Avant que tout me devienne insupportable

by Yves Navarre, Jean Perrenoud (Introduction)

Un poète contraint de vendre les livres de sa bibliothèque pour accomplir un voyage dont il ne rapportera que de mystérieux bocaux ; une vieille dame qui écrit à l'homme de sa vie, disparu depuis longtemps sans laisser de trace ; un enseignant qui prend des notes pour un roman dont la première phrase sera : « Les nuits tombaient de plus en plus vite » ; "L'accroc", "Nours" et "Puck" sont les trois dernières nouvelles écrites par Yves Navarre peu avant sa mort en 1994. L'angoisse du temps qui passe — à laquelle seule l'écriture permet d'échapper en lui dérobant quelques fragments d'éternité — est au cœur de ces textes comme elle est au cœur de toute l'œuvre de Navarre. Le lecteur fidèle y retrouvera la sensibilité qui a permis à cet écrivain d'exception de conquérir un public d'inconditionnels. Ces nouvelles offriront par ailleurs à ceux qui abordent Navarre pour la première fois la possibilité de découvrir les multiples facettes de son talent.

36 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2013

About the author

Yves Navarre (September 24, 1940 – January 24, 1994) was a French writer. A gay man, most of his work concerned homosexuality and associated issues, such as AIDS. In his romantic works, Navarre was noted for his tendency to emphasize sensuality and "the mystical qualities of love" rather than sexuality or sensationalism. He was awarded the 1980 Prix Goncourt for his novel Le Jardin d'acclimatation.

He studied Spanish, English, and French literature at the University of Lille, earning degrees in 1961 and 1964. The following year, he studied at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales du Nord. He then worked for an ad agency as a creative writer.

He began submitting works to publishers in 1958, although it was not until 1971 that his first novel, Lady Black, was published. This was followed in 1973 by Les Loukoums, which tells the story of a malady afflicting a group of New Yorkers. A string of novels followed, often – as in Le Petit Galopin de nos corps, 1977 and Portrait de Julien devant la fenêtre, 1979 – about love affairs between two male characters. He also wrote works of drama, such as Il pleut : si on tuait papa-maman, La Guerre des piscines, and Les Dernières clientes.

For Le Jardin d'acclimatation, the story of a young well-born man imprisoned and lobotomized for his homosexuality, Navarre was awarded the Prix Goncourt in 1980. He became François Mitterrand's main advocate in the gay community during the 1981 and 1988 elections, although as a novelist and not a politician, he felt misunderstood and ineffective in the role.

In 1984, Navarre suffered a stroke. He did not publish any more works until 1986.

Between 1990 and 1993 he lived in Montreal, Quebec. His 1992 novel Ce sont amis que vent emporte tells the story of a sculptor, Roch, in a relationship with a dancer, David. The novel recounts their struggle against AIDS. After his return to France, he developed depression and committed suicide with barbiturates on January 24, 1994.

For a particularly moving obituary, please see http://www.independent.co.uk/news/peo...