"Remember, remember, what do you want?"

One can read on page 36 of "A pedigree": "Beginning in 1952, my mother confides to her friend Suzanne Bouquerau, dwelling house, 38, Doctor-Kurzenne the street, Jouy-en-Josas." This house will be, you know, later inhabited by Professor Labrousse (EP Jacobs, "SOS Meteors", 1959). This episode in the life of Patrick Modiano has been the basis of "Remission" (1988), treated autofiction. The next installment in our author includes many elements, but it is subtitled "novel" and is narrated in the third person. And in fact, fiction is carving a good place: the central character (if also writer) is Jean Daragane (recall, however, that John is the first name Modiano); Rudy's younger brother does not appear; Jouy-en-Josas becomes St-Leu-la-Forêt. And especially Suzanne Bouquerau finds his identity of "Remission" Annie Astrand; his name appears p.50, and it becomes, through the pages, the supernumeraries early left out, the central figure of the novel, waking memories making up the day a very old love story.

The "modianismes" abound in the book - it would be tedious to identify, connoisseurs will recognize. As Jean Daragane plunges back into his childhood and his youth, the emotion of the reader increases, and culminates in two beautiful final scenes: the visit to Dr. Voustraat (pp.111-127) and travel to Rome (pp.139-146). Another great success Modiano.