Jean Echenoz – författare

From the award-winning author of 1914, "the most distinctive voice of his generation and the master magician of the contemporary French novel" (The Washington Post).Following his brilliant portrait of Maurice Ravel, Jean Echenoz turns to the life of one of the greatest runners of the twentieth century, and once again demonstrates his astonishing abilities as a prose stylist. Set against the backdrop of the Soviet liberation and post-World War II communist rule of Czechoslovakia, Running—a bestseller in France—follows the famed career of Czech runner Emil Zátopek: a factory worker who, despite an initial contempt for athletics as a young man, is forced to participate in a footrace and soon develops a curious passion for the physical limits he discovers as a long-distance runner.Zátopek, who tenaciously invents his own brutal training regimen, goes on to become a national hero, winning an unparalleled three gold medals at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and breaking countless world records along the way. But just as his fame brings him upon the world stage, he must face the realities of an increasingly controlling regime.Written in Echenoz''s signature style—elegant yet playful—Running is both a beautifully imagined and executed portrait of a man and his art, and a powerful depiction of a country''s propagandizing grasp on his fate.

Ravel is a beguiling and original evocation of the last ten years in the life of the musical genius Ravel, written by novelist Jean Echenoz.The book opens in 1928 as Maurice Ravel—dandy, eccentric, curmudgeon—crosses the Atlantic abroad the luxury liner the SS France to begin his triumphant grand tour of the United States. A “master magician of the French novel” (The Washington Post), Echenoz captures the folly of the era as well as its genius, including Ravel’s personal life—sartorially and socially splendid—as well as his most successful compositions from 1927 to 1937.Illuminated by flashes of Echenoz’s characteristically sly humor, Ravel is a delightfully quirky portrait of a famous musician coping with the ups and downs of his illustrious career. It is also a beautifully written novel that’s a deeply touching farewell to a dignified and lonely man going reluctantly into the night.

Jean Echenoz turns his attention to the deathtrap of World War I in 1914. Five Frenchmen go off to war, two of them leaving behind young women who long for their return. But the main character in this brilliant novel is the Great War itself. Echenoz, whose work has been compared to that of writers as diverse as Joseph Conrad and Laurence Sterne, leads us gently from a balmy summer day deep into the relentless - and, one hundred years later, still unthinkable - carnage of trench warfare.

A single volume that gathers together three of the most remarkable novels from Jean Echenoz, the “most distinctive French voice of his generation” (The Washington Post), Three by Echenoz demonstrates the award-winning author's extraordinary versatility and elegant yet playful style at its finest.“A parodic thriller sparkling with wit” (L'Humanité), Big Blondes probes our universal obsession with fame as a television documentary producer tries to track down a renowned singer who has mysteriously disappeared. A darkly comedic, noir-style tour de force, it finally answers the age-old question: do blondes have more fun?“Fluid, never forced…like a garment that fits beautifully even inside-out” (Elle), Piano brings Dante's Inferno to contemporary Paris, following Max Delmarc, a concert pianist suffering from paralyzing stage fright and alchoholism, as he meets his untimely death and descends through purgatory—part luxury hotel, part minimum-security prison—into a modern vision of hell.Running is “a small wonder of writing and humanity” (L'Express)—a portrait of the legendary Czech athlete Emil Zátopek, who became a national hero, winning three gold medals at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics even as he was compelled to face the unyielding realities of life under an authoritarian regime.

"A tiny miracle of a biographical novel" inspired by the life of the brilliant French composer (Booklist). Shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award This beguiling and original evocation of the last ten years in the life of a musical genius opens in 1927 as Maurice Ravel—dandy, eccentric, curmudgeon—crosses the Atlantic aboard the luxury liner the SS France to begin his triumphant grand tour of the United States. With flashes of sly, quirky humor, this novel captures the folly of the era as well as its genius, and the personal and professional life of the sartorially and socially splendid ravel over the course of a decade. From a winner of the prestigious Prix Goncourt, Ravel is a touching literary portrait of a dignified and lonely man going reluctantly into the night. "A beautifully musical little novel." —The New York Times Book Review "The most distinctive voice of his generation." —The Washington Post

