Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Stock (2005), Edition: First Edition, 159 pages
Description
Traumatized by memories of his war-ravaged country, and with his son and daughter-in-law dead, Monsieur Linh travels to a foreign land to bring the child in his arms to safety. The other refugees in the detention centre are unsure how to help the old man; his caseworkers are compassionate, but overworked. Monsieur Linh struggles beneath the weight of his sorrow, and becomes increasingly bewildered and isolated in this unfamiliar, fast-moving town. And then he encounters Monsieur Bark. They do not speak each other's language, but Monsieur Bark is sympathetic to the foreigner's need to care for the child. Recently widowed and equally alone, he is eager to talk, and Monsieur Linh knows how to listen. The two men share their solitude, and find friendship in an unlikely dialogue between two very different cultures. Monsieur Linh and His Child is a remarkable novel with an extraordinary twist, a subtle portrait of friendship and a dialogue between two cultures.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member kidzdoc
Monsieur Linh, an elderly widower in a small war-torn southeast Asian village in an unnamed country, escapes with his infant granddaughter Sang diû and other refugees to a large and impersonal city somewhere in western Europe. He and his child are initially placed in a dormitory room with two
Monsieur Linh and His Child, originally published in French in 2005 and released in English translation earlier this year, is a haunting and beautiful novella about friendship and love. Linh and Bart, despite their cultural differences, share a sense of isolation and loneliness that is both unique and universal. The ethereal narrative enhances the atmosphere of the story, and Claudel's light but firm touch made this a book that I could not put down once I started it. Highly recommended!
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other families from his country, who treat the older man with minimal respect and disdain, as Linh trusts no one to watch over or come close to Sang diû, his most precious possession. Lost and culturally isolated in his new home, he eventually ventures outside, where he meets Monsieur Bart, a portly man who has lived in the city for years and is equally lonely, having recently and suddenly lost his wife just before they were set to retire. Despite their language differences the two men become close friends, spending most of their days with each other, until Linh and Sang diû are suddenly relocated to another part of town. Monsieur Linh and His Child, originally published in French in 2005 and released in English translation earlier this year, is a haunting and beautiful novella about friendship and love. Linh and Bart, despite their cultural differences, share a sense of isolation and loneliness that is both unique and universal. The ethereal narrative enhances the atmosphere of the story, and Claudel's light but firm touch made this a book that I could not put down once I started it. Highly recommended!
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LibraryThing member edwinbcn
WARNING: CONTAINS A SPOILER
This is not a simple story at all.
For a long time, I was puzzled by the title of this book. It is remarkable to see what translators have done with that, but after reading, it is my conclusion that there is no child at all.
Many reviews, here and elsewhere, refer to this
However, I believe that simplicity is false, or rather, it is the product and expression on Monsieur Linh's mind. The reader is lured into believing this beautiful story through our sympathy for Mr Linh, as the opening and most of the story are seen through Mr Linh's eyes. Mr Linh is not the narrator, but the story is told, at least initially, from his point of view.
The simple-mindedness of Mr Linh is never made more explicit, than by the fact that he is locked up in a mental institution.
As the story progresses, the reader may gradually get the feeling that something is wrong about "the little girl". She never cries, we never hear anything else about her apart from Monsieur Linh's comments. She often does not eat, or not much. People smile tenderly, when Monsieur Linh dresses or cares for "the child". Is there a child? Why is "she" not separated from him, sent to school, surely an old man like Mr Linh could not take care of such a little child. In other reviews, it is suggested that Mr Linh is sent to a home for the elderly, but then how to reconcile the idea that "Sang Diû" is not separated from him. A child in a home for the elderly? The only logical conclusion is that there is only a child in the mind of Monsieur Linh, but not in the reality of the novel story. People acknowledge "Sang Diû" because they want to be nice to the old man. They smile, because he is holding .... a doll.
There is one other compelling suggestion that Monsieur Linh has lost his mind. In the book, we are told that Mr Linh knows about a spring outside his village. Villagers who know that they will die, drink the water from this well and hence forget all unpleasantness. Drinking this water will instantly erase all memories, leaving the mind peaceful, only leaving the beautiful moments.
That is what is left of Monsieur Linh's mind.
This is not a simple story at all.
For a long time, I was puzzled by the title of this book. It is remarkable to see what translators have done with that, but after reading, it is my conclusion that there is no child at all.
