Week Five: The Birthday Party
JULY 12, 2023 • CAMP TOB WEEK FIVE
The Birthday Party
It’s a new month and a new vibe at Camp ToB 2023! For July, our theme is “Let’s go abroad (with three lone girls),” and our first book of the month is The Birthday Party by Laurent Mauvignier (translated by Daniel Levin). This week we’re discussing the first half of the novel, through chapter 23.
Now let’s welcome Activity Leader Serena (aka @bonkrae in the Commentariat), who will guide us through The Birthday Party over the next two weeks.
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Buried deep in rural France, little remains of the isolated hamlet of the Three Lone Girls, save a few houses and a curiously assembled quartet: Patrice Bergogne, inheritor of his family’s farm; his wife, Marion; their daughter, Ida; and their neighbor, Christine, an artist. While Patrice plans a surprise for his wife’s fortieth birthday, inexplicable events start to disrupt the hamlet’s quiet existence: anonymous, menacing letters, an unfamiliar car rolling up the driveway. And as night falls, strangers stalk the houses, unleashing a nightmarish chain of events.
This has been excerpted from the publisher’s summary and edited for length.
Hi, Serena, and welcome to Camp—thanks so much for joining us. Please introduce yourself, and then the floor is yours!
Serena: Thank you! I live in Edmonton, Alberta. I’ve been following ToB since 2018, and I’m a huge fan. I read a bit of everything, but especially enjoy reading Canadian authors and every year I get caught up reading books longlisted for the various book awards.
Here are a few questions to kick off the discussion for The Birthday Party:
Was it painful to stop midway through this nail biter of a book to discuss? I’m chomping at the bit to finish it and I’ll likely lose sleep over this book! Mauvignier is a master of creating tension and keeping the reader on the edge of their seat and he has a number of tricks to create this feeling of unease. While slow-paced and character-driven, my main feeling at the halfway point is the tension and the desire to read on. Are you feeling the tension too? If yes, how has Mauvignier achieved this tense atmosphere? If not, how has he lost your attention?
We have delved into the minds of the characters, but there is still so much we don’t know about each character. Christine’s portrait of the red woman is described by several characters. Christine compares the woman’s piercing stare to the child in David Seymour’s photo. Does the red woman provide us with a glimpse into Christine’s mind and her past? Similarly Marion’s tattoo seems to hint at her past.
Just for fun. . . how many times did you read the first sentence? Have you gotten used to the long complex sentences that seamlessly switch points of view?
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