried to pick her up in a café in front of the Sorbonne, but that she had shaken her cigarette and said something disparaging. However, they first became friends, and then lovers: 'I did love him, and I am sorry he is not here with us now'.
[edit]From the Lettrist to the Situationist movement
Aside from simply getting drunk at Moineau's and other nearby bars—which was far from a minor part of their activity—the Letterist International were primarily concerned with transcending traditional artistic activities to produce 'situations' for themselves; to drifting aimlessly around urban environments in order to assess their psychogeography; and to diverting pre-existing texts and other materials to new ends. By 1957, however, most of the members of the Letterist International had either quit or been forcibly excluded, and the remnants opted to fuse with two other groups to form the Situationist International. Bernstein and Debord visited Cosio di Arroscia in July 1957: the Situationist International officially came into being there on July 28. The other two groups involved were the International Movement for an Imaginist Bauhaus and the London Psychogeographical Committee. The former was an off-shoot of the earlier CoBrA group of artists; the latter was not really a 'group' at all, but merely a name given to a single British artist, Ralph Rumney.
Thereafter, Bernstein contributed a number of articles to the situationists' journal, Internationale situationniste, either alone or in collaboration with the other members. She also had two novels published through Buchet/Chastel (the same publishing house as would later first publish Debord's major theoretical text, The Society of the Spectacle, in 1967). In All The King's Horses (Tous les chevaux du roi, 1960; republished Paris: Allia, 2004) and Night (La Nuit, 1961), Bernstein fictionalised her life with Debord in the 1950s, particularly acknowledging the liberality (including sexual freedom) that existed within their marriage. She also contributed an article on the situationists to the Times Literary Supplement (2 September, 1964). According to the French philosopher and occasional associate of the Situationist International, Henri Lefebvre, she additionally helped to support the situationists financially, by contributing horses' horoscopes to racing magazines.
During the first ten years of its existence, the situationists continued the work of the Letterist International, and extended them in new directions. Feeling that they had already adequately transcended art, the group began to take on much more of a socio-political character, as they sought to realise their philosophy. Their greatest moment came in the uprising of May 1968, which they might not have caused but which they certainly encouraged. Bernstein herself, however, had officially retired from the group the previous year. Her marriage to Debord had broken down as he became close to Alice Becker-Ho. The marriage was officially dissolved on 5 January 1972, and he proce
Early years
Bernstein was born in Paris, of Russian Jewish descent. In 1952, bored by her studies at the nearby Sorbonne, she began to frequent Chez Moineau, a bar at 22 rue du Four. There she encountered a circle of artists, writers, vagabonds and petty criminals who were beginning to establish themselves as the Letterist International. With one of these, Patrick Straram, she toured Le Havre in August, 1952, in order to see the places upon which Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea had been modelled.On 17 August, 1954, she married another member of the group, Guy Debord, and from then on she took a more active role in contributing to its publications (primarily its bulletin, Potlatch). Bernstein recalls that Debord had earlier tried to pick her up in a café in front of the Sorbonne, but that she had shaken her cigarette and said something disparaging. However, they first became friends, and then lovers: 'I did love him, and I am sorry he is not here with us now'.
[edit]From the Lettrist to the Situationist movement
Aside from simply getting drunk at Moineau's and other nearby bars—which was far from a minor part of their activity—the Letterist International were primarily concerned with transcending traditional artistic activities to produce 'situations' for themselves; to drifting aimlessly around urban environments in order to assess their psychogeography; and to diverting pre-existing texts and other materials to new ends. By 1957, however, most of the members of the Letterist International had either quit or been forcibly excluded, and the remnants opted to fuse with two other groups to form the Situationist International. Bernstein and Debord visited Cosio di Arroscia in July 1957: the Situationist International officially came into being there on July 28. The other two groups involved were the International Movement for an Imaginist Bauhaus and the London Psychogeographical Committee. The former was an off-shoot of the earlier CoBrA group of artists; the latter was not really a 'group' at all, but merely a name given to a single British artist, Ralph Rumney.
Thereafter, Bernstein contributed a number of articles to the situationists' journal, Internationale situationniste, either alone or in collaboration with the other members. She also had two novels published through Buchet/Chastel (the same publishing house as would later first publish Debord's major theoretical text, The Society of the Spectacle, in 1967). In All The King's Horses (Tous les chevaux du roi, 1960; republished Paris: Allia, 2004) and Night (La Nuit, 1961), Bernstein fictionalised her life with Debord in the 1950s, particularly acknowledging the liberality (including sexual freedom) that existed within their marriage. She also contributed an article on the situationists to the Times Literary Supplement (2 September, 1964). According to the French philosopher and occasional associate of the Situationist International, Henri Lefebvre, she additionally helped to support the situationists financially, by contributing horses' horoscopes to racing magazines.
During the first ten years of its existence, the situationists continued the work of the Letterist International, and extended them in new directions. Feeling that they had already adequately transcended art, the group began to take on much more of a socio-political character, as they sought to realise their philosophy. Their greatest moment came in the uprising of May 1968, which they might not have caused but which they certainly encouraged. Bernstein herself, however, had officially retired from the group the previous year. Her marriage to Debord had broken down as he became close to Alice Becker-Ho. The marriage was officially dissolved on 5 January 1972, and he proce
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 15, 2013
One can gather that this is memoir writing, since we think the main two characters are Guy Debord and the author of this book, Michéle Bernstein. And the book plays with the concept of memoir and novel, but it does say 'novel' on the front cover, and I am going to go with that. The book is very much like Bernstein's first book "All The King's Horses" except this is witty turned into a 'new novel' or Nouveau Roman. Whatever it is a satire or a homage to that form I don't know, but either way it doesn't take away the enjoyment of going with the main couple's long walks through the Left Bank of Paris. in fact I had to stop myself from google mapping the streets - which one can do, because their walks are deeply and specifically perfect. There is another woman involved and in a way it is a story about seduction, power, and exploring. I'm a Bernstein fan.
Also the production level of the publisher of this book, Book Works, is pretty great. The book is translated by Clodagh Kinsella and edited by Everyone Else. There is a sequel of sorts.... well review that next!
Also the production level of the publisher of this book, Book Works, is pretty great. The book is translated by Clodagh Kinsella and edited by Everyone Else. There is a sequel of sorts.... well review that next!
September 16, 2020
Companion to "All the King's Horses," retelling the exact same story in a completely different style (Nouveau Roman vs. breezy bestseller), much greater depth, and with new emphasis. Taken together, these two anti-novels showcase Bernstein's remarkable skills and comprise a fascinating literary project that hasn't received its due.
June 16, 2013
So excited to see that at long last, 52 years after it was published in French La Nuit has finally been translated. This edition also includes a detournement book in response set in London.
Hearty congratulations to translator Clodagh Kinsella and Book Works for bringing us this important book.
Hearty congratulations to translator Clodagh Kinsella and Book Works for bringing us this important book.
March 6, 2025
this is literally the worst book I’ve ever read. hard to follow, it seems more like a stream of consciousness rather than a coherent novel
December 5, 2013
"Nouveau Roman" parody by leading situationist. Plot "kidnapped" from 'Les Liasons Dangeureuses', and structured around a 'dérive' through the streets of Paris over the course of a single night. So good
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews