Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Drôle de temps

Rate this book
Un jeune cadre dynamique bloqué dans une sanisette ; un souvenir d'enfance au bord de la mer ; un acteur de théâtre reconverti dans les sitcoms ; deux filles saoules à cent soixante à l'heure sur l'autoroute ; les conversations d'une vache et d'un Parisien... D'aventure en mésaventure, un personnage se métamorphose ; la bizarrerie involontaire des situations d'époque et des décors quotidiens provoque le rire avant de glisser, parfois, vers le cauchemar. Entre humour, poésie et fiction, le livre singulier d'un écrivain salué par Milan Kundera pour son "sens aigu du réel".

176 pages, Pocket Book

First published January 1, 1997

14 people want to read

About the author

Benoît Duteurtre

53 books65 followers
Benoît Duteurtre (20 March 1960 – 16 July 2024) was a French novelist and essayist. He was also a musical critic, musician, producer and host of a radio show about music. He spent his time between Paris, New York and Normandy.

Benoît Duteurtre was born in Sainte-Adresse, Seine-Maritime, Upper Normandy, where he spent his first years. He was the son of Jean-Claude Duteurtre and Marie-Claire Georges. He was also the great-grandson of the French president René Coty. He attended Saint-Joseph, a Catholic educational institution in Le Havre. Duteurtre began to write at an early age. At fifteen, he presented his first texts to Armand Salacrou, a French dramatist established in Le Havre, who encouraged him to pursue his efforts. Le Havre, a heavily destroyed city during World War II and rebuilt in the structural classicism style will often reappear in Duteurtre's later works.

At the age of sixteen, Benoît Duteurtre was fascinated with modern music, especially the work of Pierre Boulez. In 1977, Benoît began musicology studies at the University of Rouen, France. That same year, he met Karlheinz Stockhausen and, a year later, Iannis Xenakis. In 1979, Benoît Duteurtre studied for a month with György Ligeti, whose musical theory later had a strong influence in his life. He graduated with a license in Musicology.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
3 (9%)
4 stars
4 (12%)
3 stars
15 (48%)
2 stars
8 (25%)
1 star
1 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Elusive.Mystery.
486 reviews9 followers
August 8, 2012
A delightful book of short stories about the changes brought on by “progress.” I particularly enjoyed this story about villagers living in a pristine, pastoral setting, who systematically set out to destroy the beauty of their village to expand tourism and industry, and end up yearning for vacations in rustic areas untouched by progress. In French.

Profile Image for George.
416 reviews4 followers
May 10, 2016
Si j'habite à Paris, je comprendrais mieux les nuances des histoires.
Profile Image for Williambasinskidisciple.
36 reviews
January 12, 2023
La nouvelle sur la sanisette était excellente. Comme au cinéma m’a aussi plu, mais les nouvelles qui la précédaient ont gâché le tout.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.