Un homme idéal (A Perfect Man) (Un Homme idéal)

Write! 2.500 characters a day. Stephen King

The Man From Behind

Saving Document...

Lecture... Scent and Literature Alice Fursac

Scent is often associated with frivolity

and literature with seriousness.

Yet, we know

that the nose makes a much deeper impression on memory

than any of our other senses.

It is the memory organ par excellence.

And without memory, there is no literature.

Reader, have you at times inhaled,

With rapture and slow greediness,

That grain of incense which pervades a church,

Or the inveterate musk of a sachet?

For David Lodge, for example, a novel is always

written in the past tense.

So scent is clearly a major sense.

- Take the night course! We're waiting. - OK.

The Greeks, for example,

thought that perfume

was a diabolical scent.

Yet, that wasn't always the case...

We regret to inform you that we are unable to publish your book...

Hello, this is Mathieu Vasseur.

I've been on hold for your Director of Acquisitions.

Yes. Thank you.

Hello. Mathieu Vasseur speaking.

I'm calling in response to your letter regarding my manu...

Oh, I see. You know. Perfect.

I wanted to contact you directly

because the letter I got seemed like a form letter.

So I wanted to be sure you'd actually read my manuscript.

OK, but you can understand that I'm a bit surprised.

It was a bit abrupt. You can't say it doesn't interest you,

just like that, without any explanation.

No, please! Wait! Please!

Just tell me what doesn't work.

I can rework it, do a rewrite. I can...

Hello?

Hello?

We inform you that we are able to publish your book...

They want to start showing it next week.

So you've got two or three days to clear it out.

The old man lived here for 35 years.

A charity's taking the furniture.

The care assistant will pick up the wheelchair.

The rest you can just dump.

Shouldn't we save anything?

For the family?

What family? There is no family.

He lived alone and died alone.

Original, huh?

The bedroom.

You do it.

Don't touch the plumbing.

Sure, no problem.

Work Permit Léon Vauban

Algiers, 1958

This morning, I killed a man. I hit the fellagha twice.

The War Journal of a Draftee in Algeria by Léon Vauban

Come here, I need you!

Mathieu!

- Move your arse! - Coming!

Unbelievable!

What a fuckin' slacker!

... Still nothing.

22 August 1956

This morning, I killed a man.

I hit the fellagha twice.

Franck, it's Mathieu.

I'm feeling a little queasy. I won't be able to work today.

Sorry. I'll see you soon.

... his pistol and presses the muzzle...

The End

The sand was black.

Black Sand

Cercle Publishing

Hello.

- Mr Vasseur? - Yes.

Stéphane Marsan, calling from Cercle Publishing. Am I disturbing you?

No, not at all.

I just finished reading Black Sand. I'm still in shock.

I'd love to meet. Unless you've already signed with a publisher.

No. You're the first one I sent it to.

Mathieu!

Could we meet on Thursday the 17th?

Thursday the 17th? Sure.

I'm curious. How old are you?

- I'm 26. - Impressive.

I'm so eager to meet you.

Oh, I'm sorry...

I just remembered, I'm not...

I'm not free the week of the 17th. It clashes with something.

Could we meet at the end of the month?

Of course. Thursday the 31 st?

Perfect.

- On the 31 st, then. - On the 31 st.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

Mobs of men and women, poorly armed fanatics,

barrelled into cities, villages and French forts,

launching veritable massacres.

Jacques Soustelle and I went to those sites at once.

It was really horrific!

Eyes gouged out, disemboweled women,

kids who'd been smashed against walls...

But this is an unusual case.

People generally ask why an author writes.

Your answer is delicious.

I'll say one thing. I write for the opposite of posterity.

I write for an orgasm.

We decide to write...

to speak to the world.

In that case,

I'm obliged to renounce a certain

elegance of style. I'm no Giraudoux.

He dressed his Greek gods in Dior.

I can't clothe my character in Dior.

That's impossible.

That's impossible. For my character...

I've renounced elegance of style.

Any elegance of style...

Character...

My character...

My bedside book?

Good question.

I'd say Martin Eden.

I've always loved characters who force destiny's hand.

16th May: 100,000 French soldiers in Algeria.

30th August: state of emergency.

11 th September: 1 st demonstration in Paris.

French generals:

Challe, Delouvrier, Zeller, Massu, Jouhaud, Salan.

1956: continuous mobilization.

1958: Algerian inter-reform programme.

Spring 1961:

coup d'état the night of 21 st April.

It's as if those events unfolded before your very eyes!

I think it's the writer's job to make you believe the story.

What's so striking is your dry, uncluttered style.

Did you intend that from the start?

Yes. I wanted to broach

a certain kind of truth. A raw truth.

I renounced any elegance of style.

I admire Giraudoux but...

I couldn't put my character in Dior.

That's impossible.

You're quoting Romain Gary, aren't you?

Yes.

I borrow from writers I admire.

Mathieu! May I have a word?

- I'll be right back. - Of course.

The reviews are breaking.

I've never seen such raves.

Even Valérie Enthoven is hailing it as " A powerful novel,

"a brilliant success."

They're even talking literary prizes. You listening?

Yes, I'm listening.

You must meet Mylène Andreotti.

She wants you on her show.

If you could just excuse me for two minutes.

You're right.

Excuse me?

Scent really is deeply lodged in memory.

Even blind, I think I'd have recognized you.

I attended your lecture on Scent and Literature.

- Really? - Yes.

You're part of a very exclusive club.

The hall was pretty empty.

It's a shame. You were really brilliant.

The end wasn't too shocking?

I was leery about that conclusion.

The end? No, uh...

Well, in fact...

I couldn't stay till the end. I had a...

- You had a... - I had a...

- I see. - It clashed with something else.

And you're here tonight to...

My friend's interviewing the author of Black Sand.

Really?

Have you read it?

Forget it.

80% of the people at these receptions haven't read the book.

It's pathetic.

Especially in this case.

Why?

First, for its style.

If you want to understand flat writing,

this book is a paradigm!

The style's dry, direct!

Then it blows you away beyond all expectations.

Really?

Last time I felt that was with Primo Levi.

You probably haven't read him either.

Know what you should do?

No.

Grab a copy of Black Sand, go home and read it.

Mathieu Vasseur!

So delighted! Mylène Andreotti.