Seven short stories by the Prix Goncourt winner—"the most distinctive voice of his generation . . . master magician of the contemporary French novel" (The Washington Post). France''s preeminent fiction writer, Jean Echenoz is celebrated for his ability to craft stories with such precision that readers are caught off guard by the intense emotion and imagination just beneath the placid surface of his writing. As Gary Indiana put it in his essay "Conjuror of St. Germain", "Echenoz risks everything in his fiction, gambling on the prodigious blandishments of his voice to lure his readers into a maze of improbabilities and preposterous happenings." The Queen''s Caprice—seven stories available in English for the first time—reveals Echenoz at the height of his talents, taking readers on a journey across radically different landscapes. The title story explores a tiny corner of the French countryside; "Nelson" offers a brilliant miniaturist portrait of the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar; "In Babylon" sketches the ancient city of Mesopotamia, based on trace descriptions from Herodotus; and other stories visit the forests of England, the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, Tampa Bay, and the interior of a submarine. Amid the thrill and allure of this voyage of words, "again and again we pause to savor the richness of Echenoz''s startling, crystalline observations" (Lydia Davis). "[A] terrific sense of humor tinged with existential mischief." —L''Express

Jean Echenoz’s sly and playful novels have won critical and popular acclaim in France as well as in the United States, where he has been profiled by the New Yorker and called the "most distinctive voice of his generation" by theWashington Post. With his wonderfully droll and intriguing new work Special Envoy, Echenoz turns his hand to the espionage novel which, when published in France, stormed the bestseller lists.Special Envoy begins with an old general in his dilapidated office in France’s intelligence agency asking his trusted lieutenant Paul Objat for ideas about a person he wants for a particular job: someone pretty, female, and easily manipulated. Objat has someone in mind: Constance, an attractive, restless, bored woman in a failing marriage to a washed-up pop musician. She is abducted by Objat’s cronies and spirited away into the bowels of France’s intelligence bureaucracy where she is trained for the mission to spearhead the destabilization of Kim Jong-un’s regime in North Korea. Will Constance survive her mission in Pyongyang? Will her feckless husband ever write another pop hit? Joyously strange and unpredictable, full of twists and coincidences, Special Envoy is, in the words of L’Express "a pure gem, a delight at all times, a comedy monument, a celebration of the French language."

A thrilling, inventive, playful, and unorthodox detective and caper novel, the latest work by a French master.“Fans of Jean-Patrick Manchette's deadpan irony will appreciate Command Performance, Echenoz's vibrant, playful homage to the hard-boiled genre, which plays like The Big Lebowski on the Seine.” —Publishers WeeklyGerard Fulmard is a loser. A disgraced former flight attendant, he attempts the métier of private detective, with spectacularly disastrous results, then begins working for an obscure political groupuscule beset by an outsized share of infighting and backroom maneuvering. At first employed as an enforcer, Fulmard is then co-opted by one of the party’s less savory factions, sinking in deeper and deeper until he finds himself the reluctant assassin of the party’s own leader—and that’s when things really start going downhill. Meanwhile, projectiles crash down from the sky, corpses turn up in perfect health, main characters suffer sudden death, and nothing is as it seems. In Command Performance, Jean Echenoz, one of France’s most respected contemporary writers, toys with the tropes of genre fiction and high literature, displaying the twists of plot and turns of phrase that have become his signature, and that have made him, in the words of The Washington Post, “the most distinctive voice of his generation and the master magician of the contemporary French novel.”

“Echenoz is one of the contemporary literature's rare graceful magicians.” —BookforumJérôme Lindon is a genre-defying meditation on the friendship and working relationship between Jean Echenoz and his editor, the founder of Les Editions de Minuit, Jerome Lindon. Lindon published the work of Samuel Beckett, Marguerite Duras, and Robbe-Grillet, among so many other giants. This voice-driven ramble recounts in candid, understated, and hilarious glimpses Echenoz’s encounters with his publisher over a period of twenty years, and in the process reveals an intimate portrait of both of them. Echenoz’s spare, lyrical, and playful descriptions of early-morning phone calls and exchanges over lunch illuminate Lindon’s impulsiveness and impatience, his matter-of-fact generosity, and the humanity beneath his gruff exterior. In his unassuming way, Echenoz’s lets us in on how his own literary path was shaped by Jerome Lindon’s belief in him and explores the deep bonds between a writer and his publisher. A tender tribute.

Cinc homes han partit a la guerra. Una dona n''espera la tornada de dos. Falta per saber si tornaran. Quan. I en quin estat.Jean Echenoz és l''autor més venut de Raig Verd. Les seves novel·les han estat molt ben acollides entre lectors i crítics d''arreu del món."Era molt arriscat per a Jean Echenoz comprometre''s amb la Gran Guerra, després de que ho hagin fet tants altres. Doncs bé, ha vençut i n''ha tornat sencer."Libération

Vam haver d''insistir perquè l''Emil comencés a córrer. Però quan va començar, ja no es va aturar. No va parar d''accelerar. Vet aquí l''home que va córrer més de pressa sobre la Terra.Aquesta és la història de l''Emil Zátopek, un home que inventarà noves formes d''entrenament per córrer cada cop més de pressa. Primer sorprèn Txecoslovàquia amb els seus rècords, després sorprendrà el món. Un parell d''olimpíades més tard se''l considera invencible. Però en la seva vida, a més d''enfrontar-se amb els rivals a la pista, haurà de lluitar també contra el règim opressor, sigui quin sigui.Amb una escriptura plena d''ironia, Echenoz ens relata quaranta anys d''una vida excepcional i, com la de qualsevol de nosaltres, amb un destí marcat pel poder.

