Jean-Hubert Gailliot's 'Bambi Frankenstein' Explores Eternal Youth

Jean-Hubert Gailliot's novel 'Bambi Frankenstein', published by Éditions de l'Olivier, examines the contemporary obsession with eternal youth and the refusal to age. The book uses Michael Jackson as a central figure to embody the desire for immortality and indefinition, portraying him as a 'monstrous double' that reflects society's attraction and repulsion toward eternal youth. Gailliot draws parallels to his previous novel 'L'Hacienda', which also tackled the transformation of counterculture into a driver of the global economy. The narrative splits to incorporate elements from Bioy Casares' 'The Invention of Morel', creating a 'surfiction' that blurs reality and dream. The author approaches Jackson's character with a mix of fascination and critique, highlighting the exorbitant cost of pursuing an endless existence. The work is described as a transformative exercise that brings the reader close to a 'old child' marked by both tarnished splendor and inhuman fragility.