Emmanuelle Heidsieck, Valéry Lébédinski, Hélène Ling, David Thomas… Brief reviews of the “World of Books”

[ad_1]

Six novels, short stories, two essays including one on history… Here are brief reviews of ten notable works in this tenth week of the year.

Essay. “Goodbye Poutine”, under the direction of Hélène Blanc

How do you avoid wishful thinking? How to objectively assess the likelihood of regime change in Russia that would prevent the country from collapsing and burying its neighbors in rubble? Under the direction of historian and criminologist Hélène Blanc, a team of experts got down to work – the result is a collection rich in lessons. The book is divided into three parts: “Europe-West-Russia”, “The World According to Vladimir Putin” And “Ukrainian World”. In the center, each time, is the character of Putin. What is its share of responsibility in the current tragedy? Will his eventual disappearance put an end to the war? What could be the face of Russia“post-Putin” ? These questions are dealt with through different prisms: historical, sociological, geopolitical, military. A multitude of approaches which does not harm the unity of the collection, but on the contrary enriches it and makes it possible to avoid generalities. Along with written articles “hot”, there are older texts – an earlier version of the book was published in 2017 – that remain relevant. They prove that this conflict, which took so many people by surprise, was foreseeable for a long time. The authors do not claim to hold a crystal ball, but the acuity of their analyzes and the breadth of their views allow us to consider some useful answers to the questions posed. Fl.Go

“Goodbye Putin. From KGB to war crimes”, edited by Hélène Blanc, Ginkgo, 272 p., €18, digital €9.

Novel. “Sarah anyway”, by Régine Detambel

“She will always have been in the middle of her life, without any sense of the death to be prepared or of the need to stop to contemplate the path she has traveled… Besides, no, she was not in the middle of her life, it has always been at the most pungent end, at the violent and capricious, fiery and seductive end of life. » Régine Detambel celebrates the power and voice of Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923), who transported French theater for more than half a century, reigning on the Parisian stage with her interpretations of Phèdre, but also of the Lady of the Camellias , amassing fortunes as soon as they were spent, repeatedly criss-crossing the United States, Russia and Australia. The writer slips into the skin of an ephemeral lover, dedicated by an infinite admiration to remain at the service of the one Victor Hugo called “The Golden Voice”. Confident in jealousy, having become a privileged scapegoat, Susan begins her story at the start of the Great War. She weaves the glorious or tragic memories of the damaged daily life of a resolutely free woman, but now amputated with one leg. If, in the first chapters, reconstructions and dialogues “in period costume” leave you a little dubious, moments of poignant acuity follow one another. Wheat.

You have 77.05% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.

[ad_2]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *