As if the reader were riding shotgun, this intensely vivid novel captures a life on the lam. "L'astragale" is the French word for the ankle bone Albertine Sarrazin's heroine Anne breaks as she leaps from her jail cell to freedom. As she drags herselfMore As if the reader were riding shotgun, this intensely vivid novel captures a life on the lam. "L'astragale" is the French word for the ankle bone Albertine Sarrazin's heroine Anne breaks as she leaps from her jail cell to freedom. As she drags herself down the road, away from the prison walls, she is rescued by Julien, himself a small-time criminal, who keeps her hidden. They fall in love. Fear of capture, memories of her prison cell, claustrophobia in her hideaways: every detail is fiercely felt.
Astragal burst onto the French literary scene in 1965; its fiery and vivacious style was entirely new, and Sarrazin became a celebrity overnight. But as fate would have it, Sarrazin herself kept running into trouble with the law, even as she became a star.
She died from a botched surgery at the height of her fame. Sarrazin's life and work (her novels are semi-autobiographical) have been the subject of intense fascination in France; a new adaptation of Astragal is currently being filmed. Patti Smith, who brought Astragal to the attention of New Directions, contributes an enthusiastic introduction to one of her favorite writers. Less
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Bjorn rated it really liked it
almost 2 years ago
19-year-old Anne - old enough to take her pants off, old enough to go to jail, legally still a child - jumps off the 10-metre wall of the jail where she's serving a 7-year sentence. Smashes her ankle, crawls to the highway, is picked up by a small-time crook with a motorc. Read full review
Matilda rated it liked it
over 1 year ago
3,5 στα 5.
Ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία αλλά δεν κατάφερε να με κερδίσει ολοκληρωτικά, γιαυτό και άργησα αρκετά να τελειώσω το βιβλίο. Ο λόγος της Sarrazin είναι χειμαρρώδης, αναλύοντας η ίδια την ιστορία μιας απόδρασης από τη φυλακή και το χρονικό μιας εκρηκτικής ερωτικής σχέσης. Read full review
Emily rated it it was ok
over 1 year ago
Σχεδόν αυτοβιογραφικό το βιβλίο της Sarrazin έδρεψε δάφνες τη δεκαετία του '60 για το ύφος του.
Η ηρωίδα, πολύ νέα για να της καταλογιστούν πράξεις ικανές να την κλείσουν φυλακή με τα δεδομένα εκείνης της εποχής, ασφυκτιά μέσα στους 4 τοίχους. Τη γνωρίζουμε σκαρφαλωμένη σ. Read full review
Panagiotis rated it liked it
over 1 year ago
3,5/5 κανονικά. Κρίμα που δεν το διάβασα όταν ήμουν δεκεπτά ετών, όταν δεν ήμουν τόσο κυνικός και είχα φάει ελάχιστα χαστούκια από την πραγματικότητα.
Όλο το βιβλίο είναι σε πρωτοπρόσωπη αφήγηση. Με λόγο κοφτό, γρήγορο, γεμάτο δύναμη, χρησιμοποιώντας από αργκό μέχρι λόγιες. Read full review
Steven Godin rated it really liked it
Written by Sarrazin while serving time behind bars this semi-autobiographical story tells of Anne who after jumping to freedom from prison fractures her ankle and is found by the side of the road by Julian(who also happens to be on the run),they journey together and a rom. Read full review
Thom rated it really liked it
over 3 years ago
Albertine Sarrazin’s novel Astragal, originally published in 1965, is full of a free-wheeling, self-mythologizing attitude rare in modern fiction, but which evokes an era which thrived on heroes who took control of their own fates, seeking complete personal freedom even i. Read full review
Αγγελική rated it really liked it
over 1 year ago
3.5 / Δυνατή γλώσσα, ποιητικότητα, παραληρηματικός και ασθματικός λόγος. Μακάρι να είχε εκδοθεί κάποια χρόνια πριν, όταν ήμουν σπουδάστρια.
Vanessa rated it it was ok
almost 2 years ago
Astragal follows Anne, a 19 year old girl who escapes from prison by jumping a wall and ends up badly breaking her ankle as a result. The rest of the story follows her and Julian, the man who saves her from the roadside, as she travels around France trying to keep out of. Read full review
Matthew rated it really liked it
over 1 year ago