“We only perceive the world as we are prepared to perceive.”
Bernard Werber.
Hello, young Padawan
Here is the traditional summer reading tip, which will change a little this year, since I will recommend five books by the same author, Bernard Werber, and which should preferably be read in order.
If we add to that the fact that the first one is about 30 years old, and the last one came out in 2007, that is 18 years ago, we are not dealing in recent books, certainly, and so much the better, I want to tell you, since they will be easy to find in libraries, or to order from your bookseller or on your e-reader. It was, in fact, by rereading them recently, with my maturity of forty-something, lol, that I realized how great these works were and that I had to suggest them to you.
With Werber, if I can give just one piece of advice, it’s not to read the back covers or the summaries, but just to start a “cycle” at random or one that has been recommended to you, like me here on this blog, and let yourself be carried away. The guy has so many good ideas that it’s a shame to spoil the slightest suspense. So here we go, discovering these five books to make you spend a divine summer, in very good company.
The cycle of angels
Those who have already read Bernard Werber (the author of the “Ants” trilogy, also worth reading; it’s brilliant, ed) know that he likes to work his stories over several volumes. Not always, of course, but often.
And so, here, we begin this dilogy with The Thanatonauts, a 1994 novel that came out between volumes two and three of The Ants, the trilogy that made him famous. The problem is that readers had to wait impatiently for the sequel and finale of The Ants, and therefore, this book didn’t achieve the success it deserved. This work and its sequel emerged when he began his Gods cycle, the trilogy following these two volumes, released ten years later.
The Thanatonauts are the adventures of Michael Pinson, a little boy who experiences a surprising event early in the book, and thus in his life, that will shape his future. Shortly after, he meets Raoul Razorbak at Père Lachaise Cemetery on the day of his uncle’s funeral. He’s a very cultured, but also somewhat eccentric and antisocial young man, who will pass on his passion for Egyptian mythology to him and become his best friend. Raoul also has another passion that he will share with him: death. As adults, they become researchers on the vast subject of death and life after death, making numerous discoveries, eventually becoming Thanatonauts, explorers of the continent of the dead.
The second book, Empire of Angels, released in 2000, continues their adventures. I can’t tell