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Fallet Courrier
Alphonse Courrier possessed all that might make a modestly ambitious man content: a respectable position in his Auvergne village; a prosperous ironmonger's shop; a dutiful, beautiful wife, Agns, who bore him two sons; and a secret mistress, Adle. But fate has a way of dealing you the joker just when you think you hold all the best cards. Assuredly, the villagers could continue to indulge in their favorite blood sport-gossip-but some secrets are too well guarded for even the best of gossips.
In The Alphonse Courrier Affair, Marta Morazzoni has identified the dynamic undercurrents that surge beneath the placid surface of daily life and exposed them to a quizzical, amused, devastating gaze that will exhilarate any reader who enjoys filling in the gaps of what the author has left unsaid.
238 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 15, 2020
Set in the Auvergne region of France, this short novel traces the life of the titular Alphonse from 1900, when he opens an ironmonger's shop, to 1917, when strictly disciplined life falls apart. The unidentified narrator looks back to these events, but clearly is themselves within the village; the tone is digressive and ironic, but at the same time personal and direct. A large part of the enjoyment are the observations of life in the village itself.
If I had picked up this as a book and not looked at the author, I would have said without doubt that it was Simenon; it has many of the trademarks of his romans durs; love triangles, the rhythms and gossip of the community, and its dark side. It was however originally published in Italy in 1997, perhaps as some sort of tribute to the great man. It won an Italian literary prize, and this translation by Emma Rose won the Independent Foreign Fiction Award.
It's short, quiet, understated and entertaining, and deserves to be better known.
If I had picked up this as a book and not looked at the author, I would have said without doubt that it was Simenon; it has many of the trademarks of his romans durs; love triangles, the rhythms and gossip of the community, and its dark side. It was however originally published in Italy in 1997, perhaps as some sort of tribute to the great man. It won an Italian literary prize, and this translation by Emma Rose won the Independent Foreign Fiction Award.
It's short, quiet, understated and entertaining, and deserves to be better known.
December 6, 2010
One thing is for sure, the world is not waiting for a review of The Alphonse Courrier Affair, which is a thin novel which won a prize I never heard of in 1997 and is about an ironmonger living in a tiny French village between 1903 and 1917.
It was okay, but I think this Campiello Prize it won must be for Best Novels about French Ironmongers. I could see it winning that one, just about.
You may be asking why I read this. I too am asking that very question.
It was okay, but I think this Campiello Prize it won must be for Best Novels about French Ironmongers. I could see it winning that one, just about.
You may be asking why I read this. I too am asking that very question.
March 7, 2023
This short novel is truly a gem. In fact, this makes three fantastic Italian novels in two months, as I begin my year of Italian literature.
What makes this novel so enjoyable is the semi-omniscient, first-person singular and plural narrator’s wisely cynical tone. It’s a timeless voice telling a story from a century ago. Modern enough not to feel retro, and yet not at all contemporary.
Everything about this short novel seems perfect. Not a scene, not a word seems wasted. It’s a pleasure to read a novel that is so masterly in every way, including the translation. It’s too bad Morazzoni is so little known here and that Rose has translated so little. I look forward to reading her translation of another of Morazzoni’s novels soon.
What makes this novel so enjoyable is the semi-omniscient, first-person singular and plural narrator’s wisely cynical tone. It’s a timeless voice telling a story from a century ago. Modern enough not to feel retro, and yet not at all contemporary.
Everything about this short novel seems perfect. Not a scene, not a word seems wasted. It’s a pleasure to read a novel that is so masterly in every way, including the translation. It’s too bad Morazzoni is so little known here and that Rose has translated so little. I look forward to reading her translation of another of Morazzoni’s novels soon.
September 21, 2022
Beetje stil van, maar dat ligt ook aan mij.
Ze beschrijft gevoelens en innerlijk werelden van personages zonder deze te benoemen, op zo'n manier dat het langzaam in me kruipt en ik altijd een beetje verward en zoekende ben.
PS: veel komma's
Ze beschrijft gevoelens en innerlijk werelden van personages zonder deze te benoemen, op zo'n manier dat het langzaam in me kruipt en ik altijd een beetje verward en zoekende ben.
PS: veel komma's
July 28, 2017
Un libro pacato, una storia che procede lenta ma inesorabile.
La trama è priva di eventi eclatanti ma coinvolge per la precisa descrizione delle emozioni e delle passioni che si annidano nella calma apparente di un piccolo paese della campagna francese.
La trama è priva di eventi eclatanti ma coinvolge per la precisa descrizione delle emozioni e delle passioni che si annidano nella calma apparente di un piccolo paese della campagna francese.
