In Le clair-obscur extreme contemporain Pierre Bergounioux, Pierre Michon, Patrick Modiano et Pascal Quignard Julia Holter proposes that a chiaroscuro aesthetic and mode of thought underlie and unite the work of four well-known contemporary French writers, studied together for the first time. Chiaro[...]

This spare, unforgettable novel is Pierre Michon's luminous exploration of the mysteries of desire. A young teacher takes his first job in a sleepy French town. Lost in a succession of rainy days and sleepless nights, he falls under the spell of a town resident, a woman of seductive beauty and singu[...]