Heatwave

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What does happen when one "grows up" as a result of witnessing suicide, either becoming a witness, or as a result of not helping, becoming what may be a murderer? I did think that maybe this was the stupidest mistake of all, but I did it anyway, just to do something. The very first sentences spell out the reason for Leo’s feeling of doom: “Oscar is dead because I watched him die and did nothing.

The series of events that follow are a little confusing and don't necessarily make sense without us knowing what kind of person Leonard is. I really enjoyed how the author insists on the enigmatic nature of the case he describes, how he doesn't take the easy route, how he brings the place to life and contrasts teenage impulses. He engages with the suicide, watching the teen, Oscar, meeting Oscar's eyes, silently watching his struggle, and refusing to come to Oscar's aid, even when it is quite apparent that Oscar regrets his own actions (from earlier in the evening, it is obvious that Oscar is intoxicated).Anyone who spent childhood summers in Eurocamps will immediately recognise the setting for this short novel, and the heady appeal of those temporary communities which spring up on continental campsites. For lack of a more polished description, author Jestin's novella Heatwave (translated from its original French text by Sam Taylor) seemed to be a European-flavored collision of J.

Like when you loath another person and have that horrible fleeting thought, “Oh why don’t they just die and leave me alone then my life would be so much easier,” but in this instance he gets exactly what he wants and is filled with a general malaise. Paralyzed, he stands by as Oscar slowly strangles himself - and that's the opening scene of this short, impactful novella. This drawn-out wandering of a boy outside the norm has been brought to life by the incredible precision of this young author’s voice. Burying Oscar’s body does not make the problem go away, and we follow Leonard around the blisteringly-hot campsite, internally tearing himself to shreds while externally keeping up life as a ‘normal’ teen so as not to arouse suspicion. Teenage alienation, embarrassing moments as boys and girls flirt, that confusing transition phase to young adulthood and all the baggage that comes with it - besides the opening scene, there’s little else in the book to hold the attention.

It also comments on societal pressure to conform and, on the other side of the spectrum, questions the artificial nature of people’s behaviour, their superficiality and their ability to ignore the issues they don’t want to deal with. Now Leo doesn't do what you'd expect him to, He doesn't rush to Oscar's aid, doesn't try and save him. The embarrassment of adolescence was captured perfectly, while the image of the intense sun burning down on the players of this story definitely heightened the tension and discomfort. As the holiday is coming to the end, Leo witnesses something, and what he chooses to do or not do is most of the premise of this coming of age story.

It's a tale very skilful at instilling contradictory feelings of empathy and rejection for the young boy who is guilty without actually being guilty but who locks himself in an unbearable dead end while life at the campsite continues in its banality and ordinary trivialities. The teenager is Leo, vacationing with his family and friends at a popular campsite in the southwest corner of France. Originally published in France with the title La Chaleur, Heatwave is Victor Jestin’s debut novel, masterfully translated into English by Sam Taylor, who has also translated Leïla Slimani’s work. I think this is to further drive home that other people live silent isolated lives with their own internal struggles that we cannot see. But it is also a profound meditation on the mystery of evil, our deadly urges, and the savagery that lies deep within each of us.A searing hot summer in the South of France: 17-year-old Léonard is spending the holidays on a camping ground with his parents and his siblings. If you like Slimani, I think you’ll enjoy this, and at just over 100 pages, chances are you’ll inhale it like I did. The book then follows Leonard over the weekend, trying to act normal, whilst coming to terms with what he has done. If you do nothing to prevent someone from dying does that make you a murderer or merely an unfortunate bystander?

What I didn’t know was that then said observer was going to take it upon himself to dispose of the body . Ultimately, Heatwave is an intriguing thriller which examines good versus evil and humanity’s underlying barbarism when faced with unfamiliar situations. The short novel unfolds like an adolescent version of Camus’ The Stranger, as Leo spends pages considering the senselessness of what happened and feeling the weight of life’s ennui. Anche Léonard ha diciassette anni, è lui che racconta: la sera ha visto Oscar e Luce ballare sulla spiaggia, poi baciarsi, ora non riesce a dormire, lascia la tenda, gira per il camping, e vede Oscar che si è impiccato con la corda dell’altalena. Seventeen-year-old Leo is sitting in an empty playground at night, listening to the sound of partying and pop music filtering in from the beach, when he sees another, more popular boy strangle himself with the ropes of the swings.Da der Autor sehr viel näher an der Gedankenwelt eines pubertierenden 16 jährigen Jungen dran ist als ich, muss ich das wohl so hinnehmen. He had done that on his own and, to judge from the expression on his face, he might have changed his mind. Over the next twenty-four hours, Leo wanders around the campsite like a sleepwalker, haunted by guilt and fear, and distracted by his desire for a girl named Luce. Translated by Mallory N Craig-Kuhn — Originally published in Spanish in 2021, and winner of that country’s Dashiell Hammett prize in 2022, My Favorite Scar is now available for English readers.