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The Despair of Monkeys and Other Trifles: A Memoir by Françoise Hardy
“I was for a very long time passionately in love with her, as I’m sure she’s guessed. Every male in the world, and a number of females also were, and we all still are.” —David Bowie
“Françoise was the ultimate pin-up of most hip bedroom walls, and I know for a fact that Brian Jones and Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and many other pop stars were desperately interested in having Françoise Hardy become their girlfriend in some way.” —Malcolm McLaren
Françoise Hardy is best known in Europe for originating the famed “Yé-Yé” sound in pop music which began a cultural scene in the early 1960s. Her teenage success grew as she became a much-photographed fashion model and actress. Adored for her shy beauty and emotional songwriting, she sang hit songs in French, Italian, and German. In The Despair of Monkeys and Other Trifles, she bares her soul and tells the truth of her relationships, fears, and triumphs as well as the hard-won wisdom carved from a life well-lived.
This unusually-titled memoir has sold millions of copies in its French, German, Italian, and Spanish editions in recent years. This first English-language release is expertly translated by Jon E. Graham. The book contains dozens of images in addition to Hardy’s intimate recollections of her upbringing and career.
Françoise Hardy, an accomplished songwriter and lyricist also collaborated with accomplished songwriters such as Leonard Cohen, Serge Gainsbourg, and Patrick Modiano. Both her early pop work and later material in a complex and mature style helped generate a dedicated cult following. Both her husband, Jacques Dutronc, and son, Thomas Dutronc, are respected musicians in France.
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2008
60 people are currently reading
617 people want to read
About the author
Françoise Hardy
21 books12 followersFrançoise Madeleine Hardy was a French singer-songwriter. She made her musical debut in the early 1960s on Disques Vogue and found immediate success with her song "Tous les garçons et les filles". As a leading figure of the yé-yé movement, Hardy "found herself at the very forefront of the French music scene", and became "France's most exportable female singing star", recording in various languages, appearing in several movies, touring throughout Europe, and gaining admiration from musicians such as Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger. With the aid of photographer Jean-Marie Périer, Hardy also begun modelling and soon became a popular fashion icon as well.
As the yé-yé era drew to a close in the late 1960s, Hardy sought to reinvent herself, casting off the fashionable girl next door image that Périer had created for her and abandoning the "cute" and catchy compositions that had characterized her repertoire up to that point; working with more accomplished songwriters such as Leonard Cohen,Serge Gainsbourg, and Patrick Modiano. Her 1971 album La question represented an important turning point in her career, moving towards a more mature style; it remains her most acclaimed work and has generated a dedicated cult following over the years. The early 1970s also marked the beginning of Hardy's renowned involvement with astrology, becoming an expert and writer of the subject over the years.
Hardy remained a popular figure in music and fashion, and is considered an icon of French pop and the 1960s.
She was married to fellow French singer-songwriter Jacques Dutronc in 1981 until her death, and their only son, Thomas, is also a musician. In 2021, Hardy announced that her health had worsened and that she would not be able to sing again owing to the effects of cancer therapy. She died of cancer in Paris in 2024.
Final paragraph from Wikipedia
As the yé-yé era drew to a close in the late 1960s, Hardy sought to reinvent herself, casting off the fashionable girl next door image that Périer had created for her and abandoning the "cute" and catchy compositions that had characterized her repertoire up to that point; working with more accomplished songwriters such as Leonard Cohen,Serge Gainsbourg, and Patrick Modiano. Her 1971 album La question represented an important turning point in her career, moving towards a more mature style; it remains her most acclaimed work and has generated a dedicated cult following over the years. The early 1970s also marked the beginning of Hardy's renowned involvement with astrology, becoming an expert and writer of the subject over the years.
Hardy remained a popular figure in music and fashion, and is considered an icon of French pop and the 1960s.
She was married to fellow French singer-songwriter Jacques Dutronc in 1981 until her death, and their only son, Thomas, is also a musician. In 2021, Hardy announced that her health had worsened and that she would not be able to sing again owing to the effects of cancer therapy. She died of cancer in Paris in 2024.
Final paragraph from Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 23, 2018
Françoise Hardy, along with Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, and of course her husband, Jacques Dutronc is one of the great architects of the French pop sound, sometimes known as Yé-Yé. For an American, the French pop/rock world is almost like living in Superman's Bizarro, where everything is slightly different, or just a tad weird. The French are very formal in the recording well, and there is also a deep respect for poetry, which comes through the lyrics. Especially someone like a genius such as Gainsbourg. "The Despair of Monkeys and Other Trifles" is a fascinating memoir, for one, we don't get that much of an insight into that world if we don't speak in French. So, a book like this is essential to one who loves French 1960s pop music.
Hardy's life is not unusual, but still a troubling family background. Her mother was cold, and her sister was insane. And her long-term relationship with Jacques Dutronc is both a head-scratcher and kind of awesome, in that they both respect their roles in the relationship - although it took Hardy a long time to accept certain aspects of her husband's mental and physical state. In a cliché saying, it sounds so French! In her manner, Hardy is very thorough on her stance in life, which is a mixture of sophistication and a believer of astrology, which she has written books on that subject matter, as well as a column in a publication. I'm also delighted that she knew Stockhausen and appreciated his music and other modern experimental composers of that era, even at the height of her fame in the 1960s.
Indeed an iconic beauty, but I'm not surprised of her unease with her physical appearance or her feelings of stage fright. For me, the way she sings there is a hesitation like she wants to grant the listener an invitation into their lives. Which I think is one of her big appeals as a singing artist and songwriter. There's a hesitation in her manner that is very seductive. Still, she was then, and I suspect still, a major player in French pop music world. Reading the book, you come upon every significant French star - both on artists she worked or ran around with. So the reader gets a nice snapshot of the scene at the time. The French entertainment world was/is a small one, so I suspect it's difficult to avoid anyone of importance. For example, even my beloved Louis Furey is mention here and there in the book, and he's obscure like a ghost in the English speaking world.
