Briefings on Readings ∞ Karim Berrouka: Celle qui n'avait pas peur de Cthulhu (2018)

By Péter MARTON
** Join the European Science Fiction group on Facebook for related discussions. **

In this new format, I will post one-paragraph/one-sentence briefs on books and short stories of interest, saving you (as well as for myself) a lot of time even as I hope to still be able to give you enough information to make up your mind as to whether you're interested in the given story. It might be useful to add that I very much remain interested in writing longer reviews of anthologies and novels, too -- this is just an additional trick to pull from the bag to keep things going and keep you posted.

First up in Briefings on Readings is Celle qui n'avait pas peur de Cthulhu (The One Who Wasn't Afraid of Cthulhu) by Karim Berrouka:

At times light entertainment, mixing comedy and action, at times lightly philosophical, this book gives you a mildly critical take on the body of work by Lovecraft (and also about religion) and takes you on a ride through the world of five factions awaiting judgement day, each crazier than the other, with the protagonist young lady, Ingrid, a member of the modern urban precariat, thrust in the middle of all of this as the rather skeptical "centre du pentacle" who shall make the decision about the fate of Cthulhu and, by consequence, that of humanity -- at first frustrated, seeing how the strange adventure she seems unable to escape is the reason for the failure of her last serious relationship (the reason that, well, "les parties de jambes en l'air s'étaient espacées"), only to then become more interested and invested in the search for the truth, leading to the culmination of the story where... I wouldn't be within my rights to tell you, would I?

Genre: Urban fantasy? Only for want of a more convenient alternative. Mostly a peculiar mixture of different things. I am tempted to cite Raymond Queneau's definition of the Oulipo school which apparently was an influence for Berrouka himself: according to this, authors of oulipo are "rats qui construisent eux-mêmes le labyrinthe dont ils se proposent de sortir" (pardon my French). That is what the characters from the five factions are mostly like, and the more we submerge in the story, the more we become like that ourselves, too.

Locations of note in the story: Paris, Crete, Vienna (crazily well-characterized, while also suiting the plot!), Le Havre (where I bought the book!), and more.

Other articles about Berrouka's novel: here and here (in French).

Publication parametres: ActuSF/J'ai Lu, Paris, 2018, 412 pages.

Chtulhu in South Park...