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C'est la Vie
Tough, bloody stuff, but put together with a cunning intelligence’ Sunday Times
'Happiness for those unused to it is like food for the starving – a little too much can be fatal.’
Writer Jeff Colombier is not accustomed to success. Twice divorced with a grown-up son he barely sees, he drinks too much and his books don’t sell.
Then he wins a big literary prize and his life changes for ever. Overwhelmed by his newfound wealth and happiness, he feels the need to escape and recapture his lost youth, taking his son, Damien, with him. And if strange encounters lead them down dangerous paths … well, c’est la vie.
'Happiness for those unused to it is like food for the starving – a little too much can be fatal.’
Writer Jeff Colombier is not accustomed to success. Twice divorced with a grown-up son he barely sees, he drinks too much and his books don’t sell.
Then he wins a big literary prize and his life changes for ever. Overwhelmed by his newfound wealth and happiness, he feels the need to escape and recapture his lost youth, taking his son, Damien, with him. And if strange encounters lead them down dangerous paths … well, c’est la vie.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
6 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Pascal Garnier
86 books102 followersPascal Garnier, who died in March 2010, was a talented novelist, short story writer, children’s author and painter. From his home in the mountains of the Ardèche, he wrote fiction in a noir palette with a cast of characters drawn from ordinary provincial life. Though his writing is often very dark in tone, it sparkles with quirkily beautiful imagery and dry witted humour. Garnier’s work has been likened to the great thriller writer, Georges Simenon. Gallic books has now published many of his titles, including - The Panda Theory, How’s the Pain?, The Islanders, Moon in a Dead Eye, and The Front Seat Passenger.
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June 2, 2024
C’est La Vie - Pascal Garnier's super short road novel explodes like noir napalm in the final third, a femme fatale fueled hallucinogenic haze of blood and guts.
Go for it. Pick up a copy and join Jeff Colombier as the fifty-year-old, instantly famous crime fiction writer tells his tale of life on the move with his coke snorting, rocker son.
Along the way, word slinger Jeff fires off rounds of smokin' insights re our modern world and his own struggles past and present. Among their number, take a gander at these:
Marriage as Suffocation - "It's not easy to escape the shipwreck of the forties, swimming in a dead sea as thick as pea soup, with that island on the horizon that shrinks as you approach it." After five years with Hélène, Jeff admits defeat - he anaesthetized himself nose in bottle; Hélène, nose in powder. Reaching old age together might seem like a good idea but, damn, day-to-day reality has an ugly way of asserting itself.
Lights, Action, Camera - "The lens of a camera looks very like the hole in a guillotine. I went on set with my scalp showing and my face covered in a layer of brown peanut butter." The big moment has come: Jeff steps on stage. Oh, wow - there he is! He's ready to receive his award, the coveted literary prize that will transform poor, obscure Jeff the scribbler into rich, famous Jeff Colombier, star author. And to think, the winner spent the previous night gazing in disbelief at his face in the bathroom mirror, bracing himself with drink after drink after drink.
Identity Crisis - "Everyone knew that it was a sham. Yes, I had written it, but it wasn't my fault! I was innocent." Ha! Jeff has the distinct feeling the inspiration for his story came from his muse - he simply transcribed what he was given. Also, whose face is that on the book's back cover? Is that me? I don't believe it!
Existential Alienation - "I was afraid I would never be able to get rid of the death-head smile that was pasted on my face; it would take a crowbar to unclench my teeth." Jeff can hardly believe the stage lights and TV camera froze his face into a goofy watermelon grin. Damn, he could barely speak. Afterwards, friend and editor Serge Cumin tells Jeff not to worry - being overly emotional won over thousands of readers and his book will sell like hotcakes. Ah, fame; ah, book sales – come on, Jeff, that’s what truly counts!
Publicity Tour Torture - "I let myself be dragged from town to town, as unresisting as a gift-wrapped parcel.” Jeff recognizes all during his book tour who he is as a person has become little more than a commodity to sell his book. And the unending lineup of eager fans waiting for his autograph saps his energy. Oh, man, somebody can really use a drink!
The Examined Life - "Happiness for those unused to it is like food for the starving - a little too much can be fatal." Pascal Ganier leavens his tale with oodles of reflections on our human condition. What is the nature of happiness? Should we value being happy all the time? Or, would we be wise to open ourselves up to the entire rage of human experience – things like misery, deprivation, loneliness, pain, anguish? Does at least some unhappiness fuel artistic and literary creation?