If there is a weakness in the book, it may be within the English translation of Hardy's prose in French. Reading the book, I feel like I'm reading a translation which usually means there is something wrong with the style of the translator. Or it may be just Hardy's writing itself. Still, if you are a fan of Hardy's music, this book is a must-read. A few years ago I published Serge Gainsbourg's biography by Gilles Verlant, and this book is an excellent companion piece, due to the coverage of the French pop music world, which is a mystery to most French non-speaking people.
Hardy's life is not unusual, but still a troubling family background. Her mother was cold, and her sister was insane. And her long-term relationship with Jacques Dutronc is both a head-scratcher and kind of awesome, in that they both respect their roles in the relationship - although it took Hardy a long time to accept certain aspects of her husband's mental and physical state. In a cliché saying, it sounds so French! In her manner, Hardy is very thorough on her stance in life, which is a mixture of sophistication and a believer of astrology, which she has written books on that subject matter, as well as a column in a publication. I'm also delighted that she knew Stockhausen and appreciated his music and other modern experimental composers of that era, even at the height of her fame in the 1960s.
Indeed an iconic beauty, but I'm not surprised of her unease with her physical appearance or her feelings of stage fright. For me, the way she sings there is a hesitation like she wants to grant the listener an invitation into their lives. Which I think is one of her big appeals as a singing artist and songwriter. There's a hesitation in her manner that is very seductive. Still, she was then, and I suspect still, a major player in French pop music world. Reading the book, you come upon every significant French star - both on artists she worked or ran around with. So the reader gets a nice snapshot of the scene at the time. The French entertainment world was/is a small one, so I suspect it's difficult to avoid anyone of importance. For example, even my beloved Louis Furey is mention here and there in the book, and he's obscure like a ghost in the English speaking world.
If there is a weakness in the book, it may be within the English translation of Hardy's prose in French. Reading the book, I feel like I'm reading a translation which usually means there is something wrong with the style of the translator. Or it may be just Hardy's writing itself. Still, if you are a fan of Hardy's music, this book is a must-read. A few years ago I published Serge Gainsbourg's biography by Gilles Verlant, and this book is an excellent companion piece, due to the coverage of the French pop music world, which is a mystery to most French non-speaking people.
June 22, 2018
I've been a fan of F.H. for decades now and had long given up any hope of reading a decent bio, or ever seeing a translation of this book, which was issued in France in 2007. 11 years was a long wait, but better late than never. The translation is serviceable, though quite often a phrase comes up where you know you are not really being presented with an accurate sense of what was originally written.
Be warned, Ms Hardy hates her early records - the ones upon which her reputation outside of French territories rest - and barely mentions any, and I'd say that half of the ones she DOES mention, she savages. She's hard on the rest of her body of work too, for what she sees as problems with unsympathetic collaborators as well as what she regards as her own limitations. So a celebration of her musical life this is not.
The book is primarily concerned with her relationships: with her parents, her other relatives, her beloved son, other persons in the music industry, and especially the exceedingly odd ongoing drama with her husband/partner of 50 years, Jacques Dutronc. She is quite clear-eyed about these people and how her own strengths/weaknesses played their part in their lives together. She's a complicated woman and does a credible job of presenting herself warts-and-all. Most heartening is how she endured a life of difficult authority figures - her domineering mother, absent father, hateful grandmother, industry bigwigs - and refused to pass the cycle of abuse along to her son, who she adores, and who came to be a talented and well-adjusted young man.
The supporting cast is populated by the likes of Gainsbourg, Birkin, France Gall, Sylvie Vartan, Michel Berger, Etienne Daho, among many others, and she has interesting tales about all of them. The French pop scene doesn't receive a lot of attention in the English speaking world so it's a rare treat to be given the perspective found here.
I spent the entire book scratching my head at the title, which is only explained in the final paragraph. I found the final sentence very powerful, not least in the way it brings the entire book into focus.
Be warned, Ms Hardy hates her early records - the ones upon which her reputation outside of French territories rest - and barely mentions any, and I'd say that half of the ones she DOES mention, she savages. She's hard on the rest of her body of work too, for what she sees as problems with unsympathetic collaborators as well as what she regards as her own limitations. So a celebration of her musical life this is not.
The book is primarily concerned with her relationships: with her parents, her other relatives, her beloved son, other persons in the music industry, and especially the exceedingly odd ongoing drama with her husband/partner of 50 years, Jacques Dutronc. She is quite clear-eyed about these people and how her own strengths/weaknesses played their part in their lives together. She's a complicated woman and does a credible job of presenting herself warts-and-all. Most heartening is how she endured a life of difficult authority figures - her domineering mother, absent father, hateful grandmother, industry bigwigs - and refused to pass the cycle of abuse along to her son, who she adores, and who came to be a talented and well-adjusted young man.
The supporting cast is populated by the likes of Gainsbourg, Birkin, France Gall, Sylvie Vartan, Michel Berger, Etienne Daho, among many others, and she has interesting tales about all of them. The French pop scene doesn't receive a lot of attention in the English speaking world so it's a rare treat to be given the perspective found here.
I spent the entire book scratching my head at the title, which is only explained in the final paragraph. I found the final sentence very powerful, not least in the way it brings the entire book into focus.
April 6, 2018
Françoise Hardy embodies the early sixties in French music, with a style all her own. Her soulful and melancholy voice and lyrics touched a generation of young people the globe over and spoke to them like no one before. Beside her decades-long love for Jacques Dutronc and her music, I knew nothing of Madame Hardy, and THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES proved to be a captivating look into this fascinating woman’s life. Madame Hardy became an instant hit, and it’s easy to understand, because her music truly reflected the young woman she was at heart. She is a study in contradictions: an introvert who became a star performer; utterly lacking in self-confidence, still knowing precisely what she wanted her music to sound like and determined to make it happen, if it did not always succeed.
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES is an education in itself, as the French – and European – music scene and processes were entirely different from the British and American ones. Françoise Hardy suffered from having a mother who did not quite know how to love, still Françoise loved her desperately, which unfortunately defined the problems the author went through all her life, self-admittedly, because she found it difficult to thrive when in a relationship. Françoise Hardy is the most complex person whose biography I have ever read, and I wondered if it was because she was so exceptional or simply if the author was so very candid and honest. She is not afraid to admit she forgot things – and not because of drugs or a dissipated life – but because it felt that, at times, she lived in a sort of vacuum, her extroversion leaving her somewhat a bit oblivious to the world around her.
