Belle Famille - updated to chapter 29

AnnaEsse wrote:Résumé of chapter 25 with thanks to Frencheuropean, as usual!

In spite of the reticence of the Macands, who find it inappropriate, Tony insists on organising a buffet for the journalists at the conference. On principle, Laurence has obtained an assurance that there will be no lump fish roe because the guests might think it was caviar.

Tony insists that if they are well fed, they'll write longer articles.

Although surprised, the journalists set upon the food and the champagne. "Everybody gets down to guzzling and they fight over the leftovers. There are injuries." Outraged by this behaviour, Stéphane smashes the glass of a journalist who is demanding a fourth glass of champagne. Laurence drags him into another room and puts him sharply in his place, being sarcastic about her husband's usual lack of restraint. He apologises.

Thanks for all your hard work AnnaEsse and frencheuropean.

AnnaEsse I think you should edit the name above to Macands

Ah, whoops!

chrissie wrote:

AnnaEsse wrote:Résumé of chapter 25 with thanks to Frencheuropean, as usual!

In spite of the reticence of the Macands, who find it inappropriate, Tony insists on organising a buffet for the journalists at the conference. On principle, Laurence has obtained an assurance that there will be no lump fish roe because the guests might think it was caviar.

Tony insists that if they are well fed, they'll write longer articles.

Although surprised, the journalists set upon the food and the champagne. "Everybody gets down to guzzling and they fight over the leftovers. There are injuries." Outraged by this behaviour, Stéphane smashes the glass of a journalist who is demanding a fourth glass of champagne. Laurence drags him into another room and puts him sharply in his place, being sarcastic about her husband's usual lack of restraint. He apologises.

Thanks for all your hard work AnnaEsse and frencheuropean.

AnnaEsse I think you should edit the name above to Macands

Now, why should I have done that?!!!

chrissie wrote:

Oh dear! I'll be getting Carter-Rucked!

Résumé of chapter 26 - from Frencheuropean

The conference, transmitted by journalists of fourteen different nationalities, is a great success. Donations flood in. By midnight, 300,000 in euros has been promised. Tony takes on to decide how the money will be used: prime time slots on TV being expensive, "he opts for an announcement in the regional and national dailies and a poster on street hoardings." He will also contact graphic artists and advertising agencies.

As planned, Sylviane lodges a complaint against France Television. She calls Laurence to ask her what she should do with the boys as she no longer wishes to take responsibility for them, given the circumstances. In a rather frosty tone of voice, after having consulted how much money was available, Laurence informs her that a local teacher will come and fetch them. The conversation is over, "Madec's mother reckoned that she had never liked Sylviane. That at the first setback, that fat cow had become a stranger to her. Was it possible to be friends with someone who was physically ugly?"

The Minister, for his part, is indignant at the error committed by the journalists. He picks up his phone and two hours later, Antenne 2 receives a notice of reprimand from the CSA for its untruthful reporting.
(CSA = Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel, the president of which is appointed by the government, but which is independent.)

On returning home, he meets with fierce anger from his wife, who reproaches him for his intrusive activities, telling him that because he can "get the CSA to issue a notice of disapproval," he gets to feel manly and powerful.

The Minster is proud of having got the Pope interested in the Macands. His Public Relations service will "leak," the information to magazines about the role he will have played in securing this interview.

The young journalist at France 2 is suspended and the case will be subject to a temporary injunction.

The Josserand's lawyer demands 230,000 Euros in damages and compensation and Laurence considers that they could thank her because, without doing anything, they are going to get lots of money, thanks to her.

Then the internet site of an investigative journal publishes an article accompanied by a secret recording:

"SCANDAL AT THE CSA

When the Macand parents pull the media's strings.

Then Laurence's voice is heard, indistinct because of static. Madec's mother whispers: "between you and me our friends the Josserands, who were interrogated in France, are behind my son's disappearance...He will be dead. The police know who killed my son."

In his office, the Minister is not at all happy:

"-Every time you try to be nice, it backfires on you.

- You made the right decision, Minister.

- Why did that idiot need to talk crap like that for the first camera to arrive?

- We don't know yet. We 're trying to contact her.

- What will Carolis (former president of France television), Interpol and the CSA think of me?

- It has nothing to do with you.

- I remind you that I informed the Pope: it's gone world-wide.

- It might be a fake, sir.

- You know it's not, he let out in exasperation. The services analysed it.

-Yes, but for the rest of the world, it's perhaps still a fake. Nobody authenticated it.

- You're certain about what you're saying? The politician asked after a preoccupied silence.

- I think we need to play that card, Minister."

Petrified, Laurence picked up her phone. It's the Interior Minister's Public Relations service again. She is told that it's known to be a fake, that the Minister will support her "in her fight for the truth." The voice repeats:

"A message, you've only got to give out a message, which is also ours, Madame Macand - that document is a fake."

Confronted for the first time since Madec's death, with the real world, Laurence locks herself in the toilet. Tony reproached her above all for screwing up their good image. Stéphane looked on her as an enemy.

She takes to musing that life is only a game, "the only game, where the objective is to understand the rules."

With thanks, once again, to Frencheuropean for the résumé in French.

I don't go to any cesspits nowadays, so I rarely get to read the rubbish that the pros dream up. However it does amuse me that they immediately try to trash the reputations and other works of anybody they don't like, whether it's even remotely related to the McCanns or not (I'm thinking David Bret, Pat Brown here - if anyone doubts the McCanns then that somehow makes every single thing they've ever done, rubbish or unsuccessful or inaccurate or whatever). What do the pros have to say about Arthur Dreyfus? He's only done one book before (which there is zero chance that they will have read) and this current book is up for a literary award. Vive la France!!! :-)

Iris wrote:I don't go to any cesspits nowadays, so I rarely get to read the rubbish that the pros dream up. However it does amuse me that they immediately try to trash the reputations and other works of anybody they don't like, whether it's even remotely related to the McCanns or not (I'm thinking David Bret, Pat Brown here - if anyone doubts the McCanns then that somehow makes every single thing they've ever done, rubbish or unsuccessful or inaccurate or whatever). What do the pros have to say about Arthur Dreyfus? He's only done one book before (which there is zero chance that they will have read) and this current book is up for a literary award. Vive la France!!! :-)

There was a topic on a particular forum when we first started the résumés, but it seemed to disappear after a few chapters. I haven't seen anything else and it appears to be being ignored. However, so does Kate McCann's updated paperback, which is somewhat surprising.

Tony rented a Mercedes for going to see the Pope.

In the comfortable car, Laurence thinks about the secret recording: "There's no ethics any more in the profession of journalism. It's all about audience figures." Happily, for some unknown reason, the government is supporting her.

They wait in a small room for the Pope's formal discourse to end.

Laurence drily tell her husband, who is praying beneath a crucifix, to "quit this circus." An escort comes to fetch the Macands to take them to the Holy Father.

On the way there, Laurence takes out of her handbag an Elnett hairspray for dry, damaged hair.

The Pope is old and tired. He looks ill. He is addressing the crowd from the balcony overlooking St Peter's Square. As he comes back, his special adviser, Comman, presents Madec's parents and Madec's photo to him and reminds him that he agreed with the French government that he would speak to them about it later.

The Pope turns back to the crowd for his final homily. To the crowd he presents, not the photo of the child, but the fax, upside down. An adviser respectfully turns it up the right way.

"Questa ragazza è sparita. Piccola Madic è stata sottratta dall'amore dei suoi genitori" (This little girl has disappeared. The little girl Madic has been taken away from the love of her parents.)

The adviser murmurs a few words in his ear. The Pope corrects himself:

"Piccolo Madec è stato sottratto dall'amore dei suoi genitori. Che Dio ci aiuti a ritrovarlo, con il vostro aiuto a tutti." (The little boy, Madec has been taken away from the love of his family, may God help him as well as all of you.)