Long Live the World We Know and Love - "There was no more right and wrong; everything was wrong. The sports results that came on next served more or less to cauterize the gaping wounds." Jeff watches TV at a bar. Our perceptive writer can discern the unresolved complexities and nastiness of what counts as nightly “news” requires clear-cut updates from sports to reassure everyone their world ultimately makes sense and their society can be trusted.
Oh, Youth and Beauty - "I was trying to rediscover my youth, and where better to find it than in the features of that young man who no longer resembled me." I outlined the above points to underscore the many motives propelling Jeff to urge his son Damien to join him as he embarks on his road trip. Does Jeff want to recapture his own youth through Damien? Does Jeff want to take another stab at being a good father? What does it mean for a man, in this case a literary artist, to make a break and strike out anew?
Black Humor - "After two years, there was not a single item of our wedding list we had not hurled at each other. We had been forced to separate for lack of projectiles." Any fan of the author knows a Pascal Garnier tale is a tale soaked in black humor. Certainly, the same goes for C'est La Vie. "Forced to separate for lack of projectiles" - I wonder how a divorce lawyer would put the spin on that one!
All of the above are taken from the book's first two-thirds, the perfect setup for the noir napalm explosion I mentioned, a KA-BOOM too potent for me to say anything further.
By my eye, the above art captures the feeling Jeff has after snorting Colombia's finest. "I hadn't taken cocaine since . . . since I'd become old. This was of the finest quality. I felt as though a lead weight had been lifted off my head, which, light as a balloon, now seemed to be attached to my body by only the slenderest of threads, which vibrated at the least emotion. Mile after mile, all the junk of rusty memory that had been weighing me down evaporated like condensation swept from side air, my nostrils perfectly cleansed, my gums delightfully anaesthetised."
French author Pascal Garnier, 1949-2010
June 16, 2022
While not the most talked about author, Pascal Garnier has a wonderful reputation amongst noir fans for writing short, fast paced and rather comedic works. I've been meaning to try him for some time now and happened upon this one.
Plot description from the publisher: "Writer Jeff Colombier is not accustomed to success. Twice divorced with a grown-up son he barely sees, he drinks too much and his books don’t sell.
Then he wins a big literary prize and his life changes for ever. Overwhelmed by his newfound wealth and happiness, he feels the need to escape and recapture his lost youth, taking his son, Damien, with him. And if strange encounters lead them down dangerous paths … well, c’est la vie."
I put the full description there because I want to stress this: if you though you were going to get into some dark noir roadtrip, you're looking for the wrong book. In fact, the plot description is both highly accurate and misleading all at once. Those aspects all happen, but most of them are very minor in terms of page count… and this is already a short book at 115 pages.
The first 2/3 of the book one may feel confused if they bought the wrong book. After all, it's said to be a noir! What we instead get is something of a philosophical comedy of errors in which an author finally makes it big (winning a prize for his writing), gets married and promptly goes through a midlife crisis because of his newfound success.
It's done in a very silly way at times and isn't bad, but far from a noir.
Then the last third of the book downs a whisky, watches a David Lynch marathon and decides to go all out on you.
Maybe this is just a me problem, but the genre shift feels too abrupt and too tonally different. Yes, things are introduced early on which become important later, so it was obviously thought out before hand, but the jarring nature of the change just feels awkward to me. Neither portion is bad, but I feel had it been done in a more tonally consistent way it would have made for a much better book. As things stand I'm going with a 3/5 stars. Not bad, but I don't quite get the praise. That said, I'll likely give the author another shot.
Plot description from the publisher: "Writer Jeff Colombier is not accustomed to success. Twice divorced with a grown-up son he barely sees, he drinks too much and his books don’t sell.
Then he wins a big literary prize and his life changes for ever. Overwhelmed by his newfound wealth and happiness, he feels the need to escape and recapture his lost youth, taking his son, Damien, with him. And if strange encounters lead them down dangerous paths … well, c’est la vie."
I put the full description there because I want to stress this: if you though you were going to get into some dark noir roadtrip, you're looking for the wrong book. In fact, the plot description is both highly accurate and misleading all at once. Those aspects all happen, but most of them are very minor in terms of page count… and this is already a short book at 115 pages.
The first 2/3 of the book one may feel confused if they bought the wrong book. After all, it's said to be a noir! What we instead get is something of a philosophical comedy of errors in which an author finally makes it big (winning a prize for his writing), gets married and promptly goes through a midlife crisis because of his newfound success.
