Jacques Henric Reassesses Romain Gary's Life and Work

In a 2009 feuilleton for Art Press, Jacques Henric revisits his earlier dismissal of Romain Gary, now recognizing the novelist's significance. Henric, who once neglected Gary due to his own avant-garde and leftist biases, admits his youthful judgments were flawed. He praises Gary's life as a "formidable novel," highlighting his Jewish origins, anti-Nazi combat, political incorrectness, and paradoxical egocentrism. Henric credits the Quarto edition "Légendes du je" (edited by Mireille Sacotte) for prompting his re-evaluation, particularly Gary's masterpiece "La Promesse de l'aube," which portrays his mother as a source of strength. Henric also reads Gary's Ajar novels, including "La Vie devant soi," finding them well-crafted but somewhat contrived in language. He concludes by quoting Gary's farewell: "Au revoir et merci."