Greatly enthused by Marie-Hélène Lafon's inclusion in Le Pays d'en haut of an article by Alexandre Vialatte (1901-71 (the dates are revealing)), I opened his collection of many articles (chiefly from La Montagne) and prepared for the fun. Alas, there wasn't any, as I scarcely knew what Vialatte was talking about: the digressive articles, most of between four and six pages each, mostly speak of other people, but unfortunately people who were known in Vialatte's day, but who now are mainly forgotten.
However, I don't give in easily, and although it's far beyond me to take in so much detail of unknown people at one go, I shall continue to dip into this book, and no doubt discover many interesting characters. One such person has been the cartoonist Chaval (1915-68), whose real name was Yvan Francis Le Louarn, and who killed himself a few months after his wife killed herself after he'd told her of his numerous infidelities. His cartoons are odd, often without words, and often (to me at least) impenetrable. Vialatte felt the same, particularly the one of three chemists fleeing from a storm. They could be anyone, but what is comical about this? It provides Vialatte with much fodder for thought. As I'm sure this book will provide me with when I pick it up again.
Links to my Alexandre Vialatte posts:
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Alexandre Vialatte and Amélie Nothomb
Alexandre Vialatte, 13e arrondissement
Alexandre Vialatte: Pas de H pour Natalie
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