My second read for the #1965Club is very different from yesterday’s short story, and it’s a book I’ve had knocking about on the TBR pile for some time – “Astragal” by Albertine Sarrazin, translated by Patsy Southgate. I picked it up in the LRB Bookshop a while back simply on the strength of the fact that it had an introduction by Patti Smith; this is usually recommendation enough, but I liked the sound of the story anyway, and a quick flip revealed that the author herself (pictured on the cover) had a colourful, exciting and ultimately tragic life.
Sarrazin was French-Algerian and dropped out of formal education early to take up a life of crime and prostitution. She spent time in and out of jail, on the run from the authorities, and died startlingly young, from complications during an operation. Sarrazin left behind her a few works; and as far as I can see, “Astragal” (which was written while she was in prison) is the only one to have been translated into English. The passionate introduction by Patti Smith makes it clear that this is one of the inspirational, lynchpin books in Smith’s life, a kind of touchstone always with her; she mentions Sarrazin being described as a female Genet but that’s maybe a slightly simplistic way to describe her. Certainly, although she shares perhaps a similar outlook and view on life to Genet, her writing I would say is very different.
However – on to “Astragal” itself. The book opens with its protagonist, Anne, jumping from a wall to escape prison and breaking her ankle; she’s rescued by a passing motorist and then whisked off on the back of a motorcycle by Julien, who will become her lover, soul-mate and occasional companion. On the run from the authorities, the young woman is shunted from safe house to safe house, trying to mend her ankle (the broken talus bone is known as astragale in French) and keep Julien close. The latter, however, has his own issues with the law and so contact is often fleeting. Eventually, an operation is needed to stop Anne from losing her foot, although even getting her admitted to hospital comes with its own risks. Will Anne’s ankle be mended? Will she escape the law? Will she and Julien be together? Will the fact that she dabbles in prostitution and he has at least one other woman get in the way? Frankly, I’m not telling you – you’ll have to read it yourself. However, you can probably work some of it out if you look up Sarrazin’s short life, because this book draws heavily on her biography. Anne is obviously a stand-in for the author who indeed had similar experiences with broken ankles and running from the law. And Julien was his real name….
In that life, you were never carried off, petted, saved; you stood up straight, in the dark cages of the paddy wagon, or sat up on the hard wooden slats. But in that life, all the same, you could get your kicks in secret in the certainty of each day’s routine. My new freedom imprisons me and paralyzes me.
Initially, I wasn’t sure quite what I felt about “Astragal” and I expected to love it more, and love it immediately, particularly after the laudatory introduction. However, despite some beautiful writing, I didn’t actually warm to Anne. She was young, yes, and selfish too, which doesn’t mean she should be intrinsically uninteresting. However, the episodic nature of the story threw me a little, with Anne simply being shunted from one place to the next, being a bit sulky and difficult, and waiting for her lover to turn up. I wondered whether it was the fact that I’m frankly a bit too old to really relate to the book, and that it might have meant an awful lot more to me if I’d read it in my teens.
And yet…. The more I let the book, its characters and its author linger in my mind, the more they seemed to affect me. As I thought about it, I realised that there was an underlying theme of imprisonment; whether during her rotten childhood, her school days or her time in prison or her enforced confinement whilst her ankle is damaged, Anne is always constrained and held back. Her ultimate need is for freedom and she fights for that, even returning to prostitution to maintain her independence, rather than simply relying on someone she loves. Instead, she’ll take advantage of men’s needs and make her money that way, showing her contempt for a world which tries to hem her in.
…what does it matter where I was or what I was doing yesterday, yesterday is dead and we are alive; tomorrow, the limbo of the future, after all…
“Astragal” is a book which cannot be separated from the life of its author, which might by why in the end it stays in the mind; simply because it’s so painfully autobiographical (there is a very moving picture of Albertine with Julien just before she enters a hospital for her last, botched, operation). That somehow makes the events and the story hit home more, knowing she was drawing on her life and fictionalising it, recording her love for Julien, her need for freedom and her disdain for authority. I thought I wasn’t going to love the book, but somehow it’s got its hooks into me and if any more of her writings were available in translation I’d read them. I really ought to brush up on my very rusty schoolgirl French…
Lisa Hill
Apr 23, 2019 @ 07:08:21
I have never understood why prostitutes were prosecuted, and the men who bought them were not…
JacquiWine
Apr 23, 2019 @ 08:25:42
Now this is more my thing, for sure. It’s actually a book I’ve picked up and looked at a few times in bookshops without ever quite making it to the till. (The intro by Patti Smith was a potential selling point for me too.) It does sound like the type of book that’s probably best read when you’re young and laid back and somewhat inexperienced in life. Nevertheless, it still appeals to me now, even though my teenage days are long gone…
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 23, 2019 @ 16:02:53
I think it’s still worth reading at an age a bit further along from teenage – it got to me in the end, after all! 😀 A fascinating read!
Brian Joseph
Apr 23, 2019 @ 09:07:20
The book sounds really good. Fiction that is autobiographical is fairly common. Based on your commentary and the facts around the author’ life, this story sounds particularly authentic and powerful.
I also like Patty Smith a lot.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 23, 2019 @ 16:02:11
Yeah, Smith is great – one of my favourite performers (and I’ve seen her live several times). It *is* a powerful book, yes, and one that does stay with you.
Marina Sofia
Apr 23, 2019 @ 09:21:37
This is the 1965 book I was most keen to read, but couldn’t get hold of it in time. It was hugely influential on the punk generation, I believe. Doesn’t Vivienne Westwood also reference her?
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 23, 2019 @ 16:01:17
I think you should definitely track it down if you can. I hadn’t heard of Westwood’s interest, but I can understand that this would really be an influence on the punks, for sure. Which, being of a certain age, is why I think it would have affected me in a different way at that time! 😀
madamebibilophile
Apr 23, 2019 @ 12:32:26
This sounds very powerful. I suspect that like you, it may have worked more for me at a younger age but I’m still intrigued to read it.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 23, 2019 @ 16:00:01
It *is* an intriguing read, and it actually quite got under my skin in the end. Definitely worth spending some time with! I can very much see how the style influenced Smith’s writing too.
Simon T
Apr 23, 2019 @ 14:10:47
Your 1965 is shaping up to be very odd!! I hadn’t heard of this book, but have seen several people planning to read it. The Patti Smith effect, I suspect! I can’t decide if I’d get on with this or not.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 23, 2019 @ 15:58:27
LOL! That’s one thing which appealed to me about this year – such a variety of books to choose from. I don’t know that this would definitely be one for your Simon, but I’m glad I read it! 😀
The #1965Club is here! – Stuck in a Book
Apr 23, 2019 @ 14:33:28
heavenali
Apr 23, 2019 @ 16:29:33
This sounds like a fast paced engrossing novel and the autobiographical elrment would make it doubly interesting. I can see it definitely appealing to younger readers too, though the central character sounds very intriguing indeed. You always do a great job introducing me to books I have never heard of.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 23, 2019 @ 19:03:44
It turned out to be strangely compelling, Ali, and I did end up wishing I could read more of Sarrazin’s books. Glad to flag up new authors and books – I tend to read all over the place (the curse of my grasshopper mind!)
Annabel (AnnaBookBel)
Apr 23, 2019 @ 17:06:54
Ooh! I have this on my shelves too. Sadly, no time to fit it in this week though.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 23, 2019 @ 19:02:36
I think you would enjoy it, Annabel, and even if you can’t fit it in this week it won’t take you long when you can! 😀
whatmeread
Apr 23, 2019 @ 21:07:02
An interesting review of an author I’m not familiar with. Thanks!
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 24, 2019 @ 07:26:36
Welcome! I wish that more of her work was available in English…
SpaceCadet
Apr 24, 2019 @ 08:46:47
Thanks for this review. First time I hear about that author. She seems to have been quite popular in her time. If you can manage some French, there is a documentary dedicated to the her. It is available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As1bZaurpqE
I only watched the beginning where the author is being interviewed. Also, this book was made into a movie in 1968 and again in 2015 with the original title in French ‘L’Astragale’.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 24, 2019 @ 09:43:26
Thank you, and for the link – I’ll check out the documentary as I might be able to get YouTube to generate some subtitles! And I can manage a little basic French…. 🙂
buriedinprint
May 15, 2019 @ 16:03:53
Look, a mini-project out of a mini-project: I love this. I’ve not heard of the author but I do feel as though I’ve shared the experience you’ve described, in picking up a particular book because it seemed valuable/important and tangentially related to other reading I’d enjoyed and thinking it might be more of an intellectual connection, only to find, as you’ve said, that the story gets its hooks into you on a different level. And, yes, it does remind you that if you could only read widely in (an)other language(s), our list of reading projects (and viewing) would grow astronomically!
kaggsysbookishramblings
May 15, 2019 @ 16:15:44
I don’t want to *think* how many books would be on the TBR if I spoke and read in any other language than English! But I do love the randomness of books finds – tangets are wonderful things!
Emma
Apr 28, 2019 @ 15:50:05
*sheepish* I have never heard of her.
I see it’s available in paperback in France. I’ll keep it in mind, thanks for bringing it to my attention.
kaggsysbookishramblings
Apr 28, 2019 @ 16:01:31
LOL! I’m sure there are plenty of books published in this country I haven’t heard of…. I hope you like it, and I just wish more of her work was available in English – my French is just so feeble.. 😦
Finally, a book for WIT month – Annabookbel
Aug 31, 2019 @ 19:07:46