The list of my desires by Grégoire Delacourt, a heartwarming story of a woman who wins a jackpot that she chooses not to spend, was a huge publishing success 12 years ago. The author, who has published numerous novels since, decided to revive Jocelyne, her lucky character, who we find three years after the death of her husband Jocelyn, who had fled with the check and who had spent part of the money.
Jocelyne now has 15 million euros left out of the 18 she won, and above all, a lot of bitterness in her heart. She attends the Winners Anonymous support group, where all participants must deal with the tragicomic effects of money in their lives. These encounters will be the thread of this novel full of good feelings, but which does not have the charm of the first.
This is because even if we understand that money does not buy happiness, we have a certain discomfort in seeing these characters regret the time when they were not rich, when times are hard and many people , in real life, work multiple jobs to make ends meet.
The result is a book that, despite its undeniable empathy and humor, feels disconnected. Even the character of Jocelyne, who tries to find a way to make others benefit from her money, is less embodied, too lyrical in both the positive and the negative. It would be very surprising if this sequel enjoyed the same success as the first.
List 2 my desires
Albin Michel
256 pages