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES must have been difficult for the author to write, because she does bare her soul, and retelling her love for Jacques Dutronc must have been terribly painful at times. She loved him with all her heart, and I am frankly not sure why. I don’t know how she could endure his erratic and often callous behaviour for so long – but then again, do we know why we love whom we love? It’s a very perplexing relationship, and one that gives much food for thought.
There is one problem with THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES, and it’s not Françoise Hardy’s fault, it’s the translation, which is seldom an issue with this genre. While adequate – it does after all make a French book by an important artist accessible to the English-speaking public – but I wonder if the translation was rushed. The writing style is unrefined for the most part; while there are few real typos and no grammar issues, the syntax is often very heavy, making the narrative far less flowing than it could have been. The translation is oftentimes too literal (“in this era”, which should have been “at that time”, the French expression obviously being “À cette époque); or “the charming singer Georges Guétary”; while I’m positive that Georges Guétary was a charming man, I strongly suspect that what was originally written must have been “le chanteur de charme Georges Guétary” – or crooner. More puzzling were the several mistakes in French in the body of the text, which were certainly not Madame Hardy’s doing, and the numerous mistakes in French in the footnotes were jarring. Why did I not read the book in French, will you ask? Because I did not know of its existence before noticing this translation; besides, a good translation should be transparent – an autobiography is not lyrical poetry, after all – and one should not be made aware of what the sentences or idiomatic expressions were in the original language. I will only half a star away for the translation, because it might not bother everyone.
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES is also the story of a mother who lavished on her son Thomas the love she never experienced as a child, and I found remarkable that Madame Hardy did not raise her child the way her mother did hers. Françoise Hardy comes off both as very judgmental yet very understanding, caring and generous; a woman who is at the same time frail and insecure yet strong enough to deal with anything bad that life throws her way; an artist who believes in integrity and never compromises. Music remains a constant in Françoise Hardy’s life, and she also made her various interests and passions contribute to her livelihood. While Françoise Hardy always appeared physically frail and so delicate, she is an incredibly strong woman.
In closing, I must mention the marvellous pictures that are included in the book, even in the digital version. It is obvious that every picture was meticulously chosen; each one serves a purpose, recalls a precise moment in time as told in the book. Each picture is a snapshot of Madame Hardy’s life, and I felt every one was very important as so many unsaid words were encapsulated in those photos. I have seldom seen pictures that better illustrate a person’s life than those in THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES, a riveting book about a very complex artist.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I give 4 ½ stars
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES is an education in itself, as the French – and European – music scene and processes were entirely different from the British and American ones. Françoise Hardy suffered from having a mother who did not quite know how to love, still Françoise loved her desperately, which unfortunately defined the problems the author went through all her life, self-admittedly, because she found it difficult to thrive when in a relationship. Françoise Hardy is the most complex person whose biography I have ever read, and I wondered if it was because she was so exceptional or simply if the author was so very candid and honest. She is not afraid to admit she forgot things – and not because of drugs or a dissipated life – but because it felt that, at times, she lived in a sort of vacuum, her extroversion leaving her somewhat a bit oblivious to the world around her.
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES must have been difficult for the author to write, because she does bare her soul, and retelling her love for Jacques Dutronc must have been terribly painful at times. She loved him with all her heart, and I am frankly not sure why. I don’t know how she could endure his erratic and often callous behaviour for so long – but then again, do we know why we love whom we love? It’s a very perplexing relationship, and one that gives much food for thought.
There is one problem with THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES, and it’s not Françoise Hardy’s fault, it’s the translation, which is seldom an issue with this genre. While adequate – it does after all make a French book by an important artist accessible to the English-speaking public – but I wonder if the translation was rushed. The writing style is unrefined for the most part; while there are few real typos and no grammar issues, the syntax is often very heavy, making the narrative far less flowing than it could have been. The translation is oftentimes too literal (“in this era”, which should have been “at that time”, the French expression obviously being “À cette époque); or “the charming singer Georges Guétary”; while I’m positive that Georges Guétary was a charming man, I strongly suspect that what was originally written must have been “le chanteur de charme Georges Guétary” – or crooner. More puzzling were the several mistakes in French in the body of the text, which were certainly not Madame Hardy’s doing, and the numerous mistakes in French in the footnotes were jarring. Why did I not read the book in French, will you ask? Because I did not know of its existence before noticing this translation; besides, a good translation should be transparent – an autobiography is not lyrical poetry, after all – and one should not be made aware of what the sentences or idiomatic expressions were in the original language. I will only half a star away for the translation, because it might not bother everyone.
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES is also the story of a mother who lavished on her son Thomas the love she never experienced as a child, and I found remarkable that Madame Hardy did not raise her child the way her mother did hers. Françoise Hardy comes off both as very judgmental yet very understanding, caring and generous; a woman who is at the same time frail and insecure yet strong enough to deal with anything bad that life throws her way; an artist who believes in integrity and never compromises. Music remains a constant in Françoise Hardy’s life, and she also made her various interests and passions contribute to her livelihood. While Françoise Hardy always appeared physically frail and so delicate, she is an incredibly strong woman.
In closing, I must mention the marvellous pictures that are included in the book, even in the digital version. It is obvious that every picture was meticulously chosen; each one serves a purpose, recalls a precise moment in time as told in the book. Each picture is a snapshot of Madame Hardy’s life, and I felt every one was very important as so many unsaid words were encapsulated in those photos. I have seldom seen pictures that better illustrate a person’s life than those in THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES, a riveting book about a very complex artist.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I give 4 ½ stars
May 15, 2018
Françoise Hardy embodies the early sixties in French music, with a style all her own. Her soulful and melancholy voice and lyrics touched a generation of young people the globe over and spoke to them like no one before. Beside her decades-long love for Jacques Dutronc and her music, I knew nothing of Madame Hardy, and THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES proved to be a captivating look into this fascinating woman’s life. Madame Hardy became an instant hit, and it’s easy to understand, because her music truly reflected the young woman she was at heart. She is a study in contradictions: an introvert who became a star performer; utterly lacking in self-confidence, still knowing precisely what she wanted her music to sound like and determined to make it happen, if it did not always succeed.
