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Trystero
Le roman d'une vie entre réalité et fiction dans un monde où chaque pensée critique est un crime.
189 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 10, 2024
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 9, 2024
Étonnante œuvre que ce TRYSTERO : sous ses airs de livre pédagogique sur comment écrire, se cache un roman d’anticipation, bien évidemment glaçant car très proche de nous. La technique utilisée se dévoile petit à petit, comme un piège qui se referme sur nous. Brillant.
December 16, 2024
What an original story! When non-fiction and fiction collide, you get something like this little novel. It's a rather dystopian story, and again, it's not, it contains an positive, yet vital message. Set in the future, in a Europe that is but a mere shadow of its former self - having become totalitarian - with a war raging and people being summoned to join the army and go fight at the front. The war is being waged in the background, while in the front (not on the front) we follow the life of Bruno Trivanen, an author who's been imprisoned for a "crime" that under normal circumstances is a normal activity: being an author, writing books.
Unfortunately, some element (glyph) of one of his books was used by rebels (the resistance) to recognise each other, as a means of communication. They fight against the dictatorship of the Alliance, a sort of a Big Brother, but more advanced than the one in George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' (my review). People are followed through brain implants, AI eye lenses, ... The rebels, on the other hand, try to find solutions to interrupt/disrupt the tracking via little devices and/or meeting up in areas where drones and alike have no access.
And as books aren't appreciated either, a book like 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury, which I haven't read (yet), also comes to mind. Or the Nazi book burnings in the 1930s.
As everything has been taken from our narrator - because the story is told from his POV, in the 1st person -, he can no longer write any stories or write books. Again, these activities are prohibited. However, even without the physical means and tools to write stories, Bruno managed to produce a few novels in his mind, and last but not least this one here, 'Trystero'.
While Bruno is in jail or taken to another jail, deprived of everything that was dear to him - even his family no longer really support him, sadly -, and at some point taken to a house at Saint-Narcissy, where he is a little more free, though still tracked and traced, he describes what is is like being an author and how to become one.
Every aspect of being an author and writing a book is dealt with, but this isn't a guide about how to write a story or a novel, how to get published, etc. Thus, not like, for example, the handful of writing guides 'Comment écrire de la fiction?', published by the French publisher Argyll. Rather, a description of the various stages. That one should first of all read as much as possible, so as to expand one vocabulary, see and try to understand what a story consists of, how an author sets his/her ideas to paper. Furthermore, that one should write and write even more, to properly develop the skill and become a true author. Just writing isn't enough, one must also finish what one started.
Other aspects involve the readers, finding inspiration/ideas, pausing now and then to let one's mind process everything, creating worlds and characters, inventing a conflict/intrigue, writing dialogues, finding a way to set your story free and let it be read by the world, and so on and so forth. Each chapter begins with an appropriate quote by a famous author. What follows is not only our narrator explaining this stage of authorship or writing a story, but also how his days has been, whom he's met/exchanged with, or even reflecting back on the past, on his family.
All's well that ends well? We don't know. The Alliance continues to reign, the war is still not over, but rebellion continues to exist and prepare for a turnaround, little by little. The ending is an ending, and yet it's not. Bruno Trivanen - imprisoned, but allowed some freedom, because he's being tracked any way and any misstep would be instantly detected - vowed to fulfil one last wish (for himself, at least), and provided the mental means for others to take matters into their own hands, as his were "tied" or made incapable of producing anything of the sort.
Inline with the context and goal of this novel, the reader is asked/invited to invent what would happen next, how the story really would (have) end(ed). Two options are provided, with relevant questions.
'Trystero' is a beautiful ode to literature, to books, to writing first and foremost, to storytelling, to richness of vocabulary, and everything else. Like Walter Moers's excellent 'Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher' (my review) (French: La Cité des livres qui rêvent), but different, aimed at the readers who wish to write their own stories and develop that skill, but also at the community at large to keep on reading and supporting writers. Because the world needs (good and positive) stories to combat evil in all its forms.
Interesting interview: YouTube
Unfortunately, some element (glyph) of one of his books was used by rebels (the resistance) to recognise each other, as a means of communication. They fight against the dictatorship of the Alliance, a sort of a Big Brother, but more advanced than the one in George Orwell's 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' (my review). People are followed through brain implants, AI eye lenses, ... The rebels, on the other hand, try to find solutions to interrupt/disrupt the tracking via little devices and/or meeting up in areas where drones and alike have no access.
And as books aren't appreciated either, a book like 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury, which I haven't read (yet), also comes to mind. Or the Nazi book burnings in the 1930s.
As everything has been taken from our narrator - because the story is told from his POV, in the 1st person -, he can no longer write any stories or write books. Again, these activities are prohibited. However, even without the physical means and tools to write stories, Bruno managed to produce a few novels in his mind, and last but not least this one here, 'Trystero'.
While Bruno is in jail or taken to another jail, deprived of everything that was dear to him - even his family no longer really support him, sadly -, and at some point taken to a house at Saint-Narcissy, where he is a little more free, though still tracked and traced, he describes what is is like being an author and how to become one.
Every aspect of being an author and writing a book is dealt with, but this isn't a guide about how to write a story or a novel, how to get published, etc. Thus, not like, for example, the handful of writing guides 'Comment écrire de la fiction?', published by the French publisher Argyll. Rather, a description of the various stages. That one should first of all read as much as possible, so as to expand one vocabulary, see and try to understand what a story consists of, how an author sets his/her ideas to paper. Furthermore, that one should write and write even more, to properly develop the skill and become a true author. Just writing isn't enough, one must also finish what one started.
Other aspects involve the readers, finding inspiration/ideas, pausing now and then to let one's mind process everything, creating worlds and characters, inventing a conflict/intrigue, writing dialogues, finding a way to set your story free and let it be read by the world, and so on and so forth. Each chapter begins with an appropriate quote by a famous author. What follows is not only our narrator explaining this stage of authorship or writing a story, but also how his days has been, whom he's met/exchanged with, or even reflecting back on the past, on his family.
All's well that ends well? We don't know. The Alliance continues to reign, the war is still not over, but rebellion continues to exist and prepare for a turnaround, little by little. The ending is an ending, and yet it's not. Bruno Trivanen - imprisoned, but allowed some freedom, because he's being tracked any way and any misstep would be instantly detected - vowed to fulfil one last wish (for himself, at least), and provided the mental means for others to take matters into their own hands, as his were "tied" or made incapable of producing anything of the sort.
Inline with the context and goal of this novel, the reader is asked/invited to invent what would happen next, how the story really would (have) end(ed). Two options are provided, with relevant questions.
'Trystero' is a beautiful ode to literature, to books, to writing first and foremost, to storytelling, to richness of vocabulary, and everything else. Like Walter Moers's excellent 'Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher' (my review) (French: La Cité des livres qui rêvent), but different, aimed at the readers who wish to write their own stories and develop that skill, but also at the community at large to keep on reading and supporting writers. Because the world needs (good and positive) stories to combat evil in all its forms.
Interesting interview: YouTube
November 9, 2024
Quelle découverte ! Je l'ai choisi au hasard, un peu à la couverture, beaucoup parce que c'est Mu. Un petit bijou. Le mélange entre dystopie et méthode d'écriture fonctionne super bien (particulièrement avec moi puisque je suis moi même écrivaillon). Ce roman est juste assez long pour que la recette ne s'épuise pas et on y trouve quelques bons conseils pour se mettre à l'écriture. Vivrement conseillé, donc.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews