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The Cameraman
Ce roman nous transporte dans le monde fascinant du cinéma où règnent de véritables prestidigitateurs de l’image, capables de transformer toute réalité en illusion.Une actrice meurt sur un plateau de tournage. Accident ou meurtre en direct ? Cinéma vérité ou cinéma mensonge ? Francis, le cameraman qui a filmé la scène, veut comprendre ce qui s’est réellement passé. Il se refuse à croire, malgré les images incriminantes captées par l’œil de sa caméra, que son vieil ami Koz, brillant réalisateur et habile manipulateur, ait pu se laisser piéger ainsi. Pourquoi aurait-il imaginé pareil sordide scénario ? L’enquête de Francis, découpée en scènes comme dans un film, va de rebondissement en rebondissement. Démasquer un maître de l’illusion n’est pas sans risques.Bill Gaston est un écrivain doué de grande empathie, capable, semble-t-il, de se mettre dans la peau d’innombrables personnages[…]. Sa langue est pure, son propos humain. - Jury du Giller Prize 2002Bill Gaston ne cède jamais à la facilité. Son rare talent de patiner sur les glaces les plus subtiles de l’esprit humain pousse ses lecteurs dans des recoins où se risquent très peu d’autres écrivains. - Timothy Findley
356 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 8, 2022
I was in a book thrift store, and picked this book randomly, with no expectations or any idea of what it was about, and sat down and read it through and through. A wonderful read!
August 13, 2011
I loved, loved, loved The Good Body by this author. That book was so heartbreakingly funny that when I read the cover blurbs describing this book as "searing, funny and prescient", I settled in for what I thought would be a rollicking good read.
It was a good read. In fact it was a great read. But, I don't think that, if asked, I would describe this book as funny right off the hop. It was funny, but darkly so. It was funny in the way of "Isn't it funny what total, pathetic wretches we humans are."
The story is about three people trapped in what could be described as a love triangle. Francis is a camerman, hopelessly in love with Bev. Koz is a film director, Francis's best friend and oft employer and, bugger for Francis, Bev's true love. Bev is an actress. She says she loves them both, but that Koz is her true love - she's addicted to him. Francis, too, is addicted. He's also addicted to Koz and he's an alcoholic.
In the present, Francis and Bev are a couple. They are raising Lucy, the child Bev had when she was with Koz. Koz has just been charged with murder. He had directed and starred in a movie that resulted in the starring actress's death by lethal injection. There is no doubt that, in the climax of his film, Koz administered that lethal injection and watched the actress die. Francis filmed the whole thing. He may well be charged too. Certainly he is going to have to testify in Koz's trial.
The story is told in a series of "scenes" that hop back and forth between the present and the past (i.e. how these three ended up in the sorry mess they're in). All of the scenes are seen through the eyes of Francis. Or rather, through the lens of Francis's camera and, at least with respect to the past, through the distorted effects of alcohol. In the present, Francis is on the wagon and Bev has "sworn off" Koz. But in order to be able to testify, Francis needs to figure out whether Koz intended to kill his co-star. And if so, why? Was Koz simply insane? Was this "snuff" film the natural culmination of his wild film career?
As a reader, you're trapped in the same boat as Francis. You are never really certain where you are, what is true and what is not, who is being truthful or who is lying. In fact, you don't even know whether you like these characters or can justifiably dislike them. The story is tautly suspenseful, disturbing and totally engrossing. It will stay with you long after you close the covers. In fact, if you're anything like me, you'll have to start another book right away in the hopes of getting The Cameraman out of your head.
It was a good read. In fact it was a great read. But, I don't think that, if asked, I would describe this book as funny right off the hop. It was funny, but darkly so. It was funny in the way of "Isn't it funny what total, pathetic wretches we humans are."
The story is about three people trapped in what could be described as a love triangle. Francis is a camerman, hopelessly in love with Bev. Koz is a film director, Francis's best friend and oft employer and, bugger for Francis, Bev's true love. Bev is an actress. She says she loves them both, but that Koz is her true love - she's addicted to him. Francis, too, is addicted. He's also addicted to Koz and he's an alcoholic.
In the present, Francis and Bev are a couple. They are raising Lucy, the child Bev had when she was with Koz. Koz has just been charged with murder. He had directed and starred in a movie that resulted in the starring actress's death by lethal injection. There is no doubt that, in the climax of his film, Koz administered that lethal injection and watched the actress die. Francis filmed the whole thing. He may well be charged too. Certainly he is going to have to testify in Koz's trial.
The story is told in a series of "scenes" that hop back and forth between the present and the past (i.e. how these three ended up in the sorry mess they're in). All of the scenes are seen through the eyes of Francis. Or rather, through the lens of Francis's camera and, at least with respect to the past, through the distorted effects of alcohol. In the present, Francis is on the wagon and Bev has "sworn off" Koz. But in order to be able to testify, Francis needs to figure out whether Koz intended to kill his co-star. And if so, why? Was Koz simply insane? Was this "snuff" film the natural culmination of his wild film career?
As a reader, you're trapped in the same boat as Francis. You are never really certain where you are, what is true and what is not, who is being truthful or who is lying. In fact, you don't even know whether you like these characters or can justifiably dislike them. The story is tautly suspenseful, disturbing and totally engrossing. It will stay with you long after you close the covers. In fact, if you're anything like me, you'll have to start another book right away in the hopes of getting The Cameraman out of your head.
September 1, 2014
Didn't like it at all. Way too slow and was unable to finish reading it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews