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Ormuz
Unissant le golfe Persique à la mer d'Arabie, le détroit d'Ormuz voit transiter une part importante du pétrole et du gaz irrigant l'économie mondiale. De temps à autre, l'Iran menace de le bloquer, cependant que les Etats-Unis y font défiler leurs navires de guerre. En gros, c'est ce que l'on désigne comme une zone de tensions, et comme un enjeu stratégique. Or Wax, un personnage aux contours indécis, a formé malgré tout le projet de le traverser à la nage. Y parviendra-t-il, avec l'aide du narrateur et en dépit de difficultés innombrables, ou bien va-t-il plutôt se noyer dans le détroit, pour finir ?
- GenresFiction
218 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2013
15 people want to read
About the author
Jean Rolin
43 books12 followersJean Rolin is a French writer and journalist known for his distinctive narrative style and profound exploration of sociopolitical issues. Born on June 14, 1949, in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, Rolin has had a career marked by an interplay between journalism and literature. His works often blend fiction and reportage, creating a unique hybrid that reflects his sharp observational skills and deep engagement with the world.
Rolin studied literature at the University of Paris but found himself drawn to the tumultuous political landscape of the 1960s. He became actively involved in leftist movements, an experience that later influenced his writing, particularly in his nuanced depictions of political and social dynamics.
His career as a journalist took him to various parts of the globe, including Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. These experiences enriched his literary work, as he frequently draws upon his travels to craft vivid narratives. His writing captures not only the physical landscapes but also the complexities of human existence in these regions.
Rolin’s literary debut came in 1980 with "Journal de Gand aux Aléoutiennes, a work that set the tone for his blend of memoir, travelogue, and fiction. He has since published numerous books, including L'Explosion de la durite (1997), Le Ravissement de Britney Spears (2011), and Les Événements (2020). His works are characterized by an understated yet incisive humor, a keen eye for detail, and an ability to illuminate the absurdities of contemporary life.
In addition to his literary achievements, Rolin has been recognized with several awards, including the prestigious Prix Médicis in 1996 for L'Homme qui a vu l'ours and the Prix Ptolémée in 2014 for Ormuz.
Rolin studied literature at the University of Paris but found himself drawn to the tumultuous political landscape of the 1960s. He became actively involved in leftist movements, an experience that later influenced his writing, particularly in his nuanced depictions of political and social dynamics.
His career as a journalist took him to various parts of the globe, including Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. These experiences enriched his literary work, as he frequently draws upon his travels to craft vivid narratives. His writing captures not only the physical landscapes but also the complexities of human existence in these regions.
Rolin’s literary debut came in 1980 with "Journal de Gand aux Aléoutiennes, a work that set the tone for his blend of memoir, travelogue, and fiction. He has since published numerous books, including L'Explosion de la durite (1997), Le Ravissement de Britney Spears (2011), and Les Événements (2020). His works are characterized by an understated yet incisive humor, a keen eye for detail, and an ability to illuminate the absurdities of contemporary life.
In addition to his literary achievements, Rolin has been recognized with several awards, including the prestigious Prix Médicis in 1996 for L'Homme qui a vu l'ours and the Prix Ptolémée in 2014 for Ormuz.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 28, 2020
Écrivain-reporteur Jean Rolin, traverse le détroit d'Ormuz et arpente les pays alentours avec une intention miraculeuse. Les paysages maritimes, les navires, les pétroliers, l'histoire autant que l'actualité de cette zone constituent les matières essentielles de son livre, qui empreinte le nom même du détroit.
Rolin prend comme fil conducteur de son roman l'histoire de Wax, un homme d'un certain âge qui veut traverser le détroit à la nage. Bien que ce dernier veuille tricher, il embauche le narrateur anonyme pour écrire l'histoire de son exploit.
Sans oublier une bonne dose d'humour, Rolin enrichit constamment sa fiction avec la réécriture des micros-récits factuels empruntés de la presse ainsi que des références directes et indicielles.
C'est cette écriture même (qui ne plaît peut-être pas à tout le monde) qui fait de son style ce qu'on appelle aujourd'hui "le réalisme contemporain".
En tant qu'iranienne, j'ai adoré ce livre!
Rolin prend comme fil conducteur de son roman l'histoire de Wax, un homme d'un certain âge qui veut traverser le détroit à la nage. Bien que ce dernier veuille tricher, il embauche le narrateur anonyme pour écrire l'histoire de son exploit.
Sans oublier une bonne dose d'humour, Rolin enrichit constamment sa fiction avec la réécriture des micros-récits factuels empruntés de la presse ainsi que des références directes et indicielles.
C'est cette écriture même (qui ne plaît peut-être pas à tout le monde) qui fait de son style ce qu'on appelle aujourd'hui "le réalisme contemporain".
En tant qu'iranienne, j'ai adoré ce livre!
April 24, 2016
Written in a deliberately mannered prose, this book feels like the verbal equivalent of a hyper-realist painting. Striking metaphors (En fin de journée, des mainates, presque toujours par paires, survolaient la baie en diagonale, se hâtant et jacassant comme s'ils venaient de se rappeler qu'ils avaient oublié quelque chose sur le feu et s'accusaient mutuellement de cette négligence) stand out amid long descriptions of the bleak scenery of the Persian Gulf area where the action, such as it is, is situated. The action, of course, is minimal, since this is the kind of book where nothing is meant to happen, or at least nothing that could constitute a traditional plot. Having been hired by a man implausibly named Wax, the narrator criss-crosses the desolate landscape of Iran and the Emirates, observing some almost surreal scenes along the way (Quant à moi, la première chose que j'observai, après avoir acquitté le tarif "visiteur" qui me donnait seulement le droit de regarder, ce fut une gamine enveloppée des pieds à la tête dans une abaya noire, posée sur une chambre à air également noire dans une position qui lui interdisait pratiquement tout mouvement, et qui dérivait, comme rescapée d'un naufrage, sur l'eau d'une piscine à peine plus profonde qu'un bain de pieds). Although he is neither young nor fit, mysterious Mr. Wax purports to entertain the notion of swimming across the Gulf at its narrowest point. While he might conceivably get support from the Iranians if he tried to make his swim a political gesture against the embargo which was in place at the time, Wax doesn't seem to have a clear motivation, unless his lackadaisical way of going about things is an elaborate cover-up for a spying mission. At their best, Rolin's relentlessly precise descriptions of this bizarre part of the world, of interest only to the oil industry and the world's top armies, achieve a kind of hypnotic brilliance. You can almost feel the oppressive quality of the heat and humidity, not to mention the always lurking threat of an attack by one of the regular armies, the islamic militias or simply smugglers and pirates. Unfortunately, Rolin doesn't do enough with this business of Wax attempting to swim his way among some of the largest submarines and missile carriers on the planet. It's a clever idea, but since he fails to exploit it to its full potential, "Ormuz" ends up reading like one of these unbearably inconclusive Modiano novels- except for the locale.
August 21, 2017
No lo he podido terminar. En general Jean Rolin me gusta mucho. Me gusta su forma de contar historias y su sentido del humor pero Ormuz ha podido conmigo. ¡Qué lentitud! Da una extraordianaria perspectiva de los movimientos de barcos por eñl mar Rojo (y del conflicto que subyace) pero es aburridísmo. Me da pena no acabarme el libro pero la vida es demasiado corta para soportar estos bodriolos. Tiro la toalla.
Una estrella por aburrirme hasta lo indecible.
Una estrella por aburrirme hasta lo indecible.
August 10, 2016
Un voyage dans la région du détroit d'Ormuz, narré par le Passepartout de 'Wax', l'homme qui tente la traversée...On y découvre au passage la région, son histoire, sa géographie et sa géopolitique. Bien écrit, même si on reste un peu sur sa faim, par le manque d'action peut être ou bien est-ce le style qui veut ça?
July 5, 2016
Un style original, très agréable, une histoire chaleureusement absurde
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews