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La Constellation du Lynx
En 2001, à la mort de son ancien professeur, l’éditeur-poète Chevalier Branlequeue (un nom de plume !), l’écrivain Samuel Nihilo décide de poursuivre les recherches de ce dernier sur la crise d’octobre 1970. Chevalier y a toujours vu l’aboutissement d’une conspiration politique. De Montréal, où commence son enquête, jusqu’au village mexicain de Zopilote, où les chemins de Nihilo et d’un ex-felquiste se croiseront, en passant par l’Abitibi des grands espaces – si somptueusement décrits –, les recherches de Samuel vont rapidement se concentrer sur le rôle joué en 70 par les services secrets, l’escouade antiterroriste et toute une panoplie de personnages pas nets, dont le spectre quasi shakespearien du ministre assassiné ! Dans cette extraordinaire fresque, premier grand roman sur la crise d’Octobre, Louis Hamelin réinvente l’histoire du terrorisme au Québec et fait le portrait, souvent très drôle, d’une société entre deux époques. Roman historique ? Polar ? Thriller politique ? Tout cela et bien plus encore !
600 pages, Paperback
First published September 21, 2010
10 people are currently reading
559 people want to read
About the author
Louis Hamelin
31 books20 followersNé à Grand-Mère en 1959, Louis Hamelin poursuit des études à l’Université McGill où il obtient un baccalauréat en sciences de l’agriculture en 1983. Il obtient ensuite une maîtrise en études littéraires à l’UQAM en 1990. C’est à partir de ce moment qu’il se consacre à l’écriture. En 1989, Louis Hamelin se voit décerner le Prix du Gouverneur général pour son premier roman, intitulé La Rage.
Chroniqueur littéraire au Devoir et à Ici Montréal, ses textes sont publiés en 1999 aux Éditions du Boréal, sous le titre Le Voyage en pot.
Depuis le début des années 1990, il a collaboré à une quinzaine de journaux et de revues, participé à de nombreuses rencontres, événements culturels et lectures publiques, tout en publiant neuf livres. Critiques et public s’accordent aujourd’hui pour dire que Louis Hamelin occupe une place de choix dans l’univers littéraire québécois.
Chroniqueur littéraire au Devoir et à Ici Montréal, ses textes sont publiés en 1999 aux Éditions du Boréal, sous le titre Le Voyage en pot.
Depuis le début des années 1990, il a collaboré à une quinzaine de journaux et de revues, participé à de nombreuses rencontres, événements culturels et lectures publiques, tout en publiant neuf livres. Critiques et public s’accordent aujourd’hui pour dire que Louis Hamelin occupe une place de choix dans l’univers littéraire québécois.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 28, 2010
Without a doubt, this novel has saved my life. I was 19 during the October Crisis, a passive spectator in a national drama that never quite made sense, not at the time, and not in retrospect. Louis Hamelin has changed the past by going back and, like a good journalist, resurrecting the ghosts, especially of Pierre Laporte (alias Paul Lavoie) who haunts these pages. What will keep most of the anglophones away is the thick Quebecois dialect, the multi-layered plot, the sheer length. It took me three weeks, but I made it to the end. I never lost interest, could barely bring myself to put it down, and when I reached the end, I felt like a satisfied tourist returning from an extended crawl through the Great Pyramid.
I plan to write more about this elsewhere. (Just watch me.) It is the book of the year. It is a massive achievements not just of research and reflection, but redemption. How long will it take for the truth to penetrate the public consciousness, which has been poisoned by decades of disinformation? Is it too late for Canada to face its own colonial darkness? Can this epic even be translated into English, without bringing down another War Measures act? I have my doubts about that, too...
In the meantime, this novel should be given as a Christmas present to every Quebecer. It's as if the dead child at the end of Claude Jutra's film Mon Oncle Antoine had suddenly resurrected and walked back into our lives. Now we all have a chance to grow up.
I plan to write more about this elsewhere. (Just watch me.) It is the book of the year. It is a massive achievements not just of research and reflection, but redemption. How long will it take for the truth to penetrate the public consciousness, which has been poisoned by decades of disinformation? Is it too late for Canada to face its own colonial darkness? Can this epic even be translated into English, without bringing down another War Measures act? I have my doubts about that, too...
