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Nocturne Pondichéry: Nouvelles
Des blessures anciennes qui peinent à cicatriser, des espoirs qui bercent et des présents qui transpercent ceux que Pondichéry a enfantés. Nocturne Pondichéry est un recueil de nouvelles qui raconte des vies façonnées par des siècles de colonisation et une culture indienne complexe. Des histoires imaginaires ancrées dans la dure et multiple réalité de l'Inde.
124 pages, Paperback
Published June 21, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 28, 2024
Le Noir meets Le Thinnai
5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
#NocturnePondicherry is #AriGautier ‘a 3rd installation in the #Francophone Indian literary map. 7 poignant noir novellas translated from the French to English by #RoopamSingh emerge from the nooks and crannies of the city still immersed by the old world charm.
A grand canal becomes the architectural divide between 2 distinct cultural milieus in the city that is fondly known as the Indian French Riviera - #Pondicherry.
The vivid Tamil Quarters (Black Town) juxtaposes the other half of the French’s boulevards in the White Town (#VilleBlanche). A stark contrast of the traditional Tamil architectural landscape from the picturesque quaint French styled buildings.
The unmissable #Thinnai / verandah leaps to the eye in every story Ari Gautier takes us through. I can’t help but think Ari as the old man quietly smoking his suruttu (cigar) on the Thinnai watching the world get by. Must be his vantage point for him to sit on the architectural marvel that is the Thinnai as an observer witnessing the eccentricities and chaos of the port city when night falls. As Ari says, there’s no Pondicherry without her Thinnais.
Enough of the rosiness now. We’re here for the dark deeds.
The black town was first ghettoised intentionally by the casteist maniacs and then came the Europeans who brought Apartheid into the very ghettoes. The ghettoisation stemmed from immensely violent caste system and the colonial rule. The renouncer Tamils became French citizens during the 1881 act and serve France by fighting wars in other countries. While other Tamils were sent to colonies across the world as indentured labourers.
“Exile” and “Marguerite” in this series discusses nationalism and survival. The offering of French citizenship became a way for the Pondicherrians violated to escape from the gruesome caste system.
“Viji” the sex worker protagonist in the first story makes a rather indelible impression and lays bare the distorted reality of Tamil women’s freedom. The scene starts with Viji surviving the walk through the cacophonous streets with insufferably lewd men. She almost found herself a home in the man she eloped with. Only to discover a little later that she was yet a pawn in another man’s grand plan for money.
“Mani Enna” lays bare the custodial monstrosities committed by the corrupted cop on Jacques a homosexual man stripped off his dignity and living rights. Heart wrenching tale that gave me shudders.
“Malarvizhi” explored the female gaze and lust only to be shunned by a priestly oppressor caste tyrant. “The Golden Cage” is a beautifully crafted story of the Chetty family on the Chetty street that shows humanity at the mercy of caste oppression.
“The Postman, the Madman and the Drunkard” serves a political satire. One to make you draw parallels with actual politicians and state of affairs in the city.
Such delectable array of Pondicherrian noir from the nocturnes of the enigmatic city. With the various street imageries written by Ari , I was teleported into Pondicherry and back. Thank you for this experience, my friend!
@ari.gautier
I’ve featured my book against a perfectly handcrafted gorgeous silk #marbling saree right from the heart of #Auroville, Pondicherry - their renowned textile marbling department in Aurobindo Ashram.
Of course, I enjoyed my Nicaraguan #suruttu (#cigar) #Padron1964anniversary edition and #Bowmore18 years #scotch.
#igreads #bookstagram #booksandcigars #book #read #bookstagrammer #bookreviewer #bookblogger #readersofinstagram #bookreviewersofinstagram #bookish #readers #pondicherryliterature #hachetteindia #translatedworks
5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
#NocturnePondicherry is #AriGautier ‘a 3rd installation in the #Francophone Indian literary map. 7 poignant noir novellas translated from the French to English by #RoopamSingh emerge from the nooks and crannies of the city still immersed by the old world charm.
A grand canal becomes the architectural divide between 2 distinct cultural milieus in the city that is fondly known as the Indian French Riviera - #Pondicherry.
The vivid Tamil Quarters (Black Town) juxtaposes the other half of the French’s boulevards in the White Town (#VilleBlanche). A stark contrast of the traditional Tamil architectural landscape from the picturesque quaint French styled buildings.
The unmissable #Thinnai / verandah leaps to the eye in every story Ari Gautier takes us through. I can’t help but think Ari as the old man quietly smoking his suruttu (cigar) on the Thinnai watching the world get by. Must be his vantage point for him to sit on the architectural marvel that is the Thinnai as an observer witnessing the eccentricities and chaos of the port city when night falls. As Ari says, there’s no Pondicherry without her Thinnais.
Enough of the rosiness now. We’re here for the dark deeds.
The black town was first ghettoised intentionally by the casteist maniacs and then came the Europeans who brought Apartheid into the very ghettoes. The ghettoisation stemmed from immensely violent caste system and the colonial rule. The renouncer Tamils became French citizens during the 1881 act and serve France by fighting wars in other countries. While other Tamils were sent to colonies across the world as indentured labourers.
“Exile” and “Marguerite” in this series discusses nationalism and survival. The offering of French citizenship became a way for the Pondicherrians violated to escape from the gruesome caste system.
“Viji” the sex worker protagonist in the first story makes a rather indelible impression and lays bare the distorted reality of Tamil women’s freedom. The scene starts with Viji surviving the walk through the cacophonous streets with insufferably lewd men. She almost found herself a home in the man she eloped with. Only to discover a little later that she was yet a pawn in another man’s grand plan for money.
“Mani Enna” lays bare the custodial monstrosities committed by the corrupted cop on Jacques a homosexual man stripped off his dignity and living rights. Heart wrenching tale that gave me shudders.
“Malarvizhi” explored the female gaze and lust only to be shunned by a priestly oppressor caste tyrant. “The Golden Cage” is a beautifully crafted story of the Chetty family on the Chetty street that shows humanity at the mercy of caste oppression.
“The Postman, the Madman and the Drunkard” serves a political satire. One to make you draw parallels with actual politicians and state of affairs in the city.
Such delectable array of Pondicherrian noir from the nocturnes of the enigmatic city. With the various street imageries written by Ari , I was teleported into Pondicherry and back. Thank you for this experience, my friend!
@ari.gautier
I’ve featured my book against a perfectly handcrafted gorgeous silk #marbling saree right from the heart of #Auroville, Pondicherry - their renowned textile marbling department in Aurobindo Ashram.
Of course, I enjoyed my Nicaraguan #suruttu (#cigar) #Padron1964anniversary edition and #Bowmore18 years #scotch.
#igreads #bookstagram #booksandcigars #book #read #bookstagrammer #bookreviewer #bookblogger #readersofinstagram #bookreviewersofinstagram #bookish #readers #pondicherryliterature #hachetteindia #translatedworks
March 7, 2023
J’espère que je peut savoir le contexte du livre et de la culture francophone à l’Inde parce que peut être j’ai compris plus. Mais, les histoires sont très intéressantes donc j’aime le livre en général.
July 29, 2024
Pondicherry - a city of beaches, love and peace. A city that echoes the sound of receding waves at dawn and comes to life with sparkling lights as dusk sets in. A town of tranquillity and hope, and more importantly, less traffic and more greenery. But as people keep talking more and more about these places, I wonder who will speak about those ignored counterparts that are covered in darkness through the night where hounds await their prey as the light goes off? Who will bring to light the stories of women and men who are wronged, those who are beaten to death, those who become slaves of alcohol and cannabis, those who are pushed off limits to do the unthinkable, those who are sold into prostitution? If everyone spoke of the happy events, who is to speak of the unspoken things that lie at the trench? And I think it's the sole purpose why this book exists.
Every dazzling city full of life has a side to it where darkness engulfs people as a whole, in silence and secret. And it pains me to think that my hometown also hides horrors and sorrows amidst the celebrations and lively nightlife. But it is what it is. I could have encountered Jacques from 'The Exile', who was struggling with gender identity as I was soaked in the sun on a tender evening on a bench. I could have come face to face with Viji from the opening chapter by the shore without recognising her struggles and trauma. I could have had a casual conversation with Marguerite as I passed by the road without knowing her story. I could have met everyone in this book but still wouldn't have imagined such dark secrets hidden behind their smiling faces. And it pains me to think this was highly probable, if not possible.
This anthology contains seven brilliant short stories, all revolving around the lives of commoners in Pondicherry. The way this book resonates with me can't be put in words as it describes the lanes and streets I had seen with fascination growing up. Every story has a connection to human characters and the deeper secrets they harbour, and they end in an uncharacteristic ending, which is thought-provoking. This 110-page collection is something I would definitely recommend for people who love unconventional stories with realistic characters.
Every dazzling city full of life has a side to it where darkness engulfs people as a whole, in silence and secret. And it pains me to think that my hometown also hides horrors and sorrows amidst the celebrations and lively nightlife. But it is what it is. I could have encountered Jacques from 'The Exile', who was struggling with gender identity as I was soaked in the sun on a tender evening on a bench. I could have come face to face with Viji from the opening chapter by the shore without recognising her struggles and trauma. I could have had a casual conversation with Marguerite as I passed by the road without knowing her story. I could have met everyone in this book but still wouldn't have imagined such dark secrets hidden behind their smiling faces. And it pains me to think this was highly probable, if not possible.
This anthology contains seven brilliant short stories, all revolving around the lives of commoners in Pondicherry. The way this book resonates with me can't be put in words as it describes the lanes and streets I had seen with fascination growing up. Every story has a connection to human characters and the deeper secrets they harbour, and they end in an uncharacteristic ending, which is thought-provoking. This 110-page collection is something I would definitely recommend for people who love unconventional stories with realistic characters.
November 25, 2025
Having been born, brought up and still living in Pondicherry, for almost 37 years now, I can relate to the places, setting and people of the book very well. These are places that I grew up in, I roamed about and i rode around in cycle since my early teens.
Yet, I do not feel very positive about the book.
For one, the translation is quite bad that most stories, despite retaining choesive narrative till the end, seemingly jumps here and there often, loses track of which character it is referring to or which timeline it is speaking about - that makes this a bit annoying read. Sometimes, the sentences are constructed poorly and are filled with needless similes.
And for two, the stories themselves seem to deliberately focus on the 'bad-ness' in everything, in the city, in the people, in the cultture - in a past time. Not that it is bad to write about them, but it is the visible deliberate effort to write them, that I could sense around each of those stories that makes me feel not so positive about the book.
The last story, about the postman is a really good one and is of literary quality - I wish this was written better than how it is now.
Yet, I do not feel very positive about the book.
For one, the translation is quite bad that most stories, despite retaining choesive narrative till the end, seemingly jumps here and there often, loses track of which character it is referring to or which timeline it is speaking about - that makes this a bit annoying read. Sometimes, the sentences are constructed poorly and are filled with needless similes.
And for two, the stories themselves seem to deliberately focus on the 'bad-ness' in everything, in the city, in the people, in the cultture - in a past time. Not that it is bad to write about them, but it is the visible deliberate effort to write them, that I could sense around each of those stories that makes me feel not so positive about the book.
The last story, about the postman is a really good one and is of literary quality - I wish this was written better than how it is now.
April 30, 2025
i took way too much time to read this book than it needed, so i am a little fuzzy about the earlier stories. based on what i can remember, here are my thoughts: these stories are really effective in evoking emotion. as a new reader, i don’t usually get too emotional reading books, but there were times here when i felt very strongly about certain things happening to characters, and that was new to me. the way it depicts reality is hard-hitting and, once again, effective. however, i can’t tell if the author is portraying the stories in a way that reflects reality as it is, or if they are overindulging in misery porn, reducing all the underprivileged people to just their trauma and taking pleasure in that misery. but that is just a small feeling i have in the corner of my mind; i can’t even find any proper proof to support that feeling. all things considered, i do think the author had the best intentions at heart, and i think this is a really good book.
November 30, 2025
Good book, random train station find. Vignettes were well written and emotionally moving. It was a bit jarring to jump from story to story after each one ended abruptly with a shocking or unfortunate revelation. Wish there was more thought put into continuity. Also was left wondering how true these stories were... are there historical underpinnings behind these unfortunate social dynamics? I'd like more on that to really appreciate this work.
February 4, 2025
It was mediocre at best and irksome at its worse points. The Exile and The Postman were the only ones I somewhat enjoyed. The stories have a habit of running into cliches in most uninteresting ways possible and the settings usually felt caricature-ish. Maybe it's the translation but I am not tempted to believe that fully.
