Yves Pagès' 'Le Théoriste' Explores Identity Through Language

Yves Pagès, a French author, has published 'Le Théoriste' with Editions Verticales, a novel that delves into the acquisition of language and the quest for identity. The narrative centers on a narrator searching for his origins, structured around a lexicon transcribed by pure pronunciation. The book opens with the dedication 'À mon insu' ('Without my knowledge'), setting a tone of ironic self-reflection. Pagès contrasts this work with his earlier 'Prières d'exhumer', which fragmented identity across multiple protagonists. In 'Le Théoriste', the father figure, an ethologist, attempts a universal glossolalia, leading to the son's aphasia and a skin mark (naevus) as symbols of inherited trauma. The novel employs wordplay, including the paronomasia 'théoriste' for 'terroriste', and references to Georges Perec and Julio Cortázar. The son's journey from aphasia to glossolalia culminates in a bittersweet reconciliation with the father, exploring the interplay between language, identity, and memory.