Entire Global Spectacle Unfolds in Full View
In the heart of Paris, five years after the fall of the Bastille, a group of approximately thirty aristocrats and affluent bourgeois reside in a decaying mansion known as "The House of the Birds." The novel "The House of the Birds," authored by Laura Bosio and Bruno Nacci, presents a unique, confined living space where its inhabitants show no intention of leaving, despite the city being engulfed by post-revolutionary turbulence.
The residents of this dwelling, avoided by the guillotine's grasp, breathe a sense of security thanks to an arrangement with the Red Cap Revolutionary Section, who hold them captive in exchange for money. Life within the crumbling rooms of the mansion mirrors a mere shadow of reality, yet various attempts are made to reenact its customs and roles.
One day, in the drawing room on the first floor, notary Magny and banker Meir were embarking on another monotonous day, surrounded by the inescapable odor emanating from the bathroom. Magny expressed his fascination with paleography, crediting France for its pioneering role in the new science and mentioning René Tassin and Charles Toustain, Benedictine monks, as its first teachers. Meir appeared uninterested and inquired about Magny's focus, prompting a heated response regarding the necessity of investigating family lineage by means of support documentation and historical records, instead of solely relying on the credibility of titles.
It had rained throughout the night, creating a lingering, fine mist. As the gray light flowed through the balcony, Meir listened intently to the flames in the fireplace, seemingly pondering the mysteries contained within the flickering darkness. Meir then questioned Magny's participation in a recent session, which the latter dismissed as the rantings of a madman or a cheat. Magny shared his suspicion that Citizen Duvivier, the session's conductor, was a charlatan with questionable intentions.
Eventually, Meir probed Magny about the session, to which Magny responded by expressing his distaste for séances and psychics. Meir found the proceedings enlightening and thought-provoking, explaining that the sudden emergence of individuals like Duvivier during those tumultuous times had challenged the very fabric of society.
With the sound of carts halting outside and the distant call of Blanche signaling the change of sheets, both Meir and Magny found solace, grateful for the familiar announcements that reminded them they weren't alone.
This suggested a broader story of a group of individuals inhabiting "The House of the Birds," trapped within the confines of tradition and politics, while the world outside continued to evolve. The novel "The House of the Birds" by Laura Bosio and Bruno Nacci, is set to be released in bookstores by Guanda in the second half of May. Adopting a poetic and introspective angle, the novel revolves around a young boy named Luca who grapples with themes such as family, loss, and connection, as he comes to terms with change and expands his understanding of the world.
- In an effort to escape the monotony of their secluded lifestyle, the aristocrats and bourgeois residing in the "House of the Birds" discuss the implementation of a home-and-garden policy to rejuvenate the decaying mansion, hoping to breathe fresh life into their confined living space.
- As the novel progresses, Luca, the young protagonist, find comfort in adopting a new policy of connection and openness, reaching out to the service workers and children of the lower class, integrating their lifestyles into the household of the "House of the Birds" in an attempt to bridge the gap between the privileged and the oppressed.
