L' arrache-coeur

Contemporary Literature Literary Fiction

Pages: 256
Published: 1962
Language: English

This dark, satirical novel follows a young man navigating a world of existential dread and societal absurdity. As he grapples with his own desires and the often-cruel realities around him, he finds himself drawn into a series of increasingly bizarre and dangerous situations. It's a wild ride through the mind of a man trying to make sense of it all.

Prose complexity: 7/10

Dark Complex Philosophical Emotional

Morally Grey Anti-Hero

Contemporary Literature Literary Fiction

Boris Vian

Boris Vian was a French polymath: writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer. He is best remembered for novels such as L’Écume des jours and L'Arrache-cœur (translated into English as Froth on the Daydream and Heartsnatcher, respectively). He is also known for highly controversial "criminal" fiction released under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan and some of his songs (particularly the anti-war Le Déserteur). Vian was also fascinated with jazz: he served as lia...