Kevin Lambert’s Que notre joie demeure has secured a spot on the long list for the Goncourt (dropped from the list since).
Céline Wachoswki is a 70-year-old architect who has left her mark across the globe, has her own series on Netflix, mingles with the Hollywood elite, is extremely wealthy; she has made billions in various ventures.
The plot centers around one of Céline’s major projects in Montreal, the Webuy head office, which stirs controversy due to it causing gentrification. Facing backlash, the board ousts her, she is very mad. She attributes her situation to ageism and sexism, viewing herself as a scapegoat for broader societal issues, accusations that are partly true. Céline claims to have a social conscience, but her actions prove otherwise. After facing several setbacks as CEO, she tries to “refresh her brand” with some ethical bs. None of it is genuine; she tells people what they want to hear.
Throughout the novel, the joy of Céline and her friends persists (“demeure”), equated with conspicuous consumption and the evasion from hard questions; yet this comes at a cost, the cost of leading a pretty unexamined life.
Her full name nods to the star system, referencing both Céline Dion and the Wachowski sisters. The novel also references Céline’s Voyage and frequently alludes to Proust’s Recherche. Lambert’s book is a modern take on some key themes in these books.
The Guermantes are decadent, they live in a sort of leisurely or self-indulgent manner due to their social and economic standings. In Lambert’s book, characters indulge in fine wine and engage in shallow conversations at penthouses, Céline lends her private jet to friends. Today’s ethos has shifted. Our modern wealthy are a blend of decadence and overwork. Even with a net worth of 7 billion, they work like hell. It takes a board dismissal for them to find the time to read a book.
Even when she finally finds time to read, Céline still acts like decadent nihilist. In Voyage, nihilism manifests through war, colonialism, industrialization, and the petty actions of the bourgeoisie. Today, consumerism, our utter failure to address issues of inequality and social justice, overwork along with the colossal egos of business individuals, are the manifestations of our new nihilism. If honest with ourselves, there doesn’t seem to be much we can do about all this. We can dream, we can hope, we can sublimate, Lambert can write a beautiful book.
Par l’art seulement, nous pouvons sortir de nous, savoir ce que voit un autre de cet univers qui n’est pas le même que le nôtre et dont les paysages nous seraient restés aussi inconnus que ceux qu’il peut y avoir dans la lune. Grâce à l’art, au lieu de voir un seul monde, le nôtre, nous le voyons se multiplier, et autant qu’il y a d’artistes originaux, autant nous avons de mondes à notre disposition, plus différents les uns des autres que ceux qui roulent dans l’infini, et qui bien des siècles après qu’est éteint le foyer dont ils émanaient, qu’il s’appelât Rembrandt ou Ver Meer, nous envoient leur rayon spécial.
By art alone we are able to get outside ourselves, to know what another sees of this universe which for him is not ours, the landscapes of which would remain as unknown to us as those of the moon. Thanks to art, instead of seeing one world, our own, we see it multiplied and as many original artists as there are, so many worlds are at our disposal, differing more widely from each other than those which roll round the infinite and which, whether their name be Rembrandt or Ver Meer, send us their unique rays many centuries after the hearth from which they emanate is extinguished.