August 4, 2015
In case you are stopping by this blog without prior knowledge of the August commitment, this month I will look solely at works written by women that have been translated into English. Starting in 2014, August is now “Women In Translation Month”, a month to highlight the significant imbalance in female books making it into English translation. With the rough number of 3% of all fiction books being translated, to have female representation around the 30% of that 3% is basically not good enough. A growing emphasis to highlight this gulf by readers and bloggers is a grassroots approach to addressing the issue. If you would like to read more about #WITMonth have a look at my earlier post on the subject here, or go to the head honcho of the movement’s blog here.
Personally I can’t think of a better way to kick off Women In Translation Month than having a look at a “lost” winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (“IFFP”). Earlier this year it was discovered that the IFFP had “forgotten” the 2001 winner, the award was in abeyance from 1996-2000 inclusive and with a resurgent interest in translated literature the profile of the prize has seemed to increase over the years. However you will still find numerous references to Jenny Erpenbeck being the first female winner of the award (this year for her novel “The End Of Days” translated by Susan Bernofsky), and articles written prior to this year mentioning no female winners in the history. This “omission”, or slip, was corrected at the BookTrust site earlier this year, and I personally updated Wikipedia to give Marta Morazzoni and translator Emma Rose some kudos, how little that may be. As a side note, although the profile may have increased the award itself is no longer, having “merged” with the Man Booker International Prize, that award itself changing the rules to appear more relevant, but in fact just replicating the IFFP award itself, the same award a new name, and let’s hope an even greater profile.
Back to the 2001 Award winner though. to actually think that an award winner only fourteen years ago could go missing flabbergasted myself, however when I think that translated fiction is only the fringe of the massive publishing industry and add to that the winner being a woman and I suppose it is not that surprising.
For my full review go to http://messybooker.blogspot.com.au/20...
Personally I can’t think of a better way to kick off Women In Translation Month than having a look at a “lost” winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (“IFFP”). Earlier this year it was discovered that the IFFP had “forgotten” the 2001 winner, the award was in abeyance from 1996-2000 inclusive and with a resurgent interest in translated literature the profile of the prize has seemed to increase over the years. However you will still find numerous references to Jenny Erpenbeck being the first female winner of the award (this year for her novel “The End Of Days” translated by Susan Bernofsky), and articles written prior to this year mentioning no female winners in the history. This “omission”, or slip, was corrected at the BookTrust site earlier this year, and I personally updated Wikipedia to give Marta Morazzoni and translator Emma Rose some kudos, how little that may be. As a side note, although the profile may have increased the award itself is no longer, having “merged” with the Man Booker International Prize, that award itself changing the rules to appear more relevant, but in fact just replicating the IFFP award itself, the same award a new name, and let’s hope an even greater profile.
Back to the 2001 Award winner though. to actually think that an award winner only fourteen years ago could go missing flabbergasted myself, however when I think that translated fiction is only the fringe of the massive publishing industry and add to that the winner being a woman and I suppose it is not that surprising.
For my full review go to http://messybooker.blogspot.com.au/20...
November 24, 2014
Che magnifica sorpresa!
January 13, 2024
Marta Morazzoni è stata, negli anni ‘80/’90, autrice di punta per Longanesi (casa editrice di cui da tempo mi sembra di sentir parlare poco); ricordo quanto piacevano a mio padre i suoi primi lavori, “L’invenzione della verità” e “Casa materna”, e la bellezza della veste editoriale (anche se il libro di cui parleremo ora ha una copertina davvero poco riuscita). Ho invece scoperto per caso questo “Caso Courrier”, nonostante avesse vinto il Campiello nel ’97, ma mi ha dato il raro piacere di un romanzo iniziato e finito in una (lunga) serata.
Ambientato in un villaggio dell’Alvernia nei primi anni del Novecento, sembra una storia di Simenon: ma qui la provincia più che torbida è torpida.. e il protagonista è un “aggiustatore di destini” come il commissario Maigret, un commerciante volonteroso, saggio ed epicureo, convinto che per un uomo intelligente tutto nella vita congiuri per il meglio. E così organizza la sua vita come un orologio (gli affari, matrimonio e figli, amanti carnali e virtuali), sempre attento a essere anche amato da tutti e non urtare nessuno.
Purtroppo la vita non sempre collabora nemmeno con l’uomo più avveduto, e il “ritorno del rimosso” può scatenare comportamenti inconsci devastanti: tre sole volte in tutta la sua vita Alphonse Courrier si è fatto cogliere impreparato, ma tutte lo hanno marchiato a fuoco (è il caso di dirlo, visto il finale).
