The Novel France Wanted to Forget

The Novel France Wanted to Forget An introduction to On Leave, nearly 60 years after its publication David Bellos

On Leave by Daniel Anselme was first published in Paris - as La Permission - in the spring of 1957. It had few readers and only a handful of reviews. It was never reprinted. In America, you can't find it in the Library of Congress or any major university collection. Save for an Italian translation, On Leave almost disappeared. Yet it was an important book, and has become more precious with the passing of time. It tells in simple terms of the damage wrought by an unpopular and unwanted war on young men who are obliged to fight it. In 1957, as France's engagement in Algeria became ever more bloody, On Leave told French readers things they did not want to hear: the silence surrounding its publication speaks loudly of its power to disturb. This short novel was all the more unsettling because it is neither a testimony nor a polemic. In fact, it hardly mentions military action at all. Read on...

Book Keeping with... Elizabeth Crook The Book Keepers Series

Elizabeth Crook's latest novel, Monday, Monday, comes out in April. In the meantime, she answered some questions for us about the books she loves, the books she remembers best, and the books she reads with her daughter. Read on...