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES is an education in itself, as the French – and European – music scene and processes were entirely different from the British and American ones. Françoise Hardy suffered from having a mother who did not quite know how to love, still Françoise loved her desperately, which unfortunately defined the problems the author went through all her life, self-admittedly, because she found it difficult to thrive when in a relationship. Françoise Hardy is the most complex person whose biography I have ever read, and I wondered if it was because she was so exceptional or simply if the author was so very candid and honest. She is not afraid to admit she forgot things – and not because of drugs or a dissipated life – but because it felt that, at times, she lived in a sort of vacuum, her extroversion leaving her somewhat a bit oblivious to the world around her.
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES must have been difficult for the author to write, because she does bare her soul, and retelling her love for Jacques Dutronc must have been terribly painful at times. She loved him with all her heart, and I am frankly not sure why. I don’t know how she could endure his erratic and often callous behaviour for so long – but then again, do we know why we love whom we love? It’s a very perplexing relationship, and one that gives much food for thought.
There is one problem with THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES, and it’s not Françoise Hardy’s fault, it’s the translation, which is seldom an issue with this genre. While adequate – it does after all make a French book by an important artist accessible to the English-speaking public – but I wonder if the translation was rushed. The writing style is unrefined for the most part; while there are few real typos and no grammar issues, the syntax is often very heavy, making the narrative far less flowing than it could have been. The translation is oftentimes too literal (“in this era”, which should have been “at that time”, the French expression obviously being “À cette époque); or “the charming singer Georges Guétary”; while I’m positive that Georges Guétary was a charming man, I strongly suspect that what was originally written must have been “le chanteur de charme Georges Guétary” – or crooner. More puzzling were the several mistakes in French in the body of the text, which were certainly not Madame Hardy’s doing, and the numerous mistakes in French in the footnotes were jarring. Why did I not read the book in French, will you ask? Because I did not know of its existence before noticing this translation; besides, a good translation should be transparent – an autobiography is not lyrical poetry, after all – and one should not be made aware of what the sentences or idiomatic expressions were in the original language. I will only half a star away for the translation, because it might not bother everyone.
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES is also the story of a mother who lavished on her son Thomas the love she never experienced as a child, and I found remarkable that Madame Hardy did not raise her child the way her mother did hers. Françoise Hardy comes off both as very judgemental yet very understanding, caring and generous; a woman who is at the same time frail and insecure yet strong enough to deal with anything bad that life throws her way; an artist who believes in integrity and never compromises. Music remains a constant in Françoise Hardy’s life, and she also made her various interests and passions contribute to her livelihood. While Françoise Hardy always appeared physically frail and so delicate, she is an incredibly strong woman.
In closing, I must mention the marvellous pictures that are included in the book, even in the digital version. It is obvious that every picture was meticulously chosen; each one serves a purpose, recalls a precise moment in time as told in the book. Each picture is a snapshot of Madame Hardy’s life, and I felt every one was very important as so many unsaid words were encapsulated in those photos. I have seldom seen pictures that better illustrate a person’s life than those in THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES, a riveting book about a very complex artist.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I give 4 ½ stars
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES is an education in itself, as the French – and European – music scene and processes were entirely different from the British and American ones. Françoise Hardy suffered from having a mother who did not quite know how to love, still Françoise loved her desperately, which unfortunately defined the problems the author went through all her life, self-admittedly, because she found it difficult to thrive when in a relationship. Françoise Hardy is the most complex person whose biography I have ever read, and I wondered if it was because she was so exceptional or simply if the author was so very candid and honest. She is not afraid to admit she forgot things – and not because of drugs or a dissipated life – but because it felt that, at times, she lived in a sort of vacuum, her extroversion leaving her somewhat a bit oblivious to the world around her.
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES must have been difficult for the author to write, because she does bare her soul, and retelling her love for Jacques Dutronc must have been terribly painful at times. She loved him with all her heart, and I am frankly not sure why. I don’t know how she could endure his erratic and often callous behaviour for so long – but then again, do we know why we love whom we love? It’s a very perplexing relationship, and one that gives much food for thought.
There is one problem with THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES, and it’s not Françoise Hardy’s fault, it’s the translation, which is seldom an issue with this genre. While adequate – it does after all make a French book by an important artist accessible to the English-speaking public – but I wonder if the translation was rushed. The writing style is unrefined for the most part; while there are few real typos and no grammar issues, the syntax is often very heavy, making the narrative far less flowing than it could have been. The translation is oftentimes too literal (“in this era”, which should have been “at that time”, the French expression obviously being “À cette époque); or “the charming singer Georges Guétary”; while I’m positive that Georges Guétary was a charming man, I strongly suspect that what was originally written must have been “le chanteur de charme Georges Guétary” – or crooner. More puzzling were the several mistakes in French in the body of the text, which were certainly not Madame Hardy’s doing, and the numerous mistakes in French in the footnotes were jarring. Why did I not read the book in French, will you ask? Because I did not know of its existence before noticing this translation; besides, a good translation should be transparent – an autobiography is not lyrical poetry, after all – and one should not be made aware of what the sentences or idiomatic expressions were in the original language. I will only half a star away for the translation, because it might not bother everyone.
THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES is also the story of a mother who lavished on her son Thomas the love she never experienced as a child, and I found remarkable that Madame Hardy did not raise her child the way her mother did hers. Françoise Hardy comes off both as very judgemental yet very understanding, caring and generous; a woman who is at the same time frail and insecure yet strong enough to deal with anything bad that life throws her way; an artist who believes in integrity and never compromises. Music remains a constant in Françoise Hardy’s life, and she also made her various interests and passions contribute to her livelihood. While Françoise Hardy always appeared physically frail and so delicate, she is an incredibly strong woman.