Il racconto è reso prezioso dalla capacità narrativa della Morazzoni, che impersona un narratore tanto onnisciente quanto inaffidabile, svagata quanto divagatoria e ironica, e dal suo italiano prezioso e musicale, discorsivo e impeccabile.
Così inaffidabile che, dopo aver speso 200 pagine a divagare spesso su dettagli (che come insegna il protagonista, sono l’aspetto più importante delle azioni umane), dedicherà al “caso” vero e proprio solo l’ultima paginetta, come se il lettore sapesse già tutto dei fatti, e spingendolo comunque a riflettere in autonomia sugli scherzi del destino.
Ambientato in un villaggio dell’Alvernia nei primi anni del Novecento, sembra una storia di Simenon: ma qui la provincia più che torbida è torpida.. e il protagonista è un “aggiustatore di destini” come il commissario Maigret, un commerciante volonteroso, saggio ed epicureo, convinto che per un uomo intelligente tutto nella vita congiuri per il meglio. E così organizza la sua vita come un orologio (gli affari, matrimonio e figli, amanti carnali e virtuali), sempre attento a essere anche amato da tutti e non urtare nessuno.
Purtroppo la vita non sempre collabora nemmeno con l’uomo più avveduto, e il “ritorno del rimosso” può scatenare comportamenti inconsci devastanti: tre sole volte in tutta la sua vita Alphonse Courrier si è fatto cogliere impreparato, ma tutte lo hanno marchiato a fuoco (è il caso di dirlo, visto il finale).
Il racconto è reso prezioso dalla capacità narrativa della Morazzoni, che impersona un narratore tanto onnisciente quanto inaffidabile, svagata quanto divagatoria e ironica, e dal suo italiano prezioso e musicale, discorsivo e impeccabile.
Così inaffidabile che, dopo aver speso 200 pagine a divagare spesso su dettagli (che come insegna il protagonista, sono l’aspetto più importante delle azioni umane), dedicherà al “caso” vero e proprio solo l’ultima paginetta, come se il lettore sapesse già tutto dei fatti, e spingendolo comunque a riflettere in autonomia sugli scherzi del destino.
June 6, 2025
It is a mostly well written novel with a few interesting observations about society and human relations, but in the end there is nothing really memorable about it. Characters seem like caricatures at times, the whole story is ultimately uncompelling and uninteresting.
Read
April 5, 2021Letteratura italiana
September 4, 2018
Alphonse Courrier is a successful and popular ironmonger with a secret mistress. He parts from her and marries a 'suitable' wife, but later takes up with his mistress again. There is a tragedy.
This is a simple story, told simply and how much anyone enjoys this novel probably depends on whether they like the rather arch narration or not.
This is a simple story, told simply and how much anyone enjoys this novel probably depends on whether they like the rather arch narration or not.
March 25, 2020
Francia inizio XX secolo, Adolphe Courrier è un uomo di una certa posizione nel piccolo villaggio dell'Alvernia e sposa la bella e perfetta donna di casa Agnes. Adolphe è un uomo che ha pochi amici e pare dedicarsi molto al lavoro e alla bella e giovane moglie non fa mancare nulla, ma la vita di Adolphe non è quella che tutti pensano.
Genere da me non amato, Marta Morazzoni descrive molto bene una storia d'amore.
CATEGORIA: GENERE NON PREFERITO
Genere da me non amato, Marta Morazzoni descrive molto bene una storia d'amore.
CATEGORIA: GENERE NON PREFERITO
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2017
UNA STORIA COME TANTE
Un racconto, più che un romanzo, che manda all'aria la speranza di trovarsi di fronte ad un caso ben architettato e dalla soluzione sorprendente. In realtà, la storia di Courrier si rivela prevedibile, una delle tante, e quindi il suo gesto non assume quel rilievo che avrebbe avuto se la verità dietro di esso fosse stata inimmaginabile.
Un racconto, più che un romanzo, che manda all'aria la speranza di trovarsi di fronte ad un caso ben architettato e dalla soluzione sorprendente. In realtà, la storia di Courrier si rivela prevedibile, una delle tante, e quindi il suo gesto non assume quel rilievo che avrebbe avuto se la verità dietro di esso fosse stata inimmaginabile.
September 8, 2014
Īsa, bet pārdomājama grāmata par cilvēku, kas iztēlojas, ka ir atkodis dzīves noslēpumus. Reliģiskie apakštoņi nebija uzmācīgi, bet tomēr stingri nojaušami.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews