Somewhat depressing story of an aging male writer and the story he is writing, which concerns getting rid of other folks' parents. Because it is Garnier, it has one memorable scene after another, with a lot of finely drawn minor characters, lots of references to food and drink, and interesting settings, but the overall conception is even bleaker--and less enjoyable--than usual. ( )

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gallic Books has been publishing English translations of Pascal Garnier’s very fine French noir short novels and this is cause for celebration for those who enjoy finely crafted crime stories. A year ago I had never heard to Mr. Garnier but now he is one of my all time favorite crime novelists. I would most liken him to James M. Cain but with a cutting dark humor that is all his own. Seldom are the police involved. These stories are more about crime and the usually ordinary people who commit them. And why they commit them. And the effect that it has on them.

The "eskimo solution" refers to the alleged practice among eskimos of providing a humane exit for their elderly when they have outlived their usefulness. To the narrator of this novel, what he finds particularly annoying about these elderly folks is that they are often sitting on a large supply of cash which he believes could be put to much better use by their children. The nerve of these folks! Our narrator is also an author, which is interesting from the whole “unreliable narrator” angle because almost immediately we begin to wonder if the writer of children’s books, who is suddenly writing a very graphic murder tale, has slipped off into some schizophrenic double existence where reality and fiction are more or less interchangeable.

To make this line even more blurred, both the narrator, who is both our narrator and of course the narrator of the novel that he is writing, shares the name Louis (which he very humorously debates with himself as to whether this is a suitable name or not) with the homicidal character in his novel. When the murder of old folks spills over from fiction into reality things get even more interesting. Or was there ever a separate reality— or was it all real? It is actually less confusing than it sounds, and a lot more fun. I think you could read this novel several times and come to different conclusions each time.

My feeling is that fiction here is a test run or dress rehearsal for a potential reality, but I am sure that there are many possible interpretations. In any case, Pascal Garnier was a brilliant crime writer who will be sorely missed.
( )

Here is another existential mystery, and again the author provides several imaginative similes and amusing turns of phrase. Recommended for all libraries.

Favorite lines:
"I threw words onto paper like twigs onto a fire, to avoid freezing on the spot..."

"I love trampling on shells; I image they're my editor's glasses."

"He really liked watching television with her, especially when she was asleep."

"They were at that delicious stage in their relationship when they told each other everything without ever giving anything away, as you do when you meet a stranger on the train. You allow yourself to lie by adding an element of truth, or tell the truth with a few lies thrown in, lying having the indisputable superiority of being infinitely adaptable."

"A body was a stupid thing. All it needed was food and sleep, and on it went, just like any vehicle. But who was really driving it?" ( )

A surreal, sometimes confusing novel set in the Normandy countryside.
A writer - Louis, rents a house in which to write his novel about a serial killer, also Louis.
The chapters alternate between extracts from the on going novel and the everyday life of the writer.
As I say, it can be confusing, but ultimately a satisfactory read.
Recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Gallic Books via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review. ( )