In closing, I must mention the marvellous pictures that are included in the book, even in the digital version. It is obvious that every picture was meticulously chosen; each one serves a purpose, recalls a precise moment in time as told in the book. Each picture is a snapshot of Madame Hardy’s life, and I felt every one was very important as so many unsaid words were encapsulated in those photos. I have seldom seen pictures that better illustrate a person’s life than those in THE DESPAIR OF MONKEYS AND OTHER TRIFLES, a riveting book about a very complex artist.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I give 4 ½ stars
May 29, 2018
So happy this English translation finally happened. Viva Francoise!
March 25, 2025
DNF à 77%. Lancinant, lent, répétitif. Pourquoi dit-elle de ses ami.e.s qu’iels sont laid.e.s? Utilisation du terme sexe faible… Peu impressionnée par ce livre. Intéressant de voir la sortie de ses chansons, mais peu sur le processus d’écriture.
August 17, 2020
Let me just say - I adore the work of Françoise Hardy.
Despite my interest in her work, the historical period, and the interactions with other artists I'm interested in, the book reads dull.
It comes across more like a laundry list of experiences, rather than something alive and passionate. I think it's likely due to a poor translation, as well as a general impression that Hardy seems disconnected (disinterested?) from the events of her own life.
Despite my interest in her work, the historical period, and the interactions with other artists I'm interested in, the book reads dull.
It comes across more like a laundry list of experiences, rather than something alive and passionate. I think it's likely due to a poor translation, as well as a general impression that Hardy seems disconnected (disinterested?) from the events of her own life.
August 6, 2011
Une autobiographie mélancolique, pleine de vérité, tristesse, amour, amis et chansons. Le tïtre ne s'explique qu'à la fin. Très émouvante. Une délice.
September 22, 2011
Belle écriture, mais je n'ai pas su aller jusqu'au bout, sans doute parce que vraiment, j'ai du mal à comprendre tant d'amour pour un type comme Dutronc!
July 21, 2017
Soporifique
Read
February 10, 2018Lo he dejado, leerla hace que me caiga mal.
April 23, 2022
I only came across Françoise Hardy when I was 20 and she quite a bit older. I was already programming radio and I heard one of her songs; it was a languid makeshift bossa nova called “À Vannes” and I liked it immediately. Months later I saw her photograph in a magazine (there was no internet, you understand –one could go for years not knowing what a European artist looked like).
That was it. Instant, eternal, unequalled love. All-consuming passion.
A Shakespearean love that even managed to dispel my previous passion for Jacqueline Bisset and Marie Trintignant (having a thing for French sensuous belles was a very cool affectation for a young man back then). I faced competition because both Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger were fans while Bob Dylan and David Bowie were besotted. So what?
Sadly, life took us in different directions and we couldn’t give our thing a chance to prosper and bloom. In fact, we did not even meet. And I didn’t buy any more of her records.
But much to my surprise I see that she decided to write a memoir and share with the world the life she refused to share with me. I did buy it.
This biography is as a bland and boring as she confesses herself to be, suffering from retiring tendencies and a serious inferiority complex, also burdened a French compulsion for appearing poetic, intellectual and philosophical, yet aloof and with beaucoup je ne sais quoi.
Here is an example of the convoluted mental acrobatics to refer to the araucaria araucana a tree common in the Andean regions of Chile and Southern Argentina, a tree that looks like many other conifers and is the inspiration for the title: “The spring that I wait for all year passes by more and more quickly with age and my heart clenches when I think how little time remains for me to see the lilacs blooming again, even though I want to believe that their beauty, like all forms of beauty, gives us a glimpse of the beyond. Whenever I get a chance, I fill my eyes with the enchanted sight of nature: the blue hyacinths of March, the pink magnolias and red tulips of April, the lilies of the valley, the roses, the peonies … magnolias and red tulips of April, the lilies of the valley, the roses, the peonies … all these marvels that help make our planet the earthy paradise described in the Bible, a paradise that many other humans have pillaged and trashed, and that others—bless them—have respected and maintained. When I am not too tired and time permits, I take a walk in the Parc de Bagatelle. During the week at lunchtime the only living beings that cross your path there are a couple of gardeners, peacocks, and ducks. I have identified four trees that I have arbitrarily established as my friends
(…)
“But my favorite tree stands discreetly apart and does not look like any other tree, most likely because it comes from somewhere far away. Its fairly slender trunk supports a multitude of long, thin branches that gracefully curve above the ground. It is surely for protection that they are studded with hard, sharp leaves. It is called the “Despair of Monkeys,” and I do not know whether I am attracted to it because I am almost a member of its family or because it reminds me of men who have caused me despair. They, too, discourage people from getting too close by making themselves inaccessible or by casting thorns. Fragile as they were, how could they have done otherwise?”
Fucksakes, Françoise just as well I didn’t give you a chance and you married a guy who plucks his eyebrows. You would have driven me up the wall. Probably with demented rants on a Saturday afternoon when all I wanted was to watch a game on TV and have a couple of beers with my friends. Tsk.
That was it. Instant, eternal, unequalled love. All-consuming passion.
A Shakespearean love that even managed to dispel my previous passion for Jacqueline Bisset and Marie Trintignant (having a thing for French sensuous belles was a very cool affectation for a young man back then). I faced competition because both Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger were fans while Bob Dylan and David Bowie were besotted. So what?
Sadly, life took us in different directions and we couldn’t give our thing a chance to prosper and bloom. In fact, we did not even meet. And I didn’t buy any more of her records.
But much to my surprise I see that she decided to write a memoir and share with the world the life she refused to share with me. I did buy it.
This biography is as a bland and boring as she confesses herself to be, suffering from retiring tendencies and a serious inferiority complex, also burdened a French compulsion for appearing poetic, intellectual and philosophical, yet aloof and with beaucoup je ne sais quoi.
