Robert McLiam Wilson's 'La douleur de Manfred' Reviewed

Laurent Goumarre reviews Robert McLiam Wilson's novel 'La douleur de Manfred', published by Éditions Christian Bourgois. The reviewer notes Wilson's own harsh opinion of the book, calling it 'merde' and wishing it were not published in French, but acknowledging translator Brice Matthieussent's skill. The novel, which alternates between present and flashbacks, is seen as a weak follow-up to Wilson's debut 'Ripley Bogle', failing to recapture its epic-burlesque energy. The protagonist Manfred, a dying old man who served as a soldier in Italy in 1942 and abused his wife Emma until she left him, is not as compelling as Bogle's anti-heroes. However, the review finds interest in the novel's failure, particularly the suppressed story of Emma, whom Manfred now meets monthly on a bench without being allowed to look at her. Emma's emergence from silence, revealing her name is Rosza and her experience in concentration camps, is described as a powerful novella that overflows the main narrative. Goumarre concludes that Wilson misdirected his focus, and the novel hides a better one within.