Celine: A Biography

Celine may not quite be the greatest writer of the twentieth century (though he's certainly damned good), but he gets my vote hands down for most interesting. The man was a complete enigma; an endless pile of contradictions. Vitoux, to his credit, does not try to provide a pat 'answer' to the unanswerable questions of the man's life, but if you want a detailed look at what actually happened, you'll certainly find it here. Vitoux writes with a passion and intensity befitting his subject, peppering the book with quotes from Celine's books and letters, as well as those of many other important people in his life. But, it must be said, the REAL treat to be found here is probably the photo section, which features several pictures of Celine with his beloved Bebert--it's truly a sight to see this battered, disreputable-looking guy with cat contentedly dozing on his lap. Recommended to all Celinians.

Celine may not quite be the greatest writer of the twentieth century (though he's certainly damned good), but he gets my vote hands down for most interesting. The man was a complete enigma; an endless pile of contradictions. Vitoux, to his credit, does not try to provide a pat 'answer' to the unanswerable questions of the man's life, but if you want a detailed look at what actually happened, you'll certainly find it here. Vitoux writes with a passion and intensity befitting his subject, peppering the book with quotes from Celine's books and letters, as well as those of many other important people in his life. But, it must be said, the REAL treat to be found here is probably the photo section, which features several pictures of Celine with his beloved Bebert--it's truly a sight to see this battered, disreputable-looking guy with a cat contentedly dozing on his lap. Recommended to all Celinians.