Chantal Thomas's 'Chemin de sable': A Candid Journey Through Life and Literature

Chantal Thomas, the acclaimed French writer and essayist, has released a new book titled 'Chemin de sable', co-authored with Claude Plettner. The work is not a traditional interview or confession, but rather a series of conversations held in cafés over nearly a year, where Thomas reflects on her life and the books that shaped her. The title, meaning 'sand path', alludes to her ideal day spent at the beach, symbolizing freedom and lightness. Thomas discusses her early influences, including the Marquis de Sade and Casanova, as well as later readings of Dostoevsky, Michelet, Aragon, and Thomas Bernhard, to whom she dedicated a notable essay now reissued. The book traces how her childhood and literary encounters informed her own writing, from her essay on Sade to her novel 'Les Adieux à la Reine'. Jacques Henric, in his review, notes that lightness in Thomas's work does not imply frivolity; rather, it confronts the inhuman aspects of humanity, which writing must assume. The book is published by artpress.