L.C.

by Susan Daitch

This story within a story within a story opens in 1968, with a preface to Dr. Willa Rehnfield's translation of Lucienne Crozier's diary. Although the authenticity of Lucienne's account is uncertain, her diary attests to her involvement in the 1848 revolution in Paris, an illicit love affair, and her eventual exile from France. Midway through Rehnfield's translation, a distinctly modern voice emerges from the footnotes. These notes belong to Dr. Rehnfield's literary executor, Jane Amme - a Berkeley radical on the run for her actions during the student riots of the 1960s - who uncovered the translated diary and became intrigued with the parallels between Lucienne's depictions of revolution and her own experiences. Dissatisfied with Dr. Rehnfield's translation, Jane defiantly rewrites the final outcome of Lucienne's story, reclaiming this forgotten Frenchwoman as a prototype of the modern feminist.


About the Author

In Addition to L.C., Susan Daitch is the author of the novel The Colorist and a collection of short stories, Storytown. Her work has appeared in the Voice Literary Supplement, Bomb and The Noton Anthology of Postmodern Literatrure.

Genres: Fiction, American, Literature

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Susan Daitch is the author of four novels, L.C. (Lannan Foundation Selection and NEA Heritage Award), THE COLORIST, PAPER CONSPIRACIES, THE LOST CIVILIZATION OF SUOLUCIDIR and a collection of short stories, STORYTOWN. A novella, FALL OUT, published by Madras Press donates all proceeds to Women for Afghan Women. Her work has appeared in Tinhouse, Lit Hub, Slice, Black Clock, Conjunctions, Guernica, Bomb, Ploughshares, The Barcelona Review, Redivider, Zeek, failbetter.com, McSweeney's, Salt Hill Journal, Pacific Review, Dewclaw, Dear Navigator,
The Library of Potential Literature, The Pushcart Prize Anthology, and The Norton Anthology of Postmodern American Fiction. Her work was featured in The Review of Contemporary Fiction along with William Vollman and David Foster Wallace. She has been the recipient of two Vogelstein awards and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. She has taught at Barnard College, Columbia University, and the Iowa Writers' Workshop and currently teaches at Hunter College.

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not that this book is bad really in anyway, it's just unimpressive. There is a potential for being an interesting story about memory and the flimsiness of history, or something like that but none of the characters in this book ever really becoming engaging in anyway. By the time the big twist sort of comes I just couldn't bring myself to really care, nor was the big twist very surprising. Not that a literary novel needs to have big surprises, but there wasn't enough real texture and layers to this novel to make it all work, the layers were all too transparent and too similar. Maybe this isn't a two star book, maybe I'm just not feeling very generous. It's not a painful read at all, it's pretty quick and at a few point kind of interesting but so unremarkable.

[Christine]

Another one I wish I remembered

[renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for postmodernism seminar. Fabulous.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m still jauntin’ along on my Daitch jaunt! L.C. toys with how even a well-translated work can muck up the original author’s tale with the translator’s personal story. SD books are like a completely white jigsaw puzzle where each character gets their own handful of random pieces to paint or stomp on. In the end, it all fits, but oh what a journey getting that sucker together. I'd say this is my least favorite of her books, but I also had some ice cream last night that had a least favorite bite, so. Yeah. All gold stars from me.

[Ronni · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book doesn't get good like "i want to know what happens next" good until about 2/3 of the way in. it has a couple selling points before that though, and luckily they balance out all the aspects that made me want to quit reading during the beginning and middle of the book. i wrote about these good and bad parts twice on goodreads and twice i lost my review when i timed out from the server. boo. maybe i write about it later, maybe not.

[Jennifer Chin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get through this, it was pretty complicated and difficult to read. Not a big fan.

[David Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

English 525: American Literature 1950 to Present - A fiction novel, in the form of a diary of a French woman who lived during the revolution of the 1840's. Also from the point of view of two modern-day translators. Interesting triangle relationships between these three women. Complex novel, wonderful.