Enviada especial és una història d''espionatge narrada amb la singularitat habitual de la literatura de Jean Echenoz: una prosa àgil i fresca, uns personatges tan ben descrits que el lector els reconeix com a reals i un humor intel·ligent dosificat amb precisió.Necessitem una dona. La trobarem. La Constance pot servir per al que ens proposem. Segrestar-la pot semblar radical però és important que l''operació surti bé. Potser la gent que està al càrrec no és la més adequada. Potser les notes del segrest no causen les reaccions que esperàvem. Tant fa. Seguim endavant, és molt possible que tot això surti encara millor del que esperàvem. Des de les vores del Sena fins a la riba del mar Groc, a través del riu Creuse, res no ha d''impedir a la Constance complir la seva missió.

¡Un autor escribiendo el retrato de su editor! En la historia de la literatura rara vez se encuentran tales ejemplos. Aunque aquí es más bien el encuentro de un autor con su editor y no realmente un retrato de este último (como podría indicar el título de la obra).De hecho, el Jérôme Lindon de Jean Echenoz refleja las relaciones entre uno y otro, establecidas a lo largo de veinte años. Relaciones nacidas a principios del año 1979, cuando el escritor, después de haber sufrido las negativas de todas las editoriales parisinas, ve su primera novela aceptada por el entonces director de Les Éditions de Minuit.

Det tjeckiska lokomotivet, världens bäste löpare genom tiderna, Emil Zátopek tog tre OS-guld i Helsingfors 1952. Jean Echenoz skildrar Zátopeks liv med Sovjet och kalla kriget som bakgrund, där Zátopek snart utnyttjas och kontrolleras av den stalinistiska statsapparaten. På sitt karaktäristiska sätt, lika elegant som lekfullt, berättar Echenoz om en långdistanslöpares uppgång och fall. Springa blev en bästsäljare i Frankrike när den kom ut, och följer Zátopek från arbetet på skofabriken, via de interna löpartävlingarna (som Zátopek först motvilligt deltar i) mot hans nyvunna intresse av att undersöka kroppen och dess begränsningar genom långdistanslöpning. Zátopek utvecklar sina egna träningsmetoder, uppfinner bland annat spurten, och utvecklas till att bli en världsstjärna. Hans tre OS-guld i Helsingfors 1952 är fortfarande oöverträffat. När hans karriär tycks närma sig den absoluta toppen måste han möta den alltmer kontrollerande och totalitära sovjetstyrda regimen. Springa är en vacker bok, fylld av samtidshistoria, individens förhållande till kollektivet, och människans undersökningar av sina fysiska begränsningar. En fascinerande biografi om en av världens bästa löpare och tillika ett dokument över efterkrigstidens Europa.

Ce Cahier de L’Herne propose d’interroger une œuvre qui n’a cessé de déplacer ses enjeux pour interroger de nouvelles formes narratives. De fait, loin d’être figées, l’interprétation et la connaissance de l’œuvre de Jean Echenoz se voient constamment remises en jeu par les romans successifs que l’auteur a pu faire paraître, chaque nouveau récit éclairant d’une lumière neuve les romans précédents. Le volume révèle plusieurs périodes de l’écriture de Jean Echenoz rendues lisibles grâce aux carnets personnels de l’écrivain, accessibles pour la première fois et dont la lecture modifie en profondeur la saisie de l’œuvre. Alternant les contributions de spécialistes, qui interrogent la poétique même d’Echenoz, avec des interventions d’autrices et d’auteurs qui, toutes générations confondues, rendent hommage à l’influence majeure de Jean Echenoz dans la littérature contemporaine, ce Cahier entend dessiner le portrait de l’un des romanciers qui, s’il se tient parmi l’un des plus discrets de sa génération, n’en est pas moins l’un des plus influents.