Many reviews, here and elsewhere, refer to this
Show More
short novel as a simple story. The prose is simple, and the story calls up an idealised nostalgia, both of the simple life style as we imagine it in Asia, and the apparent purity of the friendship between the two men.However, I believe that simplicity is false, or rather, it is the product and expression on Monsieur Linh's mind. The reader is lured into believing this beautiful story through our sympathy for Mr Linh, as the opening and most of the story are seen through Mr Linh's eyes. Mr Linh is not the narrator, but the story is told, at least initially, from his point of view.
The simple-mindedness of Mr Linh is never made more explicit, than by the fact that he is locked up in a mental institution.
As the story progresses, the reader may gradually get the feeling that something is wrong about "the little girl". She never cries, we never hear anything else about her apart from Monsieur Linh's comments. She often does not eat, or not much. People smile tenderly, when Monsieur Linh dresses or cares for "the child". Is there a child? Why is "she" not separated from him, sent to school, surely an old man like Mr Linh could not take care of such a little child. In other reviews, it is suggested that Mr Linh is sent to a home for the elderly, but then how to reconcile the idea that "Sang Diû" is not separated from him. A child in a home for the elderly? The only logical conclusion is that there is only a child in the mind of Monsieur Linh, but not in the reality of the novel story. People acknowledge "Sang Diû" because they want to be nice to the old man. They smile, because he is holding .... a doll.
There is one other compelling suggestion that Monsieur Linh has lost his mind. In the book, we are told that Mr Linh knows about a spring outside his village. Villagers who know that they will die, drink the water from this well and hence forget all unpleasantness. Drinking this water will instantly erase all memories, leaving the mind peaceful, only leaving the beautiful moments.
That is what is left of Monsieur Linh's mind.
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LibraryThing member Smiler69
In this short, but Oh, So Powerful novel, we follow Monsieur Linh's progress as he gets on a boat holding a small baby in his arms, as he leaves behind an un-named war-torn Asian country. His village has been decimated by bombs and all it's inhabitants killed, including his own son and daughter in
This is an incredibly touching story about loss, grief, friendship and hope, and Claudel's prose is simply sublime. As such, the novel delivered quite an emotional impact, but the ending makes it a story one is likely never to forget. Most recommended.
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law, though by some kind of miracle, Monsieur Linh's own baby granddaughter, only ten days old, has remained alive. Together they arrive in a French city where Monsieur Linh feels completely alienated; he doesn't understand the language, or why everyone is in such a hurry, or how anyone can live in such cold weather, nor why the food and the very air don't taste or smell like anything. Save for the perfect, silent little baby he cradles all day long, he feels profoundly lonely until one day, sitting on a bench, he encounters Monsieur Bark, another lonely soul who has just lost his beloved wife. Though neither man can understand the other, they form a special bond which transcends many barriers and gives them both great happiness.This is an incredibly touching story about loss, grief, friendship and hope, and Claudel's prose is simply sublime. As such, the novel delivered quite an emotional impact, but the ending makes it a story one is likely never to forget. Most recommended.
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LibraryThing member BlackSheepDances
Translated from the French by Euan Cameron
“Sitting on this bench which, within the space of just two days, has become a familiar little spot, a chunk of floating wood he could cling to in the midst of a strange, broad, swirling torrent. And nestling cosily against him he clasps the last twig of
Monsieur Linh has lost almost everything: his wife, his son, and even his city, as war has displaced him and made him a refugee in a French city. To his joy, he has one remaining connection to the past and a hope for the future: his infant granddaughter. Brought with him on the rough journey to France, his only concern is her safety and welfare. In the crowded refugee center, he quietly launders her baby clothes, holds her as she sleeps, and in his traditional garb, becomes an eccentric sight to the other visitors. During the day, he takes her out walking for fresh air.
“’I am your grandfather,’ Monsieur Linh tells her, ‘and we are together, there are two of us, the only two, the last two. But don’t be afraid, I am here, nothing can happen to you. I am old, but I’ll still have enough strength, as long as it is needed, as long as you are a little green mango in need of an old mango tree.’”
It’s on these walks that he finds the wood park bench described above, where he watches the city go by and tries to make sense of its foreign tongue. Soon he meets Monsieur Bark, another man beset by losses, and both find the bench to be their place to come to grips with their pasts and the uncertain future. They become virtually inseparable, despite the fact that neither of them can speak each other’s language. Theirs becomes a friendship made up of the language of nods, shared sighs, and companionship. And when difficult changes occur, this unique bond becomes unbreakable.
This is an impossibly elegant novel, one that makes you sort of wistful at the beauty of the words and their meaning. It’s only appropriate that this be an example of translated literature, because the translation of feelings, gestures and moods is at the heart of it, far beyond the translation of mere words. I actually (this is super corny) put it down and sighed a few times…it’s that gorgeous.
The author, Philippe Claudel, has crafted something that manages to combine melancholy and sentimentality without becoming mawkish. The writing is lean and powerful and each character retains a mystery. The mystery is what pushes you on to understand how each man will survive their loss, and how mysterious the nature of friendship can be. The novel asks the reader to examine what makes two people feel connected. Does loss leave a mark that only another kindred spirit can discern? Do the words we speak mean less than who we are? I couldn’t help but think that the story would be entirely different if the two men did share a language, and that Claudel may be commenting on how, very often, words can get in the way.
“Sitting on this bench which, within the space of just two days, has become a familiar little spot, a chunk of floating wood he could cling to in the midst of a strange, broad, swirling torrent. And nestling cosily against him he clasps the last twig of
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the branch, sleeping its fearless sleep for the time being, without melancholy or sadness; that sleep of a satisfied infant, happy to have found the warmth of the skin it loves, its pleasant smoothness and the caress of a loving voice.”Monsieur Linh has lost almost everything: his wife, his son, and even his city, as war has displaced him and made him a refugee in a French city. To his joy, he has one remaining connection to the past and a hope for the future: his infant granddaughter. Brought with him on the rough journey to France, his only concern is her safety and welfare. In the crowded refugee center, he quietly launders her baby clothes, holds her as she sleeps, and in his traditional garb, becomes an eccentric sight to the other visitors. During the day, he takes her out walking for fresh air.
“’I am your grandfather,’ Monsieur Linh tells her, ‘and we are together, there are two of us, the only two, the last two. But don’t be afraid, I am here, nothing can happen to you. I am old, but I’ll still have enough strength, as long as it is needed, as long as you are a little green mango in need of an old mango tree.’”
It’s on these walks that he finds the wood park bench described above, where he watches the city go by and tries to make sense of its foreign tongue. Soon he meets Monsieur Bark, another man beset by losses, and both find the bench to be their place to come to grips with their pasts and the uncertain future. They become virtually inseparable, despite the fact that neither of them can speak each other’s language. Theirs becomes a friendship made up of the language of nods, shared sighs, and companionship. And when difficult changes occur, this unique bond becomes unbreakable.
This is an impossibly elegant novel, one that makes you sort of wistful at the beauty of the words and their meaning. It’s only appropriate that this be an example of translated literature, because the translation of feelings, gestures and moods is at the heart of it, far beyond the translation of mere words. I actually (this is super corny) put it down and sighed a few times…it’s that gorgeous.
The author, Philippe Claudel, has crafted something that manages to combine melancholy and sentimentality without becoming mawkish. The writing is lean and powerful and each character retains a mystery. The mystery is what pushes you on to understand how each man will survive their loss, and how mysterious the nature of friendship can be. The novel asks the reader to examine what makes two people feel connected. Does loss leave a mark that only another kindred spirit can discern? Do the words we speak mean less than who we are? I couldn’t help but think that the story would be entirely different if the two men did share a language, and that Claudel may be commenting on how, very often, words can get in the way.
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LibraryThing member SimoneA
This is a beautiful short novel about an Asian fugitive who escapes to France with his granddaughter. I borrowed this book from someone who really loves it, which influenced my opinion. On itself, the book is not entirely my genre and I probably wouldn't even have picked it up. But because someone
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I like loves it, it made me see the beauty of the book. So, read this book if you come across it and decide for yourself. Show Less
LibraryThing member RobinDawson
Beautiful novella. Sad and poignant description of an old Vietnamese man who comes with his tiny granddaughter to the US as a refugee. Despite a common language he forms a friendship with another elderly man who has also experienced loss. I don't know how it reads in French but this translated
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prose is beautiful. Highly recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Floratina
READ IN DUTCH
This story is only about 130 pages long, this means a lot is left for the reader's imagination. Where does Monsieur Linh precisely come from? But the story is a very beautiful and subtle one, focussing on how unfitting someone can feel in a new environment, if everything you knew has
This story is only about 130 pages long, this means a lot is left for the reader's imagination. Where does Monsieur Linh precisely come from? But the story is a very beautiful and subtle one, focussing on how unfitting someone can feel in a new environment, if everything you knew has
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changed. I thought the 'conversations' between the two elderly men were touching, and then *BANG* there is the end. I didn't see that coming. Show Less
LibraryThing member Gypsy_Boy
A parable. Very simple sentences, very simple story. Beautifully done. Another triumph for Claudel who I will continue to read with great pleasure.
Awards
Prix Solidarité (2006)
Language
Original language
French
Original publication date
2005
Physical description
159 p.; 8.46 inches
ISBN
274418554X / 9782744185540