Review of Running Away

Nice to see a review of Jean Philippe Toussaint’s Running Away at Words Without Borders, although the general cold-shouldering of this author continues to baffle me (well, not really . . .):

This brief summary leaves out the feelings that form the real unity of the book; a dramatic plot is clearly not the main organizing principal of this novel. Toussaint makes use of the devices of a plot-based narrative, yet he consistently leaves mysteries unresolved and continuously deflates any dramatic tension that may have built up. From the beginning, the generic elements of a thriller are put into play, but here they fizzle and fade out. The narrator’s “sort of mission” for Marie involves giving a manila envelope of cash to Zhang, whose dealings are possibly “dishonest and illicit” though the narrator “hadn’t heard anything about [him] being involved in organized crime.” At one point Zhang receives a phone call and drags the narrator and Li away from their bowling game (a scene not without some of Toussaint’s characteristically dry humor) and onto a motorbike for what is perhaps a furious chase scene. Or maybe it’s not, as nothing comes of it. The events of the plot point to pursuit and danger; Zhang drags Li and the narrator to the motorbike and they rush off, accompanied by the scream of sirens, taking a shortcut through a construction site. Yet, in the end, no one appears. Zhang delivers his package to a bar, and the narrator is left to return to his hotel.

We also reviewed this book in The Quarterly Conversation (as well as offering a slew of other Toussaint-related content). The Front Table also reviewed, as did (obviously) the Complete Review.

By the way, check out the cover at one of the above links. Dunno if this will scare away potential readers or intrigue them . . . call it the extreme approach to book covers.

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More from Conversational Reading:

1. Publishing Toussaint at Dakley Dalkey Archive editor and Quarterly Conversation contributor Martin Riker has a piece at the Semininary Co-Op Blog about how Dalkey came to publish three Jean-Philippe...
2. Toussaint Reviews The Complete Review reviews the two new Dalkey books by Jean-Philippe Toussaint. As a reminder, The Bathroom is a reissue of the original English translation...
3. Toussaint at Splice Today Quarterly Conversation contributor John Lingan writes on Jean-Philippe Toussaint at Splice Today. This is the philosophical thrust of Toussaint’s early work. The books’ aloof protagonists...
4. New Toussaint Former LBC pick and personal favorite Jean-Philippe Toussaint, has a new book. Apparently it’s 17 pages long. Guess that means it won’t take too long...
5. Dalkey Archive Becomes a Client Publisher of Norton The Dalkey Archive Press has closed a deal to become a client publisher of WW Norton, which will distribute and sell Dalkey's books. This is...

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