2023-09-20 23:30:00
With his immense talent as a storyteller and his gift for bringing colorful and loud-mouthed characters to life, the great Quebec writer Yves Beauchemin is back this fall with a fantastic story, A stormy night. In the universe he created, an emergency doctor receives Philippe, a young 19-year-old patient who has just fallen on an icy sidewalk. Little did he know that this meeting would change many things in their lives.
At the hospital, Dr. Romain Bellerose has a funny impression: Philippe looks a lot like his brother, who died several years ago. Little by little, everyone who is near or far in the entourage of the two men seems to strengthen the bond that unites them, in a strange way.
Photo provided by Éditions QuébecAmérique
A skillful writer with a subtle sense of humor, Yves Beauchemin has no equal when it comes to describing people and the situations, sometimes realistic, sometimes incredible, in which they must navigate. His dialogues are wonderful.
Yves Beauchemin explains, in an interview, that the novel was born in winter.
“I had decided to write a novel. But I’m not as young as I used to be… so I didn’t know if I was going to make it to the end. I became a little lazy,” he says.
To motivate himself, he came up with the idea of trying to obtain a scholarship… and the City of Longueuil offered one.
“I entered a competition for South Shore writers and I won. I said to myself: “I’m going to have to write the novel! I no longer have a choice!” I worked very hard. I made regarding ten versions.
“It must also be said that at 82, we no longer have the energy that we had at 40. It’s obvious. But I made it to the end. So we launch the ship into the water… and hope that the storms won’t be too strong! »
A striking image
The first image that came to him was that of a young man, in the middle of winter, who fell on the sidewalk and was knocked unconscious. “I felt it was important. I noted it. It’s not a big event… but he ends up in the hospital and everything started from that. He meets an emergency doctor and something happens between them. The whole novel is in there. Philippe reminds him of his older brother who died at 15. »
A stormy night is a novel which talks regarding encounters: those which can be of the order of synchronicities, those which change life trajectories, those which bring changes and profound evolution. Good encounters… and others that are less so.
“Philippe is from Joliette and ends up in Longueuil… and we meet the character of Pablo Michaud, a kind of little criminal, and his somewhat worrying connections. A series of events arises from this meeting. Quite events tough Sometimes. »
Open heart surgery
During the story, the doctor faces something that Yves Beauchemin experienced.
“A few years ago, I had open heart surgery. You know, we borrow from all kinds of places to write a novel. Sometimes we borrow from our own lives, from us. I didn’t have to research open heart surgery: I had already done it, despite myself. It helped me. »
All the action takes place in Longueuil.
“I chose Vieux-Longueuil, where I have lived for 40 years, because it simplified my research! I know him like the back of my hand. »
With these elements that he attributes to “laziness” (“no medical research, no location research”), he set out.
“But for the rest, you still have to work! »
EXTRACT
« He was moving quickly along the sidewalk, growing more and more chilled, when his foot slipped on a patch of ice. He lost his balance, fell backwards and hit his head hard on the concrete. Lying full length, his backpack thrown to the side of the street, he remained motionless, his mind confused. Violent twinges twisted his occiput as he opened and closed his mouth, panting.
Now he felt a lot less cold. Time seemed to stand still.
Suddenly, a woman leaned over him:
– Did you hurt yourself, sir? »
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