All Paris speaks about it and for good reason: by telling, with a divinely measured pen, the revolt of a fifty-something against the patriarchy and capitalism , the new novel of Nina Bouraoui throws a pavement in the pond. First written for a play, we explain why Hostages should be read urgently.
A punchy plot
Since her husband left her, Sylvie has been ruminating. This mother of two, a worker in a rubber company, drowned in the mental load , can no longer bear to stifle the violence that rumbles deep inside her. It is to free herself from injunctions linked to her sex and her condition that she decides to say no, until committing an irreparable act. The strength of Nina Bouraoui in her latest novel? Create a character in which it is difficult not to recognize yourself as a woman.
A singular feather
It is through fluent writing that the author of My Bad Thoughts knows how to strike where it hurts. Far from a purely incisive feather, Nina Bouraoui walks us (almost) quietly before delivering her ultimate blow (we can't say more without spoiling you) ... until we knocked out
An indictment against violence against women
Rather than being satisfied with her powerful pen and her art of storytelling mastered to perfection, the Franco-Algerian author also delivers a high-profile social novel. By digging into the increasingly heavy daily life of Sylvie, we discover over the pages an indictment against a harasser boss, a husband who suddenly left, a sexually violent stranger, a silence that is too heavy ... In short, the opportunity to explore seemingly nothing the eternal imbalance of the balance of power between men and women.
Hostages by Nina Bouraoui, Roman, JC Lattès, 170 pages, € 18
Also discover Daniel Arsham at the Perrotin gallery and Sex Education season 2 .