In the meantime, this novel should be given as a Christmas present to every Quebecer. It's as if the dead child at the end of Claude Jutra's film Mon Oncle Antoine had suddenly resurrected and walked back into our lives. Now we all have a chance to grow up.
June 8, 2022
J'aurais donné 5 étoiles à 40% du livre : la partie roman historique sur la crise d'octobre. J'ai bien aimé toute la reconstitution des faits et l'escapade dans le milieu politique des années '60 et '70.
Pour le 60% restant, j'ai eu l'impression d'avoir affaire à un genre de recueil de nouvelles décousu où la richesse du vocabulaire et la complexité du texte ne fait qu'alourdir et mettre un frein à la compréhension. On m'avait promis le successeur d'Hubert Aquin, j'avais plutôt l'impression d'avoir affaire à son fanboy #1, fin quarantaine, qui aime parler maladroitement de sexe et se lancer dans du lore interminable sur Longueuil et les environs, dans quelques 300 pages de texte en trop disséminées dans ce roman qui en compte 600 et qui étonnamment ne passe même pas le test Bechdel (comment on appelle ça, quand les personnages féminins servent UNIQUEMENT à alimenter l'intrigue sexuelle?).
Les chapitres qui faisaient avancer l'histoire étaient délectables et je me suis empressé de le terminer! Mais il y a des personnages dont je ne me souviendrai pas parce qu'ils étaient facultatifs à l'intrigue et je l'ai vraiment pas pris qu'il fasse deux fois la joke de la cafetière italienne qui éjacule du café. Et l'idée de ne pas utiliser de ponctuation pour indiquer les dialogues n'est pas une révolution, c'est juste mélangeant.
Pour le 60% restant, j'ai eu l'impression d'avoir affaire à un genre de recueil de nouvelles décousu où la richesse du vocabulaire et la complexité du texte ne fait qu'alourdir et mettre un frein à la compréhension. On m'avait promis le successeur d'Hubert Aquin, j'avais plutôt l'impression d'avoir affaire à son fanboy #1, fin quarantaine, qui aime parler maladroitement de sexe et se lancer dans du lore interminable sur Longueuil et les environs, dans quelques 300 pages de texte en trop disséminées dans ce roman qui en compte 600 et qui étonnamment ne passe même pas le test Bechdel (comment on appelle ça, quand les personnages féminins servent UNIQUEMENT à alimenter l'intrigue sexuelle?).
Les chapitres qui faisaient avancer l'histoire étaient délectables et je me suis empressé de le terminer! Mais il y a des personnages dont je ne me souviendrai pas parce qu'ils étaient facultatifs à l'intrigue et je l'ai vraiment pas pris qu'il fasse deux fois la joke de la cafetière italienne qui éjacule du café. Et l'idée de ne pas utiliser de ponctuation pour indiquer les dialogues n'est pas une révolution, c'est juste mélangeant.
November 2, 2018
J'ai adoré l'écriture de Louis Hamelin et la structure morcelée qu'il a donnée à son oeuvre. Tellement dense et intriguant, ce roman donne envie de se replonger dans la "vraie" histoire, et de tenter d'en démêler le vrai du faux. Le récit est trop riche pour qu'on saisisse tout à la première lecture, je n'ose pas imaginer le travail que ça a supposé pour l'auteur!
June 5, 2021
Incapable de le terminer à cause de la manie de l'auteur à constamment se référer aux femmes en les comparant à des putes.
August 11, 2025
Un travail magistral. Call me une complotiste, mais ce livre a entièrement changé ma vision des évènements d’octobre 70.
Ça en dit long sur notre appréciation quand, malgré les quelque 600 pages, on finit la lecture avec l’envie de la reprendre du début pour saisir de nouvelles subtilités. J’ai l’impression que c’est le genre de récit qui se révèle un peu plus chaque fois qu’on s’y replonge.
J’ai aussi aimé découvrir Louis Hamelin (c’était mon premier roman de lui). Quelle plume et quel humour!
Ça en dit long sur notre appréciation quand, malgré les quelque 600 pages, on finit la lecture avec l’envie de la reprendre du début pour saisir de nouvelles subtilités. J’ai l’impression que c’est le genre de récit qui se révèle un peu plus chaque fois qu’on s’y replonge.
