Author of Travel light And The anxiety of the goldfishtwo remarkable novels, Mélissa Verreault offers this year a new intimate novel in which she blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction. The Tarantula Nebula walks between the traumatic memories of the main character, Mélisa, who must untangle the fragments of her existence to find inner peace and a less tortuous path to move forward in life.
The Tarantula Nebula: the new novel by Mélissa Verreault.
© XYZ Editions
Mélisa doesn’t really understand what is happening to her: she is immersed in a reality where her perceptions seem to escape the understanding of others. His childhood memories, for example, diverge completely from those recalled by his parents.
One fine day, a teenage sweetheart who had harshly rejected her resurfaces and declares his love for her. Mélisa pulls on the thread of memories, which come back in snatches. She will have to find her way, clear out all her thoughts and define herself in order to be able to move forward.
Explore who we are
Mélissa Verreault, imaginative and original writer, had things to say. “It’s a project that has been with me for several years and it’s certainly my most personal project,” she said in an interview.
“We can guess it when we see that the character has a first name very similar to mine and characteristics that are similar to mine, like the fact that she is a writer, mother of triplets, married to an Italian. This is information that has been circulating about me for a long time. The general public is aware.”
Beyond these aspects, she wanted to think about the notion of identity, for example, her own in relation to a character. “Sometimes readers may be tempted to take it for granted. They do two or three cross-references between the author and the character and think that means it’s all true. Worse… no. Fiction is a game that has the power to push the boundaries of truth and falsehood and I have a lot of fun with that.”
Identity in the broad sense
Mélissa Verreault also wanted to examine the notion of identity, in the broad sense. “What is identity? What is it made of? What makes us who we are? What are the layers that accumulate in us and that make us the person we are?
In his thinking, all kinds of elements came into play, such as interpersonal relationships, including love, friendship, parent-child relationships. But also sex, religion, the power relationships that can be established in one or the other. Money. The lack of money.
“I also realized that the suburbs were a very strong part of my identity and not necessarily a part that I loved. It’s a wounded part, actually. For me, the suburbs were really associated with this idea of hurt, of betrayal, because I experienced betrayals throughout my childhood and adolescence. Betrayals of all types and of very varied intensity.”
“I wanted to dive into that, not to go and scratch my sores, because I’m not interested in doing my self-psychoanalysis in the public arena, but more to see what’s out there. universal in that and perhaps also generational.”
Lived… or not
Identity, adds Mélissa Verreault, is also attached to a place: the one where we grew up and where we subsequently chose to live. “That’s a lot of material that I wanted to explore through anecdotes.”
“I wanted it to be exposed and explored through facts perhaps experienced, perhaps not… That’s the game. We won’t have an answer and that’s where we can really have some pleasure.”
The Tarantula Nebula
Melissa Verreault
XYZ Editions
400 pages
- Mélissa Verreault holds a master’s degree in creative writing from UQAM.
- She is a writer and translator.
- She published Travel light And The anxiety of the goldfishamong others.
- She also participated in the collective In the stomach.
- She is the mother of triplets.
“I didn’t know Dad knew how to braid hair. Dad doesn’t speak much, and when he does, he speaks loudly, as if he fears that no one will hear him anymore, after all these accumulated silences. (…) When he has finished styling my hair, realizing that he does not have an elastic band to tie my braid, he holds it between his fingers for several minutes without moving. With his free hand, he takes a sip of beer. I finish my foam soda by reducing my movements to a minimum, attached to my father by this hair rope that I would like to extend to infinity. I’d like to be the rope that keeps it attached to the dock.”
– Mélissa Verreault, The Tarantula NebulaÉditions XYZ
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