La Chambre

In La Chambre, Françoise Chandernagor writes a moving tale of an eight-year-old prisoner whose mind and body slowly decay after he is locked away in a 36-square-foot room with neither supervision nor stimulation. This is historical fiction, but Chandernagor hides from us whom she is writing about. I won't spoil her game here.This is not a happy tale, and I found myself wondering just how Chandernagor was going to keep my interest for 280 pages of a two-year-long death scene without making me suicidal. Through beautiful prose, flashbacks, and creative perspectives, including conversations between the author and ghosts of witnesses, the author succeeds, and I am happy to report that I am still alive.Chandornagor says that she is writing about more than just one boy. She is instead writing about "everyday evil" ("le mal ordinaire"). She decries inaction and indifference, arguing that while no one person is to blame for this boy's death, everyone is to blame. Yes, "is" to blame, because the same evil of inaction and indifference still exists today. Chandornagor's novel reminds us that "it's not my job" or "why should I care" just don't cut it at any level. It is also an example of how history-making changes can happen too quickly and those in power can be insensitive to the destiny of individuals. But most of all it is the tale of a young boy whose life is destroyed by a people and a government run amok. It a beautiful and touching read. Just don't pick it up when you are already depressed.