J’ai aussi aimé découvrir Louis Hamelin (c’était mon premier roman de lui). Quelle plume et quel humour!
January 30, 2014
It was my first year as a journalist on Parliament Hill -- and here I was in late night crisis mode with armed troops guarding the doors and grim ministers mourning the death of Pierre Laporte. The stark memory stays with me many years later. So I am intrigued by this book that captures both the shock and the conflict of that time of FLQ rebellion and Ottawa repression.
Written in French originally and awarded various Quebec literary prizes, this is a novel not a work of history. And the book is at its best as a vivid commentary on recent Quebec society, from the social divisions of Montreal to the gender relations that have been changing so much to the stubborn survival of gangland-based corruption in politics. A whole array of diverse characters populate this complex and often comic backdrop.
The core of the story though is the truth-in-fiction tale of the growth of FLQ strength to a position where two kidnappings take place -- setting off a political explosion and then an ultimately excessive Ottawa over-reaction. The book explores the case for seeing the whole process in conspiratorial terms.
I enjoyed this book, particularly it's social perspectives. The central character Sam Nihilo and his girlfriend Marie-Quebec are intriguing too. But in the end much of the scenario-building does leave me unimpressed. My major assessment of October 1970 from my first-hand view is that nobody really knew what they were doing. There were actions and reactions based on the wildest of miscalculations and the most inaccurate information possible. I had ministers tell me things that turned out to be totally bizarre -- based in the end on nothing but wild rumour. Over the years I have learned to put much emphasis on "unintended consequences" and that rather than conspiracy now guides me in considering October 1970.
Written in French originally and awarded various Quebec literary prizes, this is a novel not a work of history. And the book is at its best as a vivid commentary on recent Quebec society, from the social divisions of Montreal to the gender relations that have been changing so much to the stubborn survival of gangland-based corruption in politics. A whole array of diverse characters populate this complex and often comic backdrop.
The core of the story though is the truth-in-fiction tale of the growth of FLQ strength to a position where two kidnappings take place -- setting off a political explosion and then an ultimately excessive Ottawa over-reaction. The book explores the case for seeing the whole process in conspiratorial terms.
I enjoyed this book, particularly it's social perspectives. The central character Sam Nihilo and his girlfriend Marie-Quebec are intriguing too. But in the end much of the scenario-building does leave me unimpressed. My major assessment of October 1970 from my first-hand view is that nobody really knew what they were doing. There were actions and reactions based on the wildest of miscalculations and the most inaccurate information possible. I had ministers tell me things that turned out to be totally bizarre -- based in the end on nothing but wild rumour. Over the years I have learned to put much emphasis on "unintended consequences" and that rather than conspiracy now guides me in considering October 1970.
April 10, 2015
As I write this review, October 1970 currently has a 2.70 average rating in Goodreads. So, I think this is the highest "over the average" I've ever rated a book here.
It is a fictional account of the FLQ Crisis in Quebec, centred somewhat around a near-modern day author's attempts to get to the bottom of what really happened. Conspiracy theories abound, though what I knew about the actual events can be summed up in one sentence. However, it should be clear to the reader what is fiction (most of the story) and what isn't.
The chronology jumps around a bit, and with a large cast of characters, it can be difficult to know who or when the current chapter is about. But, despite these potential problems, I personally found it to be an interesting read.
It is a fictional account of the FLQ Crisis in Quebec, centred somewhat around a near-modern day author's attempts to get to the bottom of what really happened. Conspiracy theories abound, though what I knew about the actual events can be summed up in one sentence. However, it should be clear to the reader what is fiction (most of the story) and what isn't.
The chronology jumps around a bit, and with a large cast of characters, it can be difficult to know who or when the current chapter is about. But, despite these potential problems, I personally found it to be an interesting read.
October 9, 2020
Je sais que c'est supposé être le grand livre québécois mais personnellement j'ai eu très difficile à me mettre dans l'histoire, a chaque nouveau chapitre ça me prenais 5 pages avant de comprendre qui parlait,dans quelle année on se trouvait. Puis c'est quoi ces changements entre "il" et "je" au milieu du chapitre.
