Greetings, readers and writers! I’m probably going to be bombarding you with quite a few posts over the next few days, both reviews and other topics, so you best be ready. I want to start with a review of a book which I’m pleased to say is quite different from other works I’ve read before. While billed as a psychological novel, I’d also argue that it’s a modern moral fable, just as The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder has been called a moral fable by some critics. The book I’m reviewing in this post is The Revenge of the Forgotten by Xavier Mayot.
Fabrice is your typical skilled factory worker, employed by the biggest recycling plant in France: + VERT. He has a wife he adores and a loving ten-year-old daughter. They don’t have a lot, but they have each other, and that’s enough for them. The only problem? Fabrice’s daughter, Coralie, is ill with a rare heart condition and requires a transplant ASAP. Unfortunately, donors are in short supply, but Coralie’s doctor, Professor Marty, has put her as a top priority on the waiting list.
Baptiste is your typical one-percenter: rich, a little overly-confident, and used to getting his way. Like Fabrice, he works at + VERT, but with a huge difference: he’s the CEO. This position has allowed him, his wife, and his son to live a comfortable life, but even the world’s richest have their problems. For Baptiste, it’s the disheartening fact that his son, Dorian, has inherited a rare genetic heart condition from his paternal grandfather. The poor boy needs an organ graft, and soon. Fortunately, Dorian’s doctor, Professor Marty, is close friends with the family and keeps them up-to-date on any news of a possible donor.
What will happen when a possible heart donor pits these opposites against each other in a competition of will and physical strength? Can Baptiste buy or manipulate his son’s way to the top of the donor list, or will Fabrice’s dedication and work ethic finally pay off? What follows is 160 pages of tension, high-running emotions, and an unlikely solution to a delicate situation.
Mayot’s concept is at once unique and familiar. It’s a combination of David and Goliath and “The Tortoise and the Hare” with a splash of Around the World in 80 Days thrown in. However, Mayot uses this mixture to bring attention to a couple of topics prominently on our minds today: economic disparity and the shortage of organ donors. The themes of love, money, greed, pride, and perseverance ring throughout, giving new life to old tropes.
Another interesting element to Mayot’s writing is that it’s almost fable-like, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post. The writing is very simple and straightforward; in fact, other than the French names, I had no problem following along with the narrative. (Honestly, a lot of my mother’s family is French and French-Canadian, why do I have a hard time with these names?) The characters are not overly-complicated and yet I established an emotional connection to Fabrice and his family. I felt bad for Baptiste and his family because of Dorian’s condition but, really, their sense of entitlement made it hard for me to root for them. The plot is also straightforward and the themes and lessons overt. It’s the combination of these simplistic features coming together to make an engaging and encouraging story which makes me view this book as a modern moral fable, one much more cheerful and uplifting than books like The Bridge of San Luis Rey.
I also admire Mayot for his ability to incorporate modern technology and capture the over-the-top voice of TV commentators in his work. I had a hard time not laughing whenever the commentators opened their mouths because I could perfectly envision what was happening. It also helped that Mayot includes maps of the courses as well as boxed—which you could argue is in the style of a television screen—descriptions of what spectators see during the coverage of the trials.
I must say, Mayot certainly knows how to push my buttons. Baptiste infuriated me to no end. This man, who could easily look to another first-world country for a donor, insists on making the other family go to another country like Colombia for a donor and surgeon, even offering them the Euros to do it. Why? Pride, plain and simple. He’s a man who’s used to getting what he wants and nothing is about to get in his way; I couldn’t wait to see him get knocked down a peg. The ending is a happy one—I won’t elaborate due to spoilers—but suffice to say I still hold a grudge against Baptiste on Fabrice’s behalf. For a writer to ignite this passion in me, he must know exactly what will strike people’s nerves and when to present them in a story for maximum effect.
Overall, The Revenge of the Forgotten by Xavier Mayot is both a psychological book and a modern moral fable. It offers a happy ending which left me satisfied that the plot was resolved, despite the fact that the cynic in me had serious doubts about it. Mayot highlights both the good and the bad in humans and leaves readers with the hope that nice guys do not finish last. I can guarantee that you will pick up this book and not be able to put it down until you find out which child will get the heart—and which of our proud fathers will have to eat crow.
You can buy a copy of The Revenge of the Forgotten from Edilivre’s website. Stay tuned for more information on when a copy will be made available on the American Amazon site.
Do you know of a book I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!
Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011