January 1, 2025
Rating 3.75 stars
Review -
‘Rejecting its crapulous blanket, Pondicherry woke up and got ready to hide behind its faux holy veil.’ Nocturne Pondicherry by Ari Gautier, tr from French by Roopam Singh is a collection of 7 stories that takes us readers away from the White Town, marked by tidy avenues, French-style villas, beachside promenade and dotted with upscale restaurants and quaint cafes. Across the canal, into the Black town, where vices lie in heaps, we are made to look at this erstwhile French colony, not like a tourist but a keen onlooker. As the author paints pictures of night scenes - ‘nocturnes’ in the town, he writes - ‘It was as if they needed all this vulgarity and violence to face the next dawn’, adding that even the moon hid behind clouds, ashamed at the ostentatious display of debauchery.
Women exploited, wastrel & drunkard men, indelible caste divisions assume center stage in most stories. While these are facets of life in many Indian towns and cities, making the stories fairly commonplace, it is stories -’‘The Exile’ and ‘Marguerite’, where the author focuses on Pondicherry’s history and society, the French colonial rule, that add gravitas. What did the decree of renunciation of Sept 1881 and the offer of French citizenship in 1962 mean to Indians in Pondicherry?, we learn through experiences of characters here.
How caste markers are hard to erase, how human beings excel in acts of spotting differences and segregating are at the core of ‘Malarvizhi’ and ‘The Golden Cage'. The author's interview on Scroll titled ‘I can't write about anything else except Pondicherry’ enhanced my understanding of the stories - the choice of characters and plot.
A girl named Vijaya (meaning victory) escapes the inferno she is pushed into by her mother only to fall into another, a woman realizes she is a mere pawn in the game of life even when her father calls her Rani, a postman’s failure to deliver a letter ruins a whole family; a collection well translated and supported by a glossary, Nocturne Pondicherry, rooted in Pondicherry’s socio-cultural milieu, but universal too is a fillip to Indian Francophone literature.
I wouldn't say I was floored by the stories here but they left with a little knowledge of laws and policies during the French colonial rule, how this affected generations of Indians in the town.
Review -
‘Rejecting its crapulous blanket, Pondicherry woke up and got ready to hide behind its faux holy veil.’ Nocturne Pondicherry by Ari Gautier, tr from French by Roopam Singh is a collection of 7 stories that takes us readers away from the White Town, marked by tidy avenues, French-style villas, beachside promenade and dotted with upscale restaurants and quaint cafes. Across the canal, into the Black town, where vices lie in heaps, we are made to look at this erstwhile French colony, not like a tourist but a keen onlooker. As the author paints pictures of night scenes - ‘nocturnes’ in the town, he writes - ‘It was as if they needed all this vulgarity and violence to face the next dawn’, adding that even the moon hid behind clouds, ashamed at the ostentatious display of debauchery.
Women exploited, wastrel & drunkard men, indelible caste divisions assume center stage in most stories. While these are facets of life in many Indian towns and cities, making the stories fairly commonplace, it is stories -’‘The Exile’ and ‘Marguerite’, where the author focuses on Pondicherry’s history and society, the French colonial rule, that add gravitas. What did the decree of renunciation of Sept 1881 and the offer of French citizenship in 1962 mean to Indians in Pondicherry?, we learn through experiences of characters here.
How caste markers are hard to erase, how human beings excel in acts of spotting differences and segregating are at the core of ‘Malarvizhi’ and ‘The Golden Cage'. The author's interview on Scroll titled ‘I can't write about anything else except Pondicherry’ enhanced my understanding of the stories - the choice of characters and plot.
A girl named Vijaya (meaning victory) escapes the inferno she is pushed into by her mother only to fall into another, a woman realizes she is a mere pawn in the game of life even when her father calls her Rani, a postman’s failure to deliver a letter ruins a whole family; a collection well translated and supported by a glossary, Nocturne Pondicherry, rooted in Pondicherry’s socio-cultural milieu, but universal too is a fillip to Indian Francophone literature.
I wouldn't say I was floored by the stories here but they left with a little knowledge of laws and policies during the French colonial rule, how this affected generations of Indians in the town.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews