Title: Journal d’Hirondelle
Author: Amélie Nothomb
First published January 1, 2006
91 pages, Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 9782253121077 (ISBN10: 225312107X)
Rating: 3.37
Overview
“It is a love story whose episodes have been mixed by a madman.” After a heartbreaking experience, the narrator, a 30-year-old courier, becomes insensitive to emotions. He loses his job, only to find another more suited to his new state: a hitman.
There is no hesitation when taking aim at a target, completing a perfect crime. He finds a new excitement and a thirst to accomplish something almost divine.
One day, he is asked to execute a minister and his entire family and retrieve his daughter’s diary from the minister’s briefcase. The curiosity of the killer gets the better of him, and he reads the diary.
His behavior becomes erratic, and if the use of his five senses returns, it is for a transformation that he never could have imagined before. A character typical of Nothomb’s style, the hero is solitary, misanthropic, detached from any contingent reality, trapped in his own logic, acting beyond good and evil.
He discovers that there is something beyond, and that it is called love.
About the Author
Amélie Nothomb, whose birth name is Fabienne Claire Nothomb, was born to Belgian diplomats in Etterbeek, Belgium on July 9, 1966. Although she claims to have been born in Japan, she actually lived there from the age of two to five, before moving to various countries such as China, New York, Bangladesh, Burma, the United Kingdom, and Laos.
Her family is from a distinguished Belgian political background, and she is the grand-niece of Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb, a Belgian foreign minister from 1980 to 1981.
In 1992, Nothomb published her first novel, and has since published approximately one novel per year, including works such as “Fear and Trembling,” “Stupeur et Tremblements,” and “The Character of Rain.” She has received numerous awards, including the 1999 Grand Prix du roman de l’Académie française, the Prix René-Fallet, and twice the Prix Alain-Fournier.
During her time in Japan, she attended a local school and learned Japanese. However, she moved frequently and did not return to Europe until she was 17 years old, when she moved to Brussels to study philology at the Université Libre de Bruxelles.
Nothomb then returned to Japan to work for a big Japanese company in Tokyo, an experience which she details in “Fear and Trembling.” She has also written a biography for the French female singer RoBERT and wrote the lyrics for nine tracks of the same artist between 2000 and 2002.
Nothomb’s inspirations come from various sources, including conversations with an Italian man whom she never met personally. They communicated using the French Minitel and Italian Videotel systems.
Editoral Review
Journal d’Hirondelle by Amélie Nothomb is a captivating and poignant work of autobiographical fiction that explores the complexities of family, identity, and the human condition. Nothomb, a Belgian writer and author, draws upon her own experiences growing up in Japan to craft a novel that is both raw and introspective, providing a unique perspective on cultural mores and the struggle for self-discovery.
Set in Tokyo, Journal d’Hirondelle chronicles the journey of a young Belgian girl named Amélie as she navigates the trials and tribulations of adolescence in a foreign land. The novel is structured as a series of journal entries, chronicling Amélie’s thoughts, experiences, and encounters with the world around her.
Through her eyes, readers are invited into a world that is both familiar and alien, as Nothomb weaves together themes of identity, belonging, and the human search for meaning and purpose. One of the novel’s strengths lies in Nothomb’s mastery of character development.
Amélie is a nuanced and sympathetic protagonist, whose struggles with cultural assimilation and personal identity resonate with readers. Nothomb deftly handles complex familial relationships, exploring the fraught dynamics between Amélie and her parents, as well as the significance of her relationship with her grandfather.
Another standout feature of Journal d’Hirondelle is Nothomb’s poetic and evocative prose. Her writing is both lyrical and precise, imbuing even the smallest details with significance and meaning.
Nothomb also has a keen eye for setting, bringing Tokyo to life with vivid descriptions of its streets, sights, and sounds. Despite its many strengths, Journal d’Hirondelle is not without its flaws.
The novel can at times feel meandering and unfocused, and its fragmented structure may not appeal to all readers. Additionally, some of the cultural references and allusions may be lost on those unfamiliar with Japanese language or culture.
Overall, Journal d’Hirondelle is a powerful and introspective work of fiction that will resonate with readers on a deeply emotional level. Nothomb’s ability to craft such a compelling and insightful portrayal of adolescence and cultural assimilation is a testament to her skill as a writer.
Fans of coming-of-age stories and contemporary literary fiction will find much to love in this gem of a novel. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