December 11, 2017
Disappointing. Jumped around too much. If one is going to do a historical fiction keep the names true to real life, very confusing if you know the actual event and have names that aren't real. Again, disappointing.
September 22, 2017
609 pages!!! What a story of intrigue and personality and what a lot of pages to tell it. The style was interesting as it was often told in the first person by a series of different narrators and then would switch to third person. It also moved through a whole series of locations and time periods so at the end it became just a large canvas washed with a whole group of images. It seemed to work for part of the novel but there were times when it was just plain irritating.
Hamelin’s thesis is that the Quebec government and the RCMP were well aware of the location of the kidnap victims and that one of the victims was actually an undercover agent. They allowed Paul Lavoie (Pierre LaPorte) to be killed because it would strengthen their hand against the FLQ and would anger the public. In this rendering, Lavoie cut himself trying to escape and then was strangled by accident.
Hamelin’s thesis is that the Quebec government and the RCMP were well aware of the location of the kidnap victims and that one of the victims was actually an undercover agent. They allowed Paul Lavoie (Pierre LaPorte) to be killed because it would strengthen their hand against the FLQ and would anger the public. In this rendering, Lavoie cut himself trying to escape and then was strangled by accident.
November 26, 2017
Some background knowledge of the October crisis will help the reader. I had none and I'm sure I missed allusions throughout the story. Maybe that's the point as it seems this event leaves more questions than answers just like the book.
May 22, 2019
Pour tous ceux qui s'intéressent à l'histoire récente du Québec, ce livre relate les évènements tragiques du FLQ. Bien ammené, bien que beaucoup de longueur au début, j'ai était captivée par la plume de l'auteur.
February 13, 2023
Un regard fort intéressant sur les évènements d'octobre 1970 et qui se veut aussi une enquête sur l'ensemble des acteurs de l'époque et sur ce qui s'est réellement passé - brillant !
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December 29, 2023Abandon en 2015
Want to read
October 5, 2024No 17 La Presse
November 9, 2013
I moved to Canada four years ago and have been trying to learn more about its history and literature. So I was excited to read October 1970.
I found it difficult to keep track of the numerous characters, particularly when the story unfolds in a non linear manner. This might not pose such a problem to people who are more familiar with how events unfolded during the crisis. However, the long cast of characters at the beginning of the book suggests that this is probably not the case.
I'm always hesitant to comment on an author's writing style when I read a book in translation. It's entirely possible that something was poorly translated. However, I was not a big fan of the way that point of view shifted mid chapter (from third person to first person). When there are so many characters in the book, it can be confusing. Also there were a few spelling and punctuation errors that were missed during editing.
I found that when Hamelin stuck with a character for more than a few pages, he did a wonderful job of characterization. I also felt that when there were larger portions of the plot taking place chronologically, that his writing shone.
I certainly would not recommend this book to all my friends. However, I would recommend it to people who are curious about the October Crisis, the conspiracy theories surrounding it and don't mind an at times difficult read.
I found it difficult to keep track of the numerous characters, particularly when the story unfolds in a non linear manner. This might not pose such a problem to people who are more familiar with how events unfolded during the crisis. However, the long cast of characters at the beginning of the book suggests that this is probably not the case.
I'm always hesitant to comment on an author's writing style when I read a book in translation. It's entirely possible that something was poorly translated. However, I was not a big fan of the way that point of view shifted mid chapter (from third person to first person). When there are so many characters in the book, it can be confusing. Also there were a few spelling and punctuation errors that were missed during editing.
I found that when Hamelin stuck with a character for more than a few pages, he did a wonderful job of characterization. I also felt that when there were larger portions of the plot taking place chronologically, that his writing shone.
I certainly would not recommend this book to all my friends. However, I would recommend it to people who are curious about the October Crisis, the conspiracy theories surrounding it and don't mind an at times difficult read.
November 24, 2013
October 1970, written by Louis Hamelin and translated into English by Wayne Grady, is a fictional conspiracy-theory thriller that proposes an explanation to the mystery of what really happened behind the scenes of the 1970 Quebec FLQ* crisis. The novel is described by the author as “A reconstruction in which imagination took the place of historical investigation.” This is a novel based on historical events but heavily enhanced by literary license, a conspiracy tale such as those told about the John F. Kennedy assassination and Princess Diana’s death.
