Poupée blonde

by Patrick Modiano, Pierre Le-Tan (Illustrator)

Un delicioso divertimento literario alrededor de una pieza teatral sobre el paso del tiempo y sus consecuencias. Querido este libro es el programa de mano del estreno en París de una pieza teatral titulada Muñequita rubia , de Pierre-Michel Wals. Contiene el texto de la obra, una nota introductoria de la directora del Teatro de las Artes, el listado de personajes y actores, algunos bocetos del vestuario y algunos anuncios publicitarios. La obra pone en escena el reencuentro de cinco amigos que en su juventud montaron el grupo musical los Peter-Pans y tuvieron un primer éxito con una canción titulada «Muñequita rubia». Ahora, veinte años después de aquello, vuelven a verse las caras. La peculiaridad de la reunión es que tres de ellos siguen vivos, han envejecido y están a punto de cumplir los cuarenta, pero los otros dos, que fallecieron hace tiempo, se presentan como fantasmas veinteañeros anclados en el pasado. El cruce de unos y otros lleva a una reflexión melancólica, divertida y desencantada sobre la vida, los anhelos y el paso del tiempo, en un territorio entre el sueño y la realidad. Querido todo lo que contiene este libro que sostienes en las manos es un juego literario, un capricho elaborado por Patrick Modiano y su cómplice, el exquisito ilustrador Pierre Le-Tan. Todo es ficticio, empezando por el supuesto autor de la pieza. ¿Todo? Bueno, el libro incluye algunos guiños, porque entre los actores hay algunos que sí existieron, como la propia madre de Modiano, que en efecto fue actriz de teatro y cine. Forma parte del encanto de esta sofisticada pirueta que se presenta como un divertimento, pero que es mucho más que un prodigioso ejercicio de malabarismo literario y visual que, bajo su aparente liviandad, explora temas como la corrosión del tiempo, el abandono de los ideales de juventud y la asunción del desencanto que conlleva madurar.

121 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Patrick Modiano is a French-language author and playwright and winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature.

He is a winner of the 1972 Grand prix du roman de l'Académie française, and the 1978 Prix Goncourt for his novel "Rue des boutiques obscures".

Modiano's parents met in occupied Paris during World War II and began a clandestine relationship. Modiano's childhood took place in a unique atmosphere: with an absent father -- of which he heard troubled stories of dealings with the Vichy regime -- and a Flemish-actress mother who frequently toured. His younger brother's sudden death also greatly influenced his writings.

While he was at Henri-IV lycee, he took geometry lessons from writer Raymond Queneau, who was a friend of Modiano's mother. He entered the Sorbonne, but did not complete his studies.

Queneau, the author of "Zazie dans le métro", introduced Modiano to the literary world via a cocktail party given by publishing house Éditions Gallimard. Modiano published his first novel, "La Place de l’Étoile", with Gallimard in 1968, after having read the manuscript to Raymond Queneau. Starting that year, he did nothing but write.

On September 12, 1970, Modiano married Dominique Zerhfuss. "I have a catastrophic souvenir of the day of our marriage. It rained. A real nightmare. Our groomsmen were Queneau, who had mentored Patrick since his adolescence, and Malraux, a friend of my father. They started to argue about Dubuffet, and it was like we were watching a tennis match! That said, it would have been funny to have some photos, but the only person who had a camera forgot to bring a roll of film. There is only one photo remaining of us, from behind and under an umbrella!" (Interview with Elle, 6 October 2003). From their marriage came two girls, Zina (1974) and Marie (1978).

Modiano has mentioned on Oct 9, 2014, during an interview with La Grande Librairie, that one of the books which had a great impact on his writing life was 'Le cœur est un chasseur solitaire' (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter), the first novel published by Carson McCullers in 1940.

(Arabic: باتريك موديانو)

Reviews

[Ana Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ha sido una obra algo lenta en cuanto a la prosa aveces era insípida y poco atrayente, a mí me ha parecido que la he leído en un mes pero, solo han pasado dos días.

[Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gusta leer obras de teatro, pero esta me ha dejado un poco fría
Buenas conversaciones a veces, pero poco más

[Brian Haines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange book. Patrick Modiano has written a novel in the form of a playtext and accompanying documents. The play is attributed to the fictional Pierre-Michel Wals and the script is framed among equally fictional material that might have been found in a theatre programme: portraits of the actors, set and costume design sketches - even a portrait of the imaginary designer, "Milos". Best of all are the pastiche advertisements. All of this artwork is by Pierre Le-Tan and it's exquisite. But the play itself isn't much fun to read. It concerns the reunion of the members of a 60s pop group, "Les Peter-Pans" who had one big hit (Poupée Blonde) and then broke up. Twenty years on, they meet again and discuss what has happened to them in the meantime. That's about it. There's a little more to it but to give details might spoil the plot, such as there is.

So, while I couldn't say I enjoyed the reading, it's a beautiful book to look at and an intriguing concept. And it's very short.

[Alex Castillo Barona]

Libro lúdico, onírico y engañosamente ligero. Bajo la premisa de ser un programa de mano para una obra de teatro con todo y sus anuncios, el texto que incluye el libreto de la obra de teatro completa se convierte en unas cuantas páginas en una reflexión profunda sobre la juventud perdida. Amigos de una vez en la vida, promesas incumplidas y la nostalgia del pasado pero también del futuro que pudo ser. Te deja pensando... y recordando.

[Patrick Jamieson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this little "play" and the way it supplies a creative, different approach to Modiano's recurring reflections on Memory and Time. I liked it. However, I can see that one may need to be a Modiano aficionado to appreciate it. Assuming you read French, it is an easy one-sitting read. But don't let this book be the first or the only Modiano title that you read.

[Jorge Esquivel · Rating 3 out of 5]

no sé porque le di tres estrellas honestamente