The Origin of the World

By Pierre Michon

Book Overview

An exploration of desire by the French master Pierre Michon

"A haunting, imagistic book, somehow both lush and spare."--Martin Riker, Wall Street Journal

This spare, unforgettable novel is Pierre Michon's luminous exploration of the mysteries of desire. A young teacher takes his first job in a sleepy French town. Lost in a succession of rainy days and sleepless nights, he falls under the spell of a town resident, a woman of seductive beauty and singular charm.
Yvonne. Yvonne. "Everything about her screamed desire . . . setting something in motion while settling a fingertip to the counter, turning her head slightly, gold earrings brushing her cheek while she watched you or watched nothing at all; this desire was open, like a wound; and she knew it, wore it with valor, with passion." Michon probes the destructive powers of passion and the consuming need for love in this heartbreaking novel.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300180705
• ISBN13: 9780300180701
• Release Date: October 2013
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 7.7"

Customer Reviews

A sensual and evocative work

In Pierre Michon's The Origin Of The World, a young teacher working in a sleepy countryside town becomes bewitched by the dazzling beauty and seductive personality of one of the residents in this sensual and evocative work. Origin Of The World will aptly serve to introduce a significant French author to an appreciative audience of English readers. The Origin Of The World is skillfully translated from the original French by Wyatt Alexander Mason, and is an original work that earned Michon the "Prix Louis Guilloux" award. This comes as no surprise to those familiar with Michon's work, given the author's consistent history of literary excellence and impressive resume of prizes and awards for his novels, short stories, and essays. Highly recommended!