The ending scene of this extraordinary book is just as surreal as the 300 pages that precede it: the little mouse that has appeared throughout as a kiThe ending scene of this extraordinary book is just as surreal as the 300 pages that precede it: the little mouse that has appeared throughout as a kind of murine Greek chorus of one decides to commit suicide by cat. It is a testament to the power of the novel that I, for one, cried at that ending.
I started the book with more than a little scepticism because -- well, surrealism --, but within 30 pages I was totally hooked.
I read it in French; there are, I believe, three translations in English. My internet research suggests that the earliest of these, "Froth on the Daydream" by Stanley Chapman, may be preferable, though judging the calibre of literary translation is a tricky game at best. American readers may prefer the more recent translation, "Foam of the Daze", by Brian Harper.
Jazz, the fantastical musical-olfactory invention of the pianocktail, death by water-lily, eels in the plumbing, the central doomed love-story of Colin and Chloé, Colin's friend Chick's fatal obsession with the works of "Jean-Sol Partre" -- heck, one can list the ingredients of this magnificent book without ever coming close to conveying its magic.
You will just have to seek it out for yourself. You won't regret it. trust me....more
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