With a very different landscape from Joncour’s previous novel, Wild Dog, Lean on Me could be seen as a vastly different book but I do believe that, subliminally maybe, there were some parallels; in the duality of things, the notion of opposites attracting, being driven by a force beyond control. And if the wild dog serves as an allegory in that novel maybe the crows serve a similar purpose in this story.
Aurore, married to a highflying businessman, with a couple of kids and her own fashion company lives in the same apartment complex as Ludovico, a widower, a former farmer and out of sync with the madness of Paris. An incident with crows brings the unlikely couple together and they embark on an affair. Unlikely because they both come from very different backgrounds. Aurore presents as a privileged achiever whereas Ludovico presents are somebody struggling with his very existence. The life he knew seems to have deserted him.
Aurore’s problems with her business and business partner, Ludovico’s dissatisfaction with his city occupation as a debt collector collide and events spiral into an almost Patricia Highsmith type scenario.
It seemed to me that it was more than a mere story, rather an exploration of how two very different people come to rely on one another when the balance of their circumstances is disturbed and their paths cross. Is it fate? Whatever it’s a catalyst for an edgy story. One of those stories that never quite allows you to relax. There is a melting pot of tensions poised to explode.
What I found very interesting was that I never really engaged on an empathic level with either of the two main protagonists. I think Ludovico is probably the nicer person of the pair. I think he cared at a level beyond his own self, I’m not sure I can say the same of Aurore. She seemed to see Ludovico as a protector, a safety blanket but I’m not sure she considered what she brought to him in the relationship. Although I do believe that she really loved him. Ludovico gave me the impression that he would’ve done anything for her. But my diluted rapport with the characters meant I could retain my objectivity for the most part. I was curious to see what each of them would do but I was indifferent as to the outcomes. What I did see was that two people found each other, and in a way, used each other to extricate themselves from the difficulties they were experiencing in their everyday life. That I could empathise with and relate to. The relationship was their oasis in their desert. Everything outside of that seemed poised for disaster.
The book is translated by Jane Aitken and Louise Rogers LaLaurie. I’m always interested when two people translate the same book! And it was also interesting that two people translated Wild Dog. I enjoyed the writing. I enjoyed the way this author manages to convey the doubt and indecision that people experience when navigating their way through the maze of life. It’s subtle and nuanced but very effective. In one sense this is a love story but a very stylised love story it exists purely because a certain set of circumstances occurred at a certain moment in time.
My thanks to Gallic books for a gifted copy.
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