Those who have followed Grégoire Delacourt for a long time will find many echoes and clarifications in his literary journey by reading The repaired child, a confessional story in which the successful novelist revisits the darkest corners of his life.
However, it is not necessary to know him well to take the measure of the wound he exhibits, the weight of the silences of his childhood and what devoured him for most of his adult life.
There is a link between My father, novel published in 2019, and The repaired child. This link is abuse. A padlocked memory, awakened by writing, almost unconsciously, over the years. Grégoire Delacourt has never given in autofiction. However, like many other authors, he drew heavily on his memories, disguised them, in his fictional work. Literature caught up with him… and maybe saved him.
The repaired child, it is the story of a child with holes, who lacked love. From his adult life too: failed marriage, unhappiness, missing father, missed son, distant mother… out of love. Between his houses, his family stories and his adventures, Grégoire Delacourt unveils a therapeutic process transcended by his writing. We look at him in the mirror he holds out and the sentences that hollow him hollow us too. It’s freezing and generous. And for Grégoire Delacourt, it was visibly liberating.
The repaired child
Gregory Delacourt
Stifle
240 pages