A moment later, the Macands find themselves back in their car. Laurence is disappointed. All the Pope did was offer her a limp hand, without even looking at her.

During the journey, Laurence receives a call from the Minister. She thanks him and he tells her that the Italian police "are going to get things moving." The secret recording is not mentioned.

For the first time, Laurence feels totally cynical: "All it took was something to be disturbing for the thing to disappear. Sincerity is human, she thinks, but politics is scheming."


(Thank you Frencheuropean!)

AnnaEsse

Thank you for the latest chapter and also thanks to frencheuropean.

This sentence is the version of Gerry's - "confusion is good" I think!

"For the first time, Laurence feels totally cynical: "All it takes is for something to get a bit muddled for the thing to disappear. Sincerity is human, she thinks, but politics is scheming."

Angelique wrote:AnnaEsse

Thank you for the latest chapter and also thanks to frencheuropean.

This sentence is the version of Gerry's - "confusion is good" I think!

"For the first time, Laurence feels totally cynical: "All it takes is for something to get a bit muddled for the thing to disappear. Sincerity is human, she thinks, but politics is scheming."

Actually, I think I got the tense wrong there. I think it should be, "All it took was something to get a bit muddled for the thing to disappear. Sincerity is human, she thinks, but politics is scheming."

The original quotation is :"Il avait suffi que quelque chose dérange pour que la chose disparaisse." that's means that ( for a politician) something was disturbing , so he managed for the thing to disappear.
At the moment, in France, two months before the presidential elections, a lot of problemes are "disappearing"!

frencheuropean wrote:The original quotation is :"Il avait suffi que quelque chose dérange pour que la chose disparaisse." that's means that ( for a politician) something was disturbing , so he managed for the thing to disappear.
At the moment, in France, two months before the presidential elections, a lot of problemes are "disappearing"!

Thanks frencheuropean. I had trouble with that phrase and I'll edit later.

AnnaEsse wrote:

frencheuropean wrote:The original quotation is :"Il avait suffi que quelque chose dérange pour que la chose disparaisse." that's means that ( for a politician) something was disturbing , so he managed for the thing to disappear.
At the moment, in France, two months before the presidential elections, a lot of problemes are "disappearing"!

Thanks frencheuropean. I had trouble with that phrase and I'll edit later.

Brilliant!!!! That is getting very close to the bone - what DO the French think in general about the McCanns? Because the bewk hasn't been published in French - which must be for a reason - if German and even Hungarian are available.
In Europe the main markets are: UK, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands/Belgium (for Belgium it's only the Dutch version? because the Walloons are missing out in that case), Spain, Portugal and Hungary (the last because a Hungarian Paedophile was in PdL?)

The book indeed was not translated in France.Why? It's difficult to answer.I doubt it would be a success in France.French are rather sceptical, by nature,and critics would not hesitate to point out the weak points of the book. French are not under the spell casted by the McCann, too rational for that.When people speak ( not a lot nowadays) about the McCann, it's most of the time this sentence:" C'est étrange cette affaire, les parents sont vraiment bizarres"=it's strange this case, the parents are really weird.
France is also the siege ( Lyon) of Interpol, may be a reason.

AnnaEsse wrote:

Angelique wrote:AnnaEsse

Thank you for the latest chapter and also thanks to frencheuropean.

This sentence is the version of Gerry's - "confusion is good" I think!

"For the first time, Laurence feels totally cynical: "All it takes is for something to get a bit muddled for the thing to disappear. Sincerity is human, she thinks, but politics is scheming."

Actually, I think I got the tense wrong there. I think it should be, "All it took was something to get a bit muddled for the thing to disappear. Sincerity is human, she thinks, but politics is scheming."

"It was spoiling his happiness and it had to be got rid of."

AnnaEsse wrote:Tony rented a Mercedes for going to see the Pope.

In the comfortable car, Laurence thinks about the secret recording: "There's no ethics any more in the profession of journalism. It's all about audience figures." Happily, for some unknown reason, the government is supporting her.

