Overview

When Jean, a young translator of French and Russian, receives a mysterious commission, she leaps at the chance to escape her current life-and husband-and relocate to Montreal. Marriage has destroyed her sense of self, but work offers a way to rebuild it, as Jean slowly rediscovers her identity via a series of literary encounters (as well as lots of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll). With nods to the Situationists and Oulipo, JEANNE is an experimental yet at the same time intensely readable novel about gender, alterity, and linguistic insecurity. Will translation always be seen as an act of betrayal? Or does one's willingness to speak through and with the other yield its own rewards?

Full Product Details

9781913430191

Table of Contents

Reviews

The self is slippery. Many play with its unfixed nature. Some fear dispersal if they push too hard. The intriguing, embattled narrator of Jeanne wants to know how far is too far. Betrayal and abuse are the twin engines for the shape-shifting journey. This captivating book strikes lightning-fast, making exhilarating connections across place, language, and identity. Arielle Burgdorf creates a propulsive, poetically torqued narrative where cities, translation, and name changes are all scenery in a stunning search for belonging and honesty. NATE LIPPENS Sexy, sad, super smart. Written with a translator's complicated love of language and a flâneur's understanding that one can never go home. I loved this sleek and adventurous book. LINDSAY LERMAN

Author Information

Arielle Burgdorf is a writer and literary translator from French. Their novella, Pretend (sections of which also appear in JEANNE) was published by End of the Line Press in Canada. Prior to this they were a Lambda Literary Emerging Writer Fellow, nominated for two Pushcart Prizes, and have been widely published in Lambda Literary, Electric Literature, Worms, Amsterdam Review, and Full Stop. Currently, Arielle is pursuing a PhD in Literature at UC Santa Cruz focused on queer and feminist writers from Quebec.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available