Viaje de invierno

From the very first lines of Winter Journey, Amélie Nothomb's singular microcosm seduces and captivates us. The protagonist's declaration admits no refutation: "I'm going to blow up the 1:30 p.m. plane." An international terrorist? Not at all. A religious martyr? Perhaps... But the religion for which Zoilo immolates himself is neither Muslim nor Christian; it is love. A total, unconditional love, for for Zoilo, "there is no such thing as failure in love. It's a contradiction in terms. Experiencing love is already a triumph, so much so that we might even ask ourselves why we want more." Zoilo's longed-for object of desire is Astrolabio, a young woman whose life revolves around safeguarding the physical integrity and work of Aliénor, a peculiar novelist. Well, as her name suggests, the writer, afflicted with a peculiar form of autism that renders her defenseless against the world, is a veritable gluttonous, slobbering "alien" who dictates her novels to her devoted agent and caregiver. The autobiographical reference is clear; how can one not think of the eccentric Belgian writer and her peculiar relationship with her sister?