They wait in a small room for the Pope's formal discourse to end.

Laurence drily tell her husband, who is praying beneath a crucifix, to "quit this circus." An escort comes to fetch the Macands to take them to the Holy Father.

On the way there, Laurence takes out of her handbag an Elnett hairspray for dry, damaged hair.

The Pope is old and tired. He looks ill. He is addressing the crowd from the balcony overlooking St Peter's Square. As he comes back, his special adviser, Comman, presents Madec's parents and Madec's photo to him and reminds him that he agreed with the French government that he would speak to them about it later.

The Pope turns back to the crowd for his final homily. To the crowd he presents, not the photo of the child, but the fax, upside down. An adviser respectfully turns it up the right way.

"Questa ragazza è sparita. Piccola Madic è stata sottratta dall'amore dei suoi genitori" (This little girl has disappeared. The little girl Madic has been taken away from the love of her parents.)

The adviser murmurs a few words in his ear. The Pope corrects himself:

"Piccolo Madec è stato sottratto dall'amore dei suoi genitori. Che Dio ci aiuti a ritrovarlo, con il vostro aiuto a tutti." (The little boy, Madec has been taken away from the love of his family, may God help him as well as all of you.)

A moment later, the Macands find themselves back in their car. Laurence is disappointed. All the Pope did was offer her a limp hand, without even looking at her.

During the journey, Laurence receives a call from the Minister. She thanks him and he tells her that the Italian police "are going to get things moving." The secret recording is not mentioned.

For the first time, Laurence feels totally cynical: "All it takes is for something to get a bit muddled for the thing to disappear. Sincerity is human, she thinks, but politics is scheming."


(Thank you Frencheuropean!)

No butterflies, then?

Résumé of chapter 29, with thanks to Frencheuropean

Sometimes, just for a moment, Laurence would find herself believing that Madec had really disappeared and was alive.

Less than two weeks after the Pope's appeal, the donations reach over three million Euros. Stéphane insisted on engaging a professional accountant. Indeed, as "people make mistakes", he doesn't want to be chased by the taxman when he goes back to France.

Forty days have gone by in which Andreotti has devoted all of his time to a child he never knew. One day, he even imagined:

"If she had never existed? This would make great theatre. (à la Pirandello) He suddenly feels weary, thinking about the hundreds of cases that have passed through his hands during his career. And if he had a child with his friend Venezia?"

Then he receives a call from the prison governor: Ron Murdoch wishes to speak to him urgently.

Tony decided to pour almost all of the money in the fund into various private detective agencies "who often have means at their disposal which are better than those of the police". Four are chosen, "one of them being the prestigious Control Risks Group, which had investigated the death of Lady Di."

Tony also wants to use psychics to find Madec. But not a simple psychic, a total service that will pull out all the stops: "crystal ball reading, read the tea leaves, tarot, drawing the cards, dowsing, telekinesis, hypnosis - and even the drawing of blood. It was a serious programme."

Stéphane can't get over the exorbitant amounts demanded. Sure, it is boring to have to be forever repeating the same things, but at least , "these were obliging people and they wore made-to-measure suits."

Since his violent argument with Laurence, he wakes with a start each night, next to the sleeping Laurence, crying out: "I have killed her!".

He remembers his childhood in a family that was wealthy and cold and of that fatal day when the car driven by his father's personal chauffeur was involved in the accident that caused his scar.

The driver, distracted by a pretty redhead on a pavement in Pigalle, had run a red light.

At the hospital, he looked at himself in the mirror:

"At the sight of his face which had been torn and sewn back together, Stéphane had made two decisions: to never again go to Pigalle; to become a surgeon."

Controversial French novel based on #McCann case wins French Orange Prize for fiction!



http://prix-orange-du-livre.event.orange.fr/actualites/la%20vie%20du%20Prix/D%C3%A9couvrez%20le%20laur%C3%A9at%20du%20Prix%20Orange%20du%20Livre%202012-214.html