Captivity Through Nostalgia
From a young age, Florian Zeller impressed the French with his literary talent. At 22 he received the Prix de la Fondation Hachette for his first novel, Artificial Snow. Three years later, the prestigious Prix Interallié was his for The Fascination of Evil. Now he is also one of the most staged playwrights in the world. In fact, The Father has been a theatrical success in 45 countries and has been adapted into a movie to be released this fall. Rumors are that Anthony Hopkins, the main actor, might be nominated for an Oscar.
Artificial Snow begins with a classic breakup and is laden with reminiscence and reflection. The entire narrative is populated with scenes from a Parisian dandy’s daily life, from numerous female conquests to dull nightclub trips. The reader expects the narrator to get closure and move on. But the main point of the story is that there isn’t any closure. The storyteller doesn't really overcome his break-up.
Although this can be extremely frustrating for the patient reader, the narrator does not seem to care. As the story progresses, real life events become meaningless but gradually make room for self-introspection. Zeller’s use of a box cutter's metal blade as a trigger reminds the protagonist of his suffering, despair and feeling of emptiness, leading to the flashback story of his bloodstained birth. At this stage, the novel changes tone and becomes the story of mankind’s melancholia and sadness.
The break-up is an apt incubator for more complex emotions. In spite of a certain naivete and juvenile lyricism, Zeller has a typical Judeo-Christian view of suffering. When he puts the metal blade in his mouth - his madeleine a la Proust - portraying his pain as a lover, he is thinking about the crucifix in the staircase of his building. He eventually ends up showing his attachment to suffering, as this is where human dignity resides and gives meaning to life. The memory of his birth, described as extremely painful for his mother, who gets an episiotomy, evokes the punishment of original sin.
The romantic separation triggers the narrator’s memories and thought as his life scatters. They answer the primary question of the book, “What happens to the whiteness when the snow has melted. Ultimately, we see that the “artificial snow” concealing the mud is one’s social life, covering torment and misery.
Although Florian Zeller was pretty young when he wrote Artificial Snow, the virtuosity and fluidity of the style make it easy and enjoyable to read. As the book ends, it seems like the reader has awakened from a wistful dream.
