Thomas Schlesser's new novel 'Le chat du jardinier' explores poetry and nature

Thomas Schlesser, art historian and director of the Fondation Hartung-Bergman, has published a new novel titled 'Le chat du jardinier' with Éditions Albin Michel. The story follows Louis, a solitary gardener in Provence whose life unravels when he discovers his cat has a tumor. His retired literature teacher neighbor Thalie, in her sixties, revitalizes him by having him recite poetry from great poets to his trees. Schlesser, who also teaches at École polytechnique, aims to make poetry accessible, stating 'Poetry that seems elitist is a wonderful adjutant to facilitate speech. It is the language that unites everyone.' He first discovered poetry in high school through Guillaume Apollinaire. This novel follows his 2024 success 'Les Yeux de Mona', translated about forty times, which told the story of a girl threatened with blindness whose grandfather takes her through Paris museums for a year. Schlesser believes strongly in 'the existential virtues of great human productions.'