The novel delves into the background of the members of the FLQ cells that participated in the kidnappings and murder of Canadian politicians during the October Crisis. Thirty years after the events a reporter, Sam Nihilo, is trying to track down what really happened when Quebec Deputy Premier Paul Lavoie and British envoy John Travers were kidnapped. It was a time of frenetic politics as Prime Minster Pierre Elliot Trudeau invoked the War Measure Act, 497 people were arrested without due process , Paul Lavoie was murdered by his captors, and in the end a cell of FLQ members escaped to Cuba.
Full review at www.ebooknews,ca
http://ebooknews.ca/home/2013/11/16/o...
April 29, 2011
Finalement, ce roman s'est avéré être une lecture plutôt ardue ! Surtout au début, avec la panoplie de personnages, de milieux, et d'époques différents, c'en était presque pénible. J'ai tout de même persévéré dans ma lecture et j'ai fini par apprécier le tout.
Pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas vraiment ce bout de l'histoire québécoise, un peu de lecture sur le FLQ et la crise d'octobre (les pages wikipédia par exemple) avant de s'embarquer dans ce roman s'avérera sûrement utile !
Un gros merci à l'auteur qui a cru bon de faire une liste des personnages au début de son roman, ça aussi, il ne faut pas se gêner pour la consulter !
Pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas vraiment ce bout de l'histoire québécoise, un peu de lecture sur le FLQ et la crise d'octobre (les pages wikipédia par exemple) avant de s'embarquer dans ce roman s'avérera sûrement utile !
Un gros merci à l'auteur qui a cru bon de faire une liste des personnages au début de son roman, ça aussi, il ne faut pas se gêner pour la consulter !
March 11, 2014
I enjoy historical novels, particularly those based on true events. I know a little about this event in Canadian history and looked forward to reading this novel, however I couldn't finish it. I found the booked jumped around a lot so I had trouble following it. One chapter would take place in the 1950s, the next in the 1990s, then back to the 70s. Also, some f the events made no sense to the story. Perhaps the author tied everything together by the end but I wouldn't know as will never finish this book.
August 24, 2012
I livre bien écrit mais qui, en tant que lecteur qui n'a pas vécu ces événements, a perdu mon intérêt (il me manque trop de référents). Je ne l'aie pas terminé.
Stopped 2/3 of the way through. It's well written but too many references to the events and the particulars left me uninterested.
Stopped 2/3 of the way through. It's well written but too many references to the events and the particulars left me uninterested.
October 8, 2023
J'aime beaucoup Louis Hamelin, mais il est dur pour moi d'embarquer dans une histoire romanesque de la crise d'octobre, alors que je l'ai toujours connue par une approche documentaire; mêmes avec LES ORDRES de Michel Brault.
January 4, 2014
complex set of characters; jumps all over the place; seemingly needs a good edit.... but still an interesting story for those who lived the era; if you read it on an e-reader, make sure you copy the list of characters and save yourself a lot of "agony".
March 4, 2014
Has potential as a conspiracy theory novel--just the FLQ in 1970 rather than "Who Shot JFK?". However, there were too many names too keep straight and the jumping back and forth in history was hard for me to follow. Perhaps had I taken notes....
September 8, 2018
Je n’ai pas écrit de commentaires à la suite de la lecture de ce roman. J’essaie de me rappeler de mon impression de l’époque, six ans plus tard. Il me semble que le style d’écriture m’avait plu et que j’aimais que cette partie disons rocambolesque de notre histoire soit enfin exploitée.
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July 28, 2011Excellent bouquin !!!! Une intrigue digne de James Ellroy avec pour toile de fond la crise d'octobre.
April 30, 2012
Pas fini. Lu 114 des 595 pages. Ce n'est pas un livre pour moi. L'histoire est trop décousu.
August 18, 2013
3.5 / 5.0
December 22, 2013
I couldn't finish it or follow along with the narrative.
abandoned
December 12, 2014Couldn't get into this.
February 21, 2014
I enjoyed this book, but also found the time shifts difficult to follow. Overall, it was great step back into a time and place.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews