Dominique Fortier

This is a split timeline spanning five centuries. In the past, a portrait painter seeks refuge at Mont Saint Michel, escaping from his grief after the death of his lover. In the present, a novelist is adjusting to the demands of parenthood and figuring out how to balance the responsibility she now has with the drive to write. It is a contemplative, meandering sort of novel, and it’s not always clear when the timeline has shifted—or it wasn’t at first, which was disorienting. So the combination of not much happening, plus changes in when it was happening, plus the fact that apparently I find it hard to get into books about monks combined to make this a “meh” read for me.… (more)

Dominique Fortier’s first novel, available in English as On the Proper Use of Stars, takes as its inspiration the ill-fated Franklin expedition of 1846. The viewpoint alternates between life on board HMShips Erebus and Terror (Franklin and Crozier, respectively, commanding) and Victorian society as seen by Lady Jane Franklin and her niece, Sophia. Fortier captures the atmosphere of both settings equally well and hits the right notes at the end. She also includes an author’s note listing her sources for certain topics (including the recipe for plum pudding!)

I liked this a great deal better than The Terror and would recommend it if you’re looking for a fictional take on the expedition. The 3.5 rating is more for my personal reading experience; on Goodreads I rounded the rating up to a 4.… (more)

Wonder by Dominique Fortier is a storytelling delight, both in its imaginative scope and its absurdity, yet thoughtful depth. The is divided into separate parts: Monsters and Marvels, Harmony of the Spheres, and Love Waves, which together form a narrative that will carry its reader to visual and thoughtful depths.

While the book opens to a formal and opulent narrative, the ease in which the reader will connect the story through its main characters will slowly emerge from the interesting, comical, yet almost sad, and grotesque plot movements. In Monsters and Marvels, we're introduced to the unfortunate place which Baptiste, a man of various trades, begins as an impersonating socialite on the eve of Carnival in Saint-Pierre where for one evening, the roles between the rich and its servants are reversed as a testament to Carnival's rebellious joviality and re-enactment of play. Baptiste, who has renamed himself on various occasions, in his nomadic nature, ends up in an unlikely place after a gallant move to defend a prostitute, which without even a graceful thank you, becomes both a form of suffering and salvation.

In the apocalyptic fate of Mount Pelee and its surrounding village, Baptiste, is asked to join a travelling circus in which his "phenomenal" survival, as well as his cultural heritage, both become a palpable form of voyeuristic entertainment. While Baptiste finds some quiet solace in both a woman and her son, his uncontrollable desire becomes both his punishment and demise.

To read the rest of this review, you're more than welcome to visit my blog, The Bibliotaphe Closet at: http://zaraalexis.wordpress.com

- Zara… (more)