It's done in a very silly way at times and isn't bad, but far from a noir.
Then the last third of the book downs a whisky, watches a David Lynch marathon and decides to go all out on you.
Maybe this is just a me problem, but the genre shift feels too abrupt and too tonally different. Yes, things are introduced early on which become important later, so it was obviously thought out before hand, but the jarring nature of the change just feels awkward to me. Neither portion is bad, but I feel had it been done in a more tonally consistent way it would have made for a much better book. As things stand I'm going with a 3/5 stars. Not bad, but I don't quite get the praise. That said, I'll likely give the author another shot.
July 29, 2020
Such hilarious gruesomeness and delicious nastiness! Glenn Russell wrote a marvellous review of this little noir so that I do not find it necessary to add another word!
March 17, 2022
Rather like the last chocolate in the box, I had been saving this, for several years. My final Garnier. With a tinge of sadness therefore, I took it from the shelf..
Author Jean-François Colombier, known to his friends as Jeff, is at something of a mid-life crisis, on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He is out of money, bored by his work, an alcoholic, been through two divorces, and not surprisngly, struggling with his mental health.
Out of the blue though his life changes. His new book wins an important literary prize, which leads to a TV appearance, and to meeting his dream woman, who is half his age. It seems all to good to be true, and that is indeed what Jeff thinks, so he makes a run for it, to Lille, with his drug-dealing son.
This is a bit different than Garnier's previous work in that it isn't really a noir, there is much more humour, but it still bears his indellible trademarks; the twists in the last third, the unpredictability, the femme fatale, and of course, never a happy ending.
The title of the French original is not actually C'est la Vie. It is "Nul n'est à l'abri du succès", which I believe translates as 'No one is safe from success'. Note to the publisher - that the seems a much better title, pretty summarising what happens to Jeff in this highly entertaining little novel.
Having read more widely now than I had when I began Garnier's work, it is easy to see how much of an influence he was on other French writers. In this work where his dark humour is more evident, I saw the work of Antoine Laurain.
I will probably re-read some I have enjoyed the most one day, How's the Pain?, The A26, Too Close to the Edge, but for now Pascal at least, merci et au revoir..
Author Jean-François Colombier, known to his friends as Jeff, is at something of a mid-life crisis, on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He is out of money, bored by his work, an alcoholic, been through two divorces, and not surprisngly, struggling with his mental health.
Out of the blue though his life changes. His new book wins an important literary prize, which leads to a TV appearance, and to meeting his dream woman, who is half his age. It seems all to good to be true, and that is indeed what Jeff thinks, so he makes a run for it, to Lille, with his drug-dealing son.
This is a bit different than Garnier's previous work in that it isn't really a noir, there is much more humour, but it still bears his indellible trademarks; the twists in the last third, the unpredictability, the femme fatale, and of course, never a happy ending.
The title of the French original is not actually C'est la Vie. It is "Nul n'est à l'abri du succès", which I believe translates as 'No one is safe from success'. Note to the publisher - that the seems a much better title, pretty summarising what happens to Jeff in this highly entertaining little novel.
Having read more widely now than I had when I began Garnier's work, it is easy to see how much of an influence he was on other French writers. In this work where his dark humour is more evident, I saw the work of Antoine Laurain.
I will probably re-read some I have enjoyed the most one day, How's the Pain?, The A26, Too Close to the Edge, but for now Pascal at least, merci et au revoir..
May 21, 2019
‘Happiness for those unused to it is like food for the starving- a little too much can be fatal.’
Over the course of this very short novel, 50 year old Jeff’s life takes a turn when he unexpectedly wins a prestigious literary award; one would usually look towards the future at a time like this, Jeff instead laments about his lost youth. Jeff impulsively leaves in the peak of his overnight success and in an attempt to return to his youth, he goes down an unknown and risky path full of darkness and just a hint of laughter.
The novel focuses mainly on the character rather than the plot, and more specifically on the human condition. Through our protagonist Jeff we are greeted with a humorous narrative and dialogue in the form of black humour and self-deprecation of the writer. We learn of that life isn’t straight forward; it has many ups and downs and is full of complex family relationships. It is also dreadfully clear that Jeff in the main character in a noir narrative. He leads us to a world that’s slightly trippy and sleazy as if we are looking at it through a light fog. Although this makes it seem like we are on the edge of a surrealist world, it is all too feasible.
C’est la vie is a French expression that has been adopted into the English language meaning ‘that’s life’ or ‘that’s how it is’. It seems to imply that things happen and one accepts that there is nothing you can do about it. A tragedy, something that was destined to appear in a French noir novel, is not lingered on, but instead quickly and calmly moved on from. It appears to be a good way of dealing with things we can’t control in life, as sadly tragic events do happen and we have to move past them. That seems to be the way it happens in the novel, a tragic event occurs and the characters simply move on from it. Fortunately, because it is such a short novel, the quick turn-around has a quick and snappy effect.
Although I did enjoy the bleakness and sense of disorientation it caused, I was left wanting more and felt I didn’t gain too much out of reading this novel. Ah well, c’est la vie.
Over the course of this very short novel, 50 year old Jeff’s life takes a turn when he unexpectedly wins a prestigious literary award; one would usually look towards the future at a time like this, Jeff instead laments about his lost youth. Jeff impulsively leaves in the peak of his overnight success and in an attempt to return to his youth, he goes down an unknown and risky path full of darkness and just a hint of laughter.
The novel focuses mainly on the character rather than the plot, and more specifically on the human condition. Through our protagonist Jeff we are greeted with a humorous narrative and dialogue in the form of black humour and self-deprecation of the writer. We learn of that life isn’t straight forward; it has many ups and downs and is full of complex family relationships. It is also dreadfully clear that Jeff in the main character in a noir narrative. He leads us to a world that’s slightly trippy and sleazy as if we are looking at it through a light fog. Although this makes it seem like we are on the edge of a surrealist world, it is all too feasible.
C’est la vie is a French expression that has been adopted into the English language meaning ‘that’s life’ or ‘that’s how it is’. It seems to imply that things happen and one accepts that there is nothing you can do about it. A tragedy, something that was destined to appear in a French noir novel, is not lingered on, but instead quickly and calmly moved on from. It appears to be a good way of dealing with things we can’t control in life, as sadly tragic events do happen and we have to move past them. That seems to be the way it happens in the novel, a tragic event occurs and the characters simply move on from it. Fortunately, because it is such a short novel, the quick turn-around has a quick and snappy effect.
Although I did enjoy the bleakness and sense of disorientation it caused, I was left wanting more and felt I didn’t gain too much out of reading this novel. Ah well, c’est la vie.
October 10, 2019
This is the first of Garnier's books that I didn't totally enjoy. While many of his phrases are cleverly crafted (e.g. regarding mothers giving birth to us: "they're the first women we kick in the stomach", meaning while in the womb), the book is not. It's a thin tale with no unpredictable twists, shabby characters, little of the dark noir I've loved of his. There's one final book of his currently being posthumously translated, due out early next year, and I'm hoping it's better than this one.
July 12, 2019
Oh god. So funny. Soooo Garnier.
This is less noir than most of his other novels. It's far more surreal and, I think, more of a satire. The ending is just brilliant, too.
This is less noir than most of his other novels. It's far more surreal and, I think, more of a satire. The ending is just brilliant, too.
April 24, 2022
Cool, edgy — the first Garnier I’ve actually liked
April 29, 2022
Ceci n'est pas la vie
February 15, 2020
Short, strange, and full of Garnier's usual misanthropy. Not as good as several other of his books (The Islanders is my favorite), perhaps because books about writers are hard to do well; the subject is less interesting than the authors think. It’s a quick read, though, and the second half is pleasantly bizarre.
September 22, 2020
Jean-Francois Colombier is a well-known French writer. He's been on television, and attended book signings all over France. But this is a Pascal Garnier story. Maybe his shorts are too tight, but he wants out of his cozy relationship with a younger woman and runs off with his son from a previous marriage to Lille of all places. His son's car belongs to Jean-Francois's ex girlfriend Helene, with whom son Damien seems to have an ongoing relationship.
The scene in Lille is a zoo. A large empty house, a loud party with techno music, and a tall redhead with piercings named Agathe. Jean-Francois maneuvers her to a brasserie and orders food. When he comes back from the restroom, he finds the wallet from his jacket gone, presumably with Agathe. Then things begin to happen, bad things. Monsieur Billot the Thalidomide dwarf gets shot by the writer, and Jean-Francois runs off. He wakes up in a hospital and ... things continue to happen.
As the title says, C'est la Vie. Not the best Garnier I've read ... but he's always worth reading.
The scene in Lille is a zoo. A large empty house, a loud party with techno music, and a tall redhead with piercings named Agathe. Jean-Francois maneuvers her to a brasserie and orders food. When he comes back from the restroom, he finds the wallet from his jacket gone, presumably with Agathe. Then things begin to happen, bad things. Monsieur Billot the Thalidomide dwarf gets shot by the writer, and Jean-Francois runs off. He wakes up in a hospital and ... things continue to happen.
As the title says, C'est la Vie. Not the best Garnier I've read ... but he's always worth reading.
May 23, 2020
The late Garnier was considered a master of French noir writing, though new to me. A middle-aged author enjoying sudden success feels a need to take a break from his suddenly perfect life. The vehicle is a road trip with his son, who he has not seen in a few years. The son is a drug dealer and the destination is a house where numbers of his young degenerate customers live and behave badly. What could possibly go wrong? For starters, murder, extortion and grotesque characters. Noir indeed. Well written (or at least translated) and an addictive (and short) page turner. I will read more Garnier.
December 19, 2021
C'est la Vie is the story of Jeff, a middle aged author who suddenly finds fame and fortune on winning a literary prize. Bored by his everyday life, he embarks on a road trip with his waster son. Being a Pascal Garnier novel, everything is inevitably a bit dark. Jeff himself isn't a particularly pleasant character, given to much gallic self obsession and introspection.
It's an enjoyable enough short read, but not one of his best.
It's an enjoyable enough short read, but not one of his best.
July 4, 2019
A middle life crisis - in a French way!
Dark, bleak at times but always with a smile around the corner.
(Deep if you want it to be)
Quirky and entertaining
Short - ideal for an afternoon in a pavement café with a coffee (and probaby cake)
Dark, bleak at times but always with a smile around the corner.
(Deep if you want it to be)
Quirky and entertaining
Short - ideal for an afternoon in a pavement café with a coffee (and probaby cake)
August 19, 2020
A mingling of noir and absurd French fiction. This short novel portrays a middle aged man living through dramatic changes in his own life as he tries to negotiate relationships between himself and younger generations.
September 25, 2023
Wow. Gaelic noir. Who knew? The prose is wonderful. It took me a while to get into, because I didn't have much sympathy for the main character. He was just too macho. But of course, since it's noir, that comes back to bite him.
December 5, 2019
Short and sweet , but cutting and relevant .
May 22, 2020
snappy writing, weak mystery
Read
March 24, 2022Poor Jeff. The same world of tragedy and despair typicall of Garnier but short, very short.
June 8, 2022
Very brief. Entertaining.
Not quite up to the hype, but if your a middle-aged white guy, this is entertaining.
Not quite up to the hype, but if your a middle-aged white guy, this is entertaining.
October 1, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this as it was a complete different genre for me in comparison to the books that I usually read - dark yet humorous and even a tad surrealist. Now is the time in my reviews when I usually briefly summarise the plot, but I'm not entirely sure how to go about doing this for C'est la vie. The story focuses mainly on the character of Jeff who is a writer, his lovers/acquaintances and his son. It was an odd one I can tell you that, but it was fabulous in its own way.
It's an extremely short story that I could have easily read in one sitting. However, I was torn over the length of the novel - I loved the fact that it was short because it's not my usual genre and so it was a great chance to try something new. However, I was also left wanting more - we got to know Jeff very quickly, all kinds of drama happened, and then it ended very abruptly. Perhaps this was to add to the effect of the book, but I'm not sure.
Overall, I do think this book was slightly lost on me; I feel as though there is some meaning of the story that I completely missed. But, nonetheless I did like reading it and I would recommend you give it a go - it's only 110 pages odd so why not!
Thanks to Gallic Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
It's an extremely short story that I could have easily read in one sitting. However, I was torn over the length of the novel - I loved the fact that it was short because it's not my usual genre and so it was a great chance to try something new. However, I was also left wanting more - we got to know Jeff very quickly, all kinds of drama happened, and then it ended very abruptly. Perhaps this was to add to the effect of the book, but I'm not sure.
Overall, I do think this book was slightly lost on me; I feel as though there is some meaning of the story that I completely missed. But, nonetheless I did like reading it and I would recommend you give it a go - it's only 110 pages odd so why not!
Thanks to Gallic Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
April 26, 2022
It was OK.
June 22, 2022
A bizarre tale, at times funny, ironic and absurd, of a self-absorbed, masochistic writer whose imagination is his own worst enemy. Short, interesting and entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews