Product Description
This book is a study of the novels of Boris Vian, the artist, writer, jazz musician and occasional pornographer. Primarily known for his classic novel of doomed young love, L'Ecume des jours, and the pseudonymously-written erotic roman noir J'irai cracher sur vos tombes, his work displays a bewildering variety of styles, genres and narrative voices. The purpose of this book is to show that Vian's novels in fact display an overall thematic coherence, dramatizing the growth of the individual from childhood to adolescent idealism and ultimate adult disillusion. Vian is a highly popular author in France: this book seeks to prove that he is also a serious literary artist. The wordplay, pastiche and parody which fill his texts should not blind the reader to the deeper themes and issues which lie behind them, just as the protean character of his style should not be allowed to conceal the single integrated narrative which runs throughout his novels.

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Customer Reviews (8)

All about love
This was the very first book I read from Vian. I would just skip some classes to get back to it! I just couldnt stop.As I`m French, I read it in French(!), so I dont know what the English translation looks like, and Ifeel the translators had a hell of a time trying to translate some wordsthat dont even exist in French(Special to Vian`s writing, those compoundwords, you know). This book is very moving and describes the man`s feelingsin an amazing way(the room getting smaller and smaller, more and more humidas the disease gets stronger).Besides, surrealism really takes a stepforward . For those who loved that book(who didnt?!), I strongly recommandL`Herbe Rouge(The Red Grass), which also is very strong,not as charming,but may go a little deeper with feelings and personality, as this guycreates a time machine to go back and erase his memory..(I cant tell youthe whole story, right!), which by the way was back then a satire toFreud`s Psychoanalysis. Really try to get that book, you will love it.

The most powerful, surreal book that I have ever read.
The thing that really atteacted me to this book was the strong surreal overtone that this book contains. I read this book in french and English. For all the french readers I suggest you read the book in french becausethere are some points that can not be picked up in the English language. L'ecume des Jorurs or Froth on the Daydream is a great book and I hope thatyou like it just as much as I did.

PS Pay close attention to the scean atwork in the factory and in the ice skating ring.

A beautiful book that shows us all how special life is
A girlfriend begged me to read this book. I never did until last years, a long time after we brokeup. I wished I had sooner, I could have then thanked her for introducing me to Vian. It is a stunning book and oneeverybody with an imagination should read, you can not but be stunned bythe imagery. I only wish I could speak French, as I hear the originalversion is is ten times better. Hard to believe considering how good thetranslation is.

A book all about unselfish love
I first read this book in 1973 on the recommendation of Kenneth Owen McNally.I'm not sure how he came to read it, but it seemed important to him and I valued his judgement then.I still do now and have rarely set afoot wrong as a consequence thereof. I've read it, and bought it, severaltimes since then.In the interim, NATO has sent me all over this planet. The book makes a perfect present and I also love to read it aloud toothers.I only wish I had written it myself.It triggers every emotionand ranks equal with other important fairy tales for adults (see The LittlePrince etc).At the end of the day, only love matters after all.

An unavoidable book from and unavoidable writer
Don't miss it! This novel is an example of what modern French litteracy was made of back in the 40's. It is a mix between surrealism, high sense of humor, love, emotion, and so much more. I am such a Vian fan that I also read him in English! Anyway, the French version is also so wonderful thatit deserves any native English speaker to learn French ;-) ... Read more