Released in October 2020, Ordinary rape told how a man, Laurent, had ruined his relationship after having realized a sexual fantasy without the consent of his partner, Léa. The rapist’s wrongdoing had also endangered the future of the couple formed by his parents, Paul and Julie. A year later, after several months of research, Janette Bertrand reconnects with her characters in order to report on their evolution. For better and for worse.
In A man, quite simply, Laurent’s friends are still macho as ever, and Paul only thinks about his family’s honor. Fortunately, Julie no longer allows her husband to walk on her toes; Laurent is thinking of joining a self-help group for men; and Léa, supported by her cousin Marie-Fleur, a social work student, turned to restorative justice.
“What I expect today is that you admit that you raped me, that you guarantee me that you will not do it again and that you seek treatment. In short, I want you to change. I can’t change you. You, if you want, can change for the better. “
WhileOrdinary rape was written largely in epistolary form, A man, quite simply is essentially declined in a series of dialogues, certainly alive, as at the time when the actress wrote the series With a capital A, but not always subtle. The line is often heavy, the characters, especially the male protagonists, are not far from caricature. “Do you need that, me, in my life, Cro-Magnon buddies?” I’m gonna have to change my gang of guys, they’re too monuncles for me. No, I am too evolved for them. “
Announced as a last effort for men to question themselves, the novel turns out to be too didactic and Manichean. Driven by a sense of urgency, Janette Bertrand does not put on white gloves to loudly denounce patriarchy, toxic masculinity, the culture of rape and the injustice done to women. At the end of the day, can we really blame the venerable fighter for gender equality for wanting to get her message across at all costs?