Here is an example of the convoluted mental acrobatics to refer to the araucaria araucana a tree common in the Andean regions of Chile and Southern Argentina, a tree that looks like many other conifers and is the inspiration for the title: “The spring that I wait for all year passes by more and more quickly with age and my heart clenches when I think how little time remains for me to see the lilacs blooming again, even though I want to believe that their beauty, like all forms of beauty, gives us a glimpse of the beyond. Whenever I get a chance, I fill my eyes with the enchanted sight of nature: the blue hyacinths of March, the pink magnolias and red tulips of April, the lilies of the valley, the roses, the peonies … magnolias and red tulips of April, the lilies of the valley, the roses, the peonies … all these marvels that help make our planet the earthy paradise described in the Bible, a paradise that many other humans have pillaged and trashed, and that others—bless them—have respected and maintained. When I am not too tired and time permits, I take a walk in the Parc de Bagatelle. During the week at lunchtime the only living beings that cross your path there are a couple of gardeners, peacocks, and ducks. I have identified four trees that I have arbitrarily established as my friends
(…)
“But my favorite tree stands discreetly apart and does not look like any other tree, most likely because it comes from somewhere far away. Its fairly slender trunk supports a multitude of long, thin branches that gracefully curve above the ground. It is surely for protection that they are studded with hard, sharp leaves. It is called the “Despair of Monkeys,” and I do not know whether I am attracted to it because I am almost a member of its family or because it reminds me of men who have caused me despair. They, too, discourage people from getting too close by making themselves inaccessible or by casting thorns. Fragile as they were, how could they have done otherwise?”
Fucksakes, Françoise just as well I didn’t give you a chance and you married a guy who plucks his eyebrows. You would have driven me up the wall. Probably with demented rants on a Saturday afternoon when all I wanted was to watch a game on TV and have a couple of beers with my friends. Tsk.
November 26, 2023
While I have been aware of Ms Hardy's work for a number of years as being one of the early stars of the French new music movement known as 'ye-ye' in the early 1960's. Her first single went to number one in France as well as Quebec. Her 2nd single as went to number one in France both in 1962 all while she was 18 years old. Francoise grew up in with a single working class Mother. She spent a lot of time with her Grandmother who constantly criticized her and put her down, which gave her a strong feelings of inadequacies. But she persevered to become one of France's major stars, not only as a singer and songwriter, writing the lyrics co-writing with some of France's best composers of melody. She also made her mark as an actress, radio/TV presenter and writer. While she signed a distribution deal for the US in the mid-1960's her music never charted there and thus I only became aware of her much later in life.
The book is a recent English translation from the original 2008 release. It starts off strong with her descriptions of her childhood touching on important books she read as a child. She was a voracious reader. She states that "The Lady With the White Face" and "The Little Mermaid" marked her for life. Writing: "A story is all the more overwhelming when, despite its universal qualities, it helps cultivate a personal difficulty." My big problem with the book is that it was boring and very repetitive. It was hard to follow the time line as she would be writing about an event with someone and then suddenly you realize you are reading about something that happened years before without any context except remembering it had appeared earlier in the book. There are long segments were we read about meetings with other musicians and her boredom of everyone getting drunk. She goes on throughout the book of her frustration in lifelong marriage to a man, Jacques Dutronc, a singing and acting star, who paid very little attention to her and confessed often to having affairs with his co-stars during film shoots. And long stretches of her doing astrological charts for a long running radio program as well as articles for periodicals. One of the few touching moments is when she met and fell in love with the music of Nick Drake. She writes that she promoted his music to every person she could, including radio and music journalists she knew trying to get his music more popular. Occasionally she discusses the politics of the day and comes across rather ill informed. At one mentioning she thought the women's liberation movement was rather pointless as it was all about freedom to have sex. I scratched my head and thought WTF? And on and on it went. I almost stopped reading it when I was two thirds through it, but thought well I'll push on, but skimmed the astrological sections which became more frequent. I had the feeling that the flow was more to do with the translation, but perhaps also the need for a good editor.
The book is a recent English translation from the original 2008 release. It starts off strong with her descriptions of her childhood touching on important books she read as a child. She was a voracious reader. She states that "The Lady With the White Face" and "The Little Mermaid" marked her for life. Writing: "A story is all the more overwhelming when, despite its universal qualities, it helps cultivate a personal difficulty." My big problem with the book is that it was boring and very repetitive. It was hard to follow the time line as she would be writing about an event with someone and then suddenly you realize you are reading about something that happened years before without any context except remembering it had appeared earlier in the book. There are long segments were we read about meetings with other musicians and her boredom of everyone getting drunk. She goes on throughout the book of her frustration in lifelong marriage to a man, Jacques Dutronc, a singing and acting star, who paid very little attention to her and confessed often to having affairs with his co-stars during film shoots. And long stretches of her doing astrological charts for a long running radio program as well as articles for periodicals. One of the few touching moments is when she met and fell in love with the music of Nick Drake. She writes that she promoted his music to every person she could, including radio and music journalists she knew trying to get his music more popular. Occasionally she discusses the politics of the day and comes across rather ill informed. At one mentioning she thought the women's liberation movement was rather pointless as it was all about freedom to have sex. I scratched my head and thought WTF? And on and on it went. I almost stopped reading it when I was two thirds through it, but thought well I'll push on, but skimmed the astrological sections which became more frequent. I had the feeling that the flow was more to do with the translation, but perhaps also the need for a good editor.
May 10, 2019
I really wanted to like this book, but I found it frustratingly boring. It was very repetitive and relied far too much on name-dropping without interesting anecdotes or insights attached to it. It seems Hardy doesn't like most of her body of work; there is always something wrong with a recording or a performance. I certainly understand the perfectionism that comes with being an artist. And I understand that sometimes (often?) artists feel their work could be better. But it is a trope in this book. This is repeated with her accounts of her marriage as well. And on top of it all, the prose is thick and plodding.
I'm giving this an extra star, though, because I think the thick and plodding prose may be the fault of the translation instead of the original text, so I will give Hardy the benefit of the doubt on this. I also think I may have enjoyed the book more if I were better acquainted with her songs, and the book has inspired me to seek out and listen to more of them, so I have to give it props for that. But golly, this book was hard to read for any real stretch at a time. I simply did not find it engaging.
I'm giving this an extra star, though, because I think the thick and plodding prose may be the fault of the translation instead of the original text, so I will give Hardy the benefit of the doubt on this. I also think I may have enjoyed the book more if I were better acquainted with her songs, and the book has inspired me to seek out and listen to more of them, so I have to give it props for that. But golly, this book was hard to read for any real stretch at a time. I simply did not find it engaging.