Ce Cahier de L’Herne propose d’interroger une œuvre qui n’a cessé de déplacer ses enjeux pour interroger de nouvelles formes narratives. De fait, loin d’être figées, l’interprétation et la connaissance de l’œuvre de Jean Echenoz se voient constamment remises en jeu par les romans successifs que l’auteur a pu faire paraître, chaque nouveau récit éclairant d’une lumière neuve les romans précédents. Le volume révèle plusieurs périodes de l’écriture de Jean Echenoz rendues lisibles grâce aux carnets personnels de l’écrivain, accessibles pour la première fois et dont la lecture modifie en profondeur la saisie de l’œuvre. Alternant les contributions de spécialistes, qui interrogent la poétique même d’Echenoz, avec des interventions d’autrices et d’auteurs qui, toutes générations confondues, rendent hommage à l’influence majeure de Jean Echenoz dans la littérature contemporaine, ce Cahier entend dessiner le portrait de l’un des romanciers qui, s’il se tient parmi l’un des plus discrets de sa génération, n’en est pas moins l’un des plus influents.

With his trademark comically wry phrasing and a sure eye for quirky detail, Echenoz has produced his oddest and most enjoyable novel to date. Chopin's Move interweaves the fates of Chopin, entomologist and recalcitrant secret agent; Oswald, a young foreign-affairs employee who vanishes en route to his new home; Suzy, who gets enmeshed in a tangle of deceit and counterdeceit; the mysterious Colonel Seck, whose motivations are never quite what they seem; and a typically Echenozian supporting cast of neurotic bodyguards, disquieting functionaries, and crafty double agents. As the plot thickens, the characters become embroiled in layer upon layer of deception and double-dealing, leading them further into a world in which nothing can be taken at face value and in which "reality" hinges on apparently harmless coincidence.

Renowned singer Gloire Stella has mysteriously disappeared. When a television producer tries to track her down, Gloire goes on the run. From the cliffs of Brittany to the back alleys of Bombay, Big Blondes is a riotous, nonstop adventure for anyone who has ever wondered whether blondes really do have more fun.

Following his brilliant portrait of Maurice Ravel, Jean Echenoz turns to the life of one of the greatest runners of the twentieth century, and once again demonstrates his astonishing abilities as a prose stylist. Set against the backdrop of the Soviet liberation and post–World War II communist rule of Czechoslovakia, Running—a bestseller in France—follows the famed career of Czech runner Emil Zátopek: a factory worker who, despite an initial contempt for athletics as a young man, is forced to participate in a footrace and soon develops a curious passion for the physical limits he discovers as a long-distance runner.Zátopek, who tenaciously invents his own brutal training regimen, goes on to become a national hero, winning an unparalleled three gold medals at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and breaking countless world records along the way. But just as his fame brings him upon the world stage, he must face the realities of an increasingly controlling regime.Written in Echenoz’s signature style—elegant yet playful—Running is both a beautifully imagined and executed portrait of a man and his art, and a powerful depiction of a country’s propagandizing grasp on his fate.

Drawn from the life of Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest inventors of his time,Lightning is a captivating tale of one man’s curious fascination with the marvels of science.Hailed by the Washington Post as “the most distinctive voice of his generation,” Echenoz traces the notable career of Gregor, a precocious young engineer from Eastern Europe, who travels across the Atlantic at the age of twenty-eight to work alongside Thomas Edison, with whom he later holds a long-lasting rivalry. After his discovery of alternating current, Gregor quickly begins to astound the world with his other brilliant inventions, including everything from radio, radar, and wireless communication to cellular technology, remote control, and the electron microscope.Echenoz gradually reveals the eccentric inner world of a solitary man who holdsa rare gift for imagining devices well before they come into existence. Gregor is a recluse—an odd and enigmatic intellect who avoids women and instead prefers spending hours a day courting pigeons in Central Park.Winner of the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, Echenoz once again demonstrateshis astonishing abilities as a prose stylist as he vividly captures the life of an isolated genius. A beautifully crafted portrait of a man who prefers the company of lightning in the Colorado desert to that of other human beings, Lightning is a dazzling new work from one of the world’s leading contemporary authors.

France's pre-eminent fiction writer is frequently credited with a kind of literary magic, an ability to craft stories with such precision and detail that readers are caught off guard by the powerful currents of emotion and imagination that lie just beneath the surface of his writing. The Queen's Caprice - seven new stories presented in English for the first time - reveals Echenoz at the height of his talents. The author takes us on a journey across radically different places and landscapes, giving free rein to a terrific sense of humour tinged with existential mischief' (L'Express).'

Louis Meyer is an overworked aerospace engineer looking forward to a week-long vacation on the Mediterranean. DeMilo is an astronaut and self-proclaimed ladies’ man whose behavior borders on the obsessive and voyeuristic. When a series of coincidences and disasters-including a devastating earthquake in Marseilles-brings them together on a spacecraft with an aloof woman they are both strongly attracted to, the two men’s flaws and shortcomings emerge as they engage in an underhanded competition to win her over. Brimming with Jean Echenoz’s inimitable humor, We Three is both a satirical take on the adventure novel and subtle experiment with narrative point of view.