Laurent Petitmangin published his first novel, What You Need from the Night, in 2020. He is the child of railway workers, which you can tell, since railway workers used to be the most organized socialist vanguard, though now works for Air France. His book is set in the Lorraine region of France, but the story is very relevant for western culture overall. The tone of the novel is quite subdued, its phrasing simple and frugal, with only a few more lyrical passages.
A modest blue-collar family.
Pierre raises his two sons alone. Louis, the younger one, excels in his studies and progresses easily in life. Fus, the older one, becomes increasingly withdrawn and gradually becomes fascinated by violence and power dynamics, gravitati...
The mother dies – she won’t fight the cancer that’s consuming her. The father is left to raise two kids on his own, and must find a way to stay close to them. The only people to be found at the local socialist club are a few elderly. He does share a passion with the oldest child: soccer. He is a young talent, and goes by Fus. Then, something unspeakable happens: the boy is drawn closer to a far-right French party, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally. At one point, a murder takes place. The story follows the events through the bewildered eyes of a loving father who doesn’t know what to do. Readers looking for an answer will be left wanting, because all there is, here, is a bunch of questions. Critics called the novel “A very long poetry, and an immense love story.”