March 16, 2021
My first awareness of Françoise Hardy was the iconic cover photograph of her debut album. A lovely girl with piercing blue eyes, clutching an umbrella over her shoulder, her face partially obscured by gently windblown hair making it impossible to discern any emotional state. A mid-century Mona Lisa, delicate and enigmatic.
Her music has captivated me ever since, from that first record in 1962 to her most recent release in 2018. Her discographical chronology traces an artist from adorable teenage piffling to weathered, elderly rumination, carried by a singular, elegiac voice.
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy her memoir. Hardy writes of her life in an oblique, disjointed style. She describes periods of deep torment without a hint of emotion on the page, and pivotal experiences are reduced to one or two paragraphs. The majority of the book focuses on the people around her through description and anecdote that is rarely interesting. And the astrology - about which she has written a separate book - is insipid.
Much as I recommend her musical output to the uninitiated, I would suggest even the most ardent fan avoid reading this.
Her music has captivated me ever since, from that first record in 1962 to her most recent release in 2018. Her discographical chronology traces an artist from adorable teenage piffling to weathered, elderly rumination, carried by a singular, elegiac voice.
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy her memoir. Hardy writes of her life in an oblique, disjointed style. She describes periods of deep torment without a hint of emotion on the page, and pivotal experiences are reduced to one or two paragraphs. The majority of the book focuses on the people around her through description and anecdote that is rarely interesting. And the astrology - about which she has written a separate book - is insipid.
Much as I recommend her musical output to the uninitiated, I would suggest even the most ardent fan avoid reading this.
September 24, 2025
J'ai aimé l'écriture de Françoise Hardy et son honnêteté, sa simplicité, son auto-réflexion et sa sagesse. Son style est très fluide, léger. J'ai été prise dans cette histoire de vie, une destinée aussi banale et qu'extraordinaire. J'imagine aussi qu'elle a voulu inclure tous les gens qu'elle a croisés dans sa vie, mais je trouve néanmoins certaines histoires peu intéressantes. Je suis un peu partagée car d'un côté, j'avais l'impression qu'elle avait juste envie de montrer qu'elle connaissait pleins de gens talentueux et en même temps, elle leur rendait hommage à presque toutes et tous, de manière très humble. De même que je trouve que cela lui aurait servi de ne pas donner son avis sur certains sujets de société, cela la fait passer pour quelqu'un de privilégiée et réactionnaire sur certains sujets, notamment en critiquant des associations militantes qui se battent pour les droits des minorités. J'ai été également frustrée qu'elle ne mette jamais la faute sur son Jacques qu'elle idolâtre alors que clairement, il ne la traite pas avec respect. Elle méritait mieux. Mais les dernières lignes m'ont réconciliée avec cet aspect.
July 29, 2017
Sin duda una vida interesante, llena de artistas emblemáticos de la farándula francesa (uno se pierde con tantos nombres), y es relatada sin mucho pudor, incluso diciendo cosas que seguramente resultan impopulares. Lo cierto es que hay momentos en que la narración se hace densa y se convierte en una sucesión de nombres Françoise ha tenido el placer de conocer y trabajar a su lado, pero hay episodios interesantes, y el retrato crudo de esa relación de amor tan extraña entre ella y Dutronc es de una sinceridad que impresiona.
Un libro muy interesante paar aquellos a los que les interese el mundo de la producción musical, la escena francesa o incluso la astrología, porque aquí la señora resulta ser una eminencia del tema..
Un libro muy interesante paar aquellos a los que les interese el mundo de la producción musical, la escena francesa o incluso la astrología, porque aquí la señora resulta ser una eminencia del tema..
November 3, 2025
Difficult to finish as it feels rambling but wonderful book into the mind of one of my all time favorite singers whose musings I found incredibly poetic but also astute, perceptive, and relatable. Perhaps my biggest sentiment after reading this book is, wow, how complicated is love, and how tragic, lost, and meandering are a lot of artists lives. Practically, it was helpful to see the processes that a singer may be involved in, and I loved how she shared the specific opinions she had on the songs, collaborative processes, promotions, and all.
June 6, 2019
Biografía que sin duda gusta a quien le apasione Françoise Hardy, se conoce mucho sobre ella. Simplemente no hay más que decir del contenido, aunque tengo que incidir en la traducción, el libro está repleto de faltas ortográficas, una frase en francés por ejemplo que se repite 4 veces en dos páginas y está bien escrita sólo una vez... y así en innumerables ocasiones, la editorial debería tener en cuenta eso, ya que la edición es preciosa pero lo que más cuenta es lo que hay en el interior.
February 19, 2024
Francoise Hardy, a true yearner! I enjoyed reading her views on astrology and life philosophies, but struggled to get through her recounting of day to day meetings and interactions with French celebrities. A self critical Capricorn, it seems she was hardly satisfied with the production of any of her songs, which surprised me.
December 28, 2017
Reseña completa en https://algunoslibrosbuenos.com/deses...
Hoy os traemos la reseña de La desesperación de los simios y otras bagatelas las memorias de Françoise Hardy. Para muchos adolescentes de la época...
Hoy os traemos la reseña de La desesperación de los simios y otras bagatelas las memorias de Françoise Hardy. Para muchos adolescentes de la época...
November 16, 2019
My interest in French pop has really waned in the past few years but this was a much more interesting read than I expected. Really neat to read about the musicians who inspired Françoise and learn all about her other career as an astrologer!
May 12, 2025
An interesting slice of French late Twentieth Century popular culture. But if I’m honest, Hardy - who I love as a singer - lacks both curiosity and self-awareness as a narrator. Hopefully any future biography of her will be translated into English.
November 1, 2025
structure horrible, sans aucun sens, avec des noms interminables sans relation avec rien, sans thèmes, sans des vrais sentiments, sans rien de rien. un livre insuportable d'une femme qui n'a rien à dire
January 17, 2026
Weird and confounding at times. It was fun to read and listen to the songs she discusses. I left the book wondering if she was ever happy. I might need to read a biography to get further insight into her life.
July 26, 2020
j'ai aimé apprendre de l'intérieur une période qui me passionne, être au coeur de l'hypersensibilité de l'autrice
June 23, 2023
What a life, what a woman.. A maker of wonderful French pop music, and perhaps on the spectrum. Beautiful. Intelligent. Fiercely independent. What's not to love?
November 15, 2024
françoise hardy te amo
July 7, 2021
This autobiography of a music and fashion icon comes across as strangely stilted and passionless. Maybe it’s a French thing, but her most commonly expressed emotion is ambiguity. Interesting anecdotes accumulate, but nothing much seems to move Françoise - not her recording career, not international stardom, not her long unconventional love affairs. But she’s cynical and intelligent and unquestionably lovely to look at, the photos alone are worth the price of the book.
February 6, 2025
Read this during Christmas break. Although I have a fondness and respect for all memoirs I have read this year, Françoise's stands out as one of the more intelligent ones. Reading this book has genuinely enriched me!
"whatever form it appears, beauty has always been an overwhelming glimpse of nature for me. Inaccessible yet familiar by its sheer obviousness, it reveals the void we unknowingly try to fill."
"Hanging only by a thread, fragile and ephemeral in its form, beauty echoes the tragic aspect of the human condition, which it sublimates and justifies."
"Suffering fills the open wound. The wound is the sin and suffering is the answer,” says The Dialogues with the Angel."
"Little by little I realized that she was unconsciously giving me the responsibility of giving her reasons to be proud—a pride she desperately needed to compensate for the disappointments of her personal life."
"Convinced my future would be that of a nun and flattered by the attention I was receiving from a boy for the first time, I thought I was in love, when I was only attracted by the image of myself he was reflecting."
"Why do some people give the impression of being protected, while others seem to be prey to a curse"
"It has to be acknowledged that the more impossible love affairs are, the more they intensify the illusion that the individual on whom we have crystallized our needs and hopes is the only lovable person in the world, the only person we will ever love."
"Despite their good intentions, I learned to distrust good friends who try to do you a favor as if they know more than you, when their personal lives are complete disasters and when you have the good fortune of sharing the life of a man who makes you the envy of many women. It is much better to trust your own instincts than to betray yourself."
"If a man meets a wall, spirituality tells us, it is because the wall is inside him. If he has the wall of inertia, fear, revolt, greed, pride, guilt, thoughtlessness, and so on inside, the first step he takes will lead him into it. He must therefore rid himself of what shackles him…"
"reacted to his total withdrawal quickly and hit bottom. This is a quasi-mathematical law. The more the state of exacerbation and unhappiness betrays the irrepressible nature of the attraction, the more it inspires in the individual who is its object a frightened retreat that gives full scope to his desire to take back the reins. If I had inspired a mad passion as visible as mine, I, too, would have beat a hasty retreat"
“Whatever you say, whatever you do, whatever you wish to pass on, you must be that thing. Nothing can be given if you are not what you are passing along, without which the thing will be lifeless and therefore have no vibration, and no effect.”
"But my favorite tree stands discreetly apart and does not look like any other tree, most likely because it comes from somewhere far away. Its fairly slender trunk supports a multitude of long, thin branches that gracefully curve above the ground. It is surely for protection that they are studded with hard, sharp leaves. It is called the “Despair of Monkeys,”and I do not know whether I am attracted to it because I am almost a member of its family or because it reminds me of men who have caused me despair. They, too, discourage people from getting too close by making themselves inaccessible or by casting thorns. Fragile as they were, how could they have done otherwise?"
"whatever form it appears, beauty has always been an overwhelming glimpse of nature for me. Inaccessible yet familiar by its sheer obviousness, it reveals the void we unknowingly try to fill."
"Hanging only by a thread, fragile and ephemeral in its form, beauty echoes the tragic aspect of the human condition, which it sublimates and justifies."
"Suffering fills the open wound. The wound is the sin and suffering is the answer,” says The Dialogues with the Angel."
"Little by little I realized that she was unconsciously giving me the responsibility of giving her reasons to be proud—a pride she desperately needed to compensate for the disappointments of her personal life."
"Convinced my future would be that of a nun and flattered by the attention I was receiving from a boy for the first time, I thought I was in love, when I was only attracted by the image of myself he was reflecting."
"Why do some people give the impression of being protected, while others seem to be prey to a curse"
"It has to be acknowledged that the more impossible love affairs are, the more they intensify the illusion that the individual on whom we have crystallized our needs and hopes is the only lovable person in the world, the only person we will ever love."
"Despite their good intentions, I learned to distrust good friends who try to do you a favor as if they know more than you, when their personal lives are complete disasters and when you have the good fortune of sharing the life of a man who makes you the envy of many women. It is much better to trust your own instincts than to betray yourself."
"If a man meets a wall, spirituality tells us, it is because the wall is inside him. If he has the wall of inertia, fear, revolt, greed, pride, guilt, thoughtlessness, and so on inside, the first step he takes will lead him into it. He must therefore rid himself of what shackles him…"
"reacted to his total withdrawal quickly and hit bottom. This is a quasi-mathematical law. The more the state of exacerbation and unhappiness betrays the irrepressible nature of the attraction, the more it inspires in the individual who is its object a frightened retreat that gives full scope to his desire to take back the reins. If I had inspired a mad passion as visible as mine, I, too, would have beat a hasty retreat"
“Whatever you say, whatever you do, whatever you wish to pass on, you must be that thing. Nothing can be given if you are not what you are passing along, without which the thing will be lifeless and therefore have no vibration, and no effect.”
"But my favorite tree stands discreetly apart and does not look like any other tree, most likely because it comes from somewhere far away. Its fairly slender trunk supports a multitude of long, thin branches that gracefully curve above the ground. It is surely for protection that they are studded with hard, sharp leaves. It is called the “Despair of Monkeys,”and I do not know whether I am attracted to it because I am almost a member of its family or because it reminds me of men who have caused me despair. They, too, discourage people from getting too close by making themselves inaccessible or by casting thorns. Fragile as they were, how could they have done otherwise?"
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