Serge

The family in this novel -the Poppers, non-practicing French Jews of Hungarian origin- is quite dysfunctional, like so many others. The three children -Serge, Nana and Jean, who is the narrator of the story- remain united by family ties despite their differences and tensions. Life has treated them regularly, and while Nana maintains a solid relationship as a couple, the other two have a love life at least that could be improved. There are two scenes that frame this narrative: at the beginning the death of the mother and the last word she pronounces, and then a visit to the Auschwitz extermination camp, a place of pilgrimage as a monument to memory, but also a thematic amusement park for the tourists walking around taking selfies. And it is that this book is, among other things, the caustic chronicle of the absurdities of the XXI century. The author displays here all her ability to dissect human behavior, her poignant dialogues and her extremely black and politically incorrect humor, but also her empathy towards imperfect and paradoxical beings.