6/20/2023 0 Comments Amelie nothomb books![]() ![]() "Ī spokesman for the jury responded that the prize "shouldn't be awarded just because the author is 15 years old". "It's a bad signal to send to the younger generations they say don't read. "This prize is supposed to encourage young authors," he told AFP. The publisher of the book which came in second place, Boris Bergmann's Viens Là Que Je Te Tue Ma Belle, declared himself "amazed" that Ni d'Eve Ni d'Adam had beaten off a widely-praised first novel written by a 15-year-old boy. You can pick up a copy of Fear and Trembling by clicking here.At the age of only 30, Nothomb would seem at first sight to be an excellent choice for a prize designed to pick out talented young authors, but her astonishing track record of 16 novels in the last 16 years, and her status as a bestselling author who won the prestigious Academie Française prize for best novel back in 1999 makes the award something of a surprise. Putting aside potentially problematic self-inserts from the author, the book does have some worthwhile things to say about the bewilderment of trying to live and work within a culture unlike your own, and the folly of serving systems that serve no one in return. Other prejudices like fat phobia are undeniably present and uncalled for, satire or no satire. Either way, I must admit they sat uncomfortably with me at times, the tone often feeling needlessly cruel. Given its satirical nature and the fact it was written more than 20 years ago, it’s tempting to give the book the benefit of the doubt when it comes to these exaggerated stereotypes, in the hope they were included to deliberately emphasize the theme of culture clashes. On a negative note, it has to be said the book reinforces a lot of clumsy racial tropes. By insisting she remain within a company clearly unsuited to her, simply to save face and chase a failed dream, she prolongs and exacerbates her own unhappiness. ![]() Our narrator has longed to return to Japan since departing at the age of five, but having been so young, her romanticised imaginings of what the country represents could never possibly be met. It’s also possible she’s warning against the naïve pursuit of childhood dreams. Along that same vein, Nothomb also lambasts the impossible standards that Japanese women, as far as she sees it, are expected to live up to. There is clear critique of strict hierarchal systems within the business world that stifle creativity, talent and individualism, as well as the patriarchal structures that define a woman’s role within the workplace. ![]() There are several interesting themes that come into play. Constant culture clashes and misunderstandings with her superiors see her stripped of more and more responsibility, but Japanese protocol dictates on both sides that it would be a dishonour for her to depart the company before her contract has ceased. This heavily autobiographical novel follows a young Belgian woman as she moves back to her childhood home of Japan for a year, to work within a vast, faceless corporation. Having finally tried her work for myself, I can honestly say I’m… not sure what to think. Published by Faber & Faber, 2004 (first published in 1999)īelgium’s Amélie Nothomb is an author known to split opinion. Fear and Trembling by Amélie Nothomb, translated from the French by Adrianna Hunter ![]()
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