The Passion of Martin Fissel-Brandt

by Christian Gailly, Melanie Kemp (Translator), Brian Evenson (Introduction)

Did Martin Fissel-Brandt murder his wife? His cat accuses him of foul play, as does his lover, Anna, who after his wife's death leaves both Martin and France for Asia. Later, while on vacation, Martin coincidentally finds an undelivered letter addressed to the apartment where he and Anna used to meet. His discovery prompts the decision to find her again. He transfers his job to Asia, where he is immediately caught up in a local rebellion. His search for Anna takes him deeper into the violent unrest. Is it now too late for them? Is Martin Fissel-Brandt hallucinating, or is it his destiny to find Anna again under these circumstances? Christian Gailly is often cited for his experimental approach to narrative, and his work is characterized by a fascination with coincidence and often fantastic chance encounters or near encounters. Born in Paris to a working-class family, Gailly's education was cut short at the age of fifteen. He worked as a jazz saxophonist, taught himself the literature of psychoanalysis, and while in his forties, began his literary career. The Passion of Martin Fissel-Brandt is the first of Gailly's novels to be translated into English.

127 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate to say it, but this one was almost too compressed even for me. I enjoyed the voice, but the narrative moved SO quickly that it was hard to get engaged until the final chapters, like I was skimming even when reading intently. I can't help comparing this to the early novels of Jean Echenoz, who is slightly more expansive in his compression (yes, I realize that sounds silly), and I think for that reason a bit more to my taste. The final section and ending of Martin Fissel-Brandt were terrific. But with such a short book the fact that there were chapters in the middle of the book that felt slight really stands out, because every chapter is such a relatively large part of the whole. On the other hand, this book is worth reading for Brian Evenson's introduction alone, with its consideration of differences between US and French minimalist fiction (ie, Carver v. Gailly).