Laurent Binet tracks down Nazi

HHhH a mysterious acronym for "Hirn Himmlers heißt Heydrich, that one can translate into" brain dHimmler sappelle Heydrich. " A title of strangest chosen by Laurent Binet (or his editor as suggested reading the book) for a work awarded the Goncourt first novel in 2010.

In 1942, London resistance sets up an attack against Reinhard Heydrich, protector of Bohemia and Moravia. This takes the name of "Operation Anthropoid", and consists of two parachute tchéquoslovaques near Prague to dassassiner one lon nicknamed "the blond beast," which is rumored that he would be the man most dangerous Reich after Hitler. Colder, more calculating, more inclined to compromise, younger, he embodies in fact for many a much more threatening than the number two dolphin named Himmler.

For Laurent Binet, embarking on such a story has nothing dévident. Oscillating between biography, assumed fiction, part of his private life (why this, this city, these resistant, it Nazi?), It wavers between different forms of narrative and tells the reader sen. When lon treats of a historical subject, one is torn between the desire to make an event in all its authenticity, not to neglect the people who played a key role, or even modest but were definitely there, but the temptation is high to romanticise scenes, make the most impactful dialogues in some stories, the reality is nonetheless stronger than fiction could ever Letre. And after all this history na not need romance to interpellate us.

As often in this kind of story, one can not be quéternellement surprised and shocked by brutal facts that constantly hit us: annexation of Tchéquoslovaquie without reaction of other neighboring European countries despite the cries for help of its leaders, heavy Nazi reprisals lencontre acts of resistance (the town of Lidice completely wiped off the map), the casualness of a Heydrich, his fanatical commitment to the regime's when it is rumored that he would have Jewish origins. Lhomme actively planning the establishment of the Holocaust, alongside Deichmann.

Laurent Binet traces his fascination, admiration for the two Czech resistance fighters. Lun is Slovak, Jozef Gabík, the other is Moravian, Jan Kubis. Both men represent a certain ideal of loyalty, dintégrité and courage in a broken country and subject. But despite its claims of authenticity (he blames dailleurs many other novels on the subject of seeking to romanticize too facts, move away dune reality yet speak enough delle yourself, such as the book goncourisé J. Lindell, "The benevolent "), the author himself to indulge in a certain lyricism all staff. Prague represents to him the most beautiful city in the world, its literature and its culture exerts any influence on him, and despite his desire to stick to the facts, it continues to provide the reader a certain passion for the future Czech Republic, and dry judgment on the events that led to its crushing by Nazism.

On 27 May 1942, Prague, the story is yet set up before our eyes abstract reader. Heydrich, Kubis, Gabčík. An unlikely trio and yet bound to this terrible cycle of violence and war. But they are not just three. There Prague, the city, its people, its tram, Reich, London who wants to get rid of influence of a leader, the Czech government in exile ready to do anything to remind the occupier that the resistance still exists, there are those who wish only extricate themselves at best, on the contrary those who are desperate for loyalty and for freedom, those who give their lives and those who betray. It is a very human story altogether, but an evil genius has decided to make a den oversized cathartic scene, plunging his heroes in a web in which chance, fate perhaps work as an infernal machine. The kind of hub that sends shivers lorsquelle the fiction begin to dream to reality.

It's a pretty powerful book, despite his hesitations, Laurent Binet offers us a strong and original work.

All are on chronic madamedub.com
And our publishing house dubeditions.com