Gavalda, Anna. Hunting and Gathering. Translated by Alison Anderson. Riverhead Books, 2004.
Reason read: the Rock en Sein festival takes place in August. This year’s lineup includes Billy Eilish and Florence and the Machine. Since the festival takes place in Paris and so does the novel Hunting and Gathering I thought this would be a good match.
The concept behind Hunting and Gathering is super simple. Bring four very different people together and tell a story about how they coexist. Each has a personal tragedy; a difficulty finding solid ground either mentally, physically, or financially. For some, all three imbalances exist. Philibert is the understated hero who brings anorexically malnourished Camille to his barely furnished apartment. He is already sharing the space with overworked and underemotional Franck, a chef with very little time or patience for anyone except an ailing grandmother. Philibert is not without his own issues. He suffers from debilitating social anxiety. To compensate for a stutter, he dresses outrageously and is excessively polite. They all share common issues of loss, an inability to cope with family, and an undeniable fondness for one another. When Franck brings his grandmother to the dilapidated apartment as the fourth roommate the relationships grow deeper and more meaningful.
Confessional: this is one of the few translated works that I truly enjoyed.
Author fact: Different reviews call Hunting and Gathering either Gavalda’s second or third book.
Book trivia: Hunting and Gathering was made into a movie in 2007 called Ensemble C’est Tout.
Setlist: Andrea Bocelli, Bach, Hander, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Julio Iglesias, Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing”, Phil Collins, Richard Cocciante, Roch Voisine, Tom Jones, U2, Vivaldi’s Nisi Dominus, Pavarotti, and Yves Montand.
Nancy said: Pearl says we can be charmed by Gavalda’s story of disparate misfits.
BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go from the chapter called “We’ll Always Have Paris” (p 258).
~*LunaSea*~ 