Spendid Hôtel
Passages
Back cover of French edition
Vingt-trois chants où le « je » d'une femme sans nom, sans âge, sans visage, dit la Passion du Splendid Hôtel, son trésor, sa chose, légué par grand-mère qui l'a fait construire au bord du marais virulent. Splendid Hôtel déjà délabré, attaqué, miné, et qui ne cessera d'endurer tous the fléaux, de souffrir de tous les maux, dont le pire: la tendance fatale de ses sanitaires à se boucher, la narratrice toujours occupée à les déboucher. Laborieuse, infatigable narratrice, toute consacrée aux soins du Splendid Hôtel, dévouée aux malherueux clients -- les anonymes, attirés par les enseignes clignotantes, et les professionnels du chemin de fer venus imposer au marais leur grand oeuvre --, harcelée qu'elle est pendant ce temps par ses deux soeurs parasites, Ada la malade et Adel la comédienne ratée, l'une et l'autre semant sans cesse le trouble et la zizanie.
Back cover of French edition, English Translation
Twenty-three songs in which the "I" of a woman without a name, without age, without a face, tells the Passion of the Splendid Hôtel, her treasure, her possession, bequeathed by her grandmother who had it built on the edge of the virulent marsh. Splendid Hôtel is already dilapidated, attacked, undermined, and will never cease to endure all the scourges, to suffer from all the evils, including the worst: the fatal tendency of its toilets to get blocked, the narrator being always busy unblocking them. The laborious, tireless narrator, completely occupied with the care of the Splendid Hotel, is devoted to its unfortunate customers -- the anonymous ones, attracted by the flashing signs, as well as the railway professionals who have come to impose their great work on the marsh -- harassed as she is during this time by her two parasitic sisters, Ada the sickly and Adel the failed actress, both of them constantly sowing trouble and discord.