ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Bernard Comment's Tragicomic Novel Challenges Contemporary Literary Trends

publication · 2026-04-23

Bernard Comment's novel 'Un poisson hors de l'eau' (A Fish Out of Water) presents a tragicomic allegory of the human condition, featuring an unlikely cast: a former Greco-Latin literature specialist turned crane operator, a collector of improbable fish, a sauce specialist cook, and a billionaire poker player. The work deliberately defies contemporary fiction's preference for sentimental pathos and serious social issues, instead offering a jubilant and torturing narrative. Published in 2004, the novel was reviewed by artpress.

Key facts

  • Bernard Comment authored the novel 'Un poisson hors de l'eau'.
  • The novel features a former Greco-Latin literature specialist turned crane operator.
  • It includes a collector of improbable fish.
  • A cook specializing in sauce bases appears in the story.
  • A billionaire poker player is among the characters.
  • The novel is described as a tragicomic allegory of the human condition.
  • It was reviewed by artpress in October 2004.
  • The work challenges contemporary fiction's focus on sentimental pathos and social issues.

Entities

Artists

  • Bernard Comment

Institutions

  • artpress

Sources