René de Ceccatty's 'Raphaël et Raphaël' Explores Love, Doubles, and Memory

René de Ceccatty's latest book 'Raphaël et Raphaël' (Flammarion) is a deeply personal narrative that blurs autobiography, fiction, and memoir. The story unfolds across multiple summers—by the Mediterranean, in a childhood village, and in Paris—where the narrator receives a postcard from Corfou from a former lover named Raphaël, prompting a reflection on love, loss, and identity. De Ceccatty rejects the 'romantic illusion,' positioning himself on the threshold of fiction. The narrative weaves together memories of a childhood in Nice, a villa called 'le Sphinx,' a deceased younger brother, and an 'ombre blonde' (blonde shadow) who also loved a Raphaël who claimed to be homosexual. The book explores the concept of the double, the danger of love regardless of gender, and the impossibility of vengeance in suffering. De Ceccatty draws on a verse by Ichiyô Higuchi about a precarious wooden bridge, symbolizing the vertigo of secret sexualities. The author aims to 'reach reality' through words, avoiding both discretion and exhibition. The review by Judith Brouste highlights the book's beauty in its depths and the 'unknown of the self.'