The Book of Proper Names
2002 novel by Amélie Nothomb
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Book of Proper Names (French: Robert des noms propres) is a Belgian novel by Amélie Nothomb. It was first published in 2002. It is a romanticized account of the life of the singer RoBERT, whom Nothomb became acquainted with as an avid admirer of her songs.
| |
| Author | Amélie Nothomb |
|---|---|
| Original title | Robert des noms propres |
| Translator | Shaun Whiteside |
| Language | French |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publication date | 2002 |
| Publication place | Belgium |
| Pages | 170 |
| ISBN | 2-226-13389-5 |
| Preceded by | The Enemy's Cosmetique |
| Followed by | Antichrista |
Plot
In a vaguely surreal story, an extraordinary little girl is born from strange circumstances - her mother murdered her father, gave birth in prison, and then hanged herself. Plectrude, as the girl is unfortunately named by her mother, is adopted by her aunt and lives a fairy-like existence until she enrolls into the Paris Opera Ballet School, a rigorous institution portrayed as a "scalpel to slice away the last flesh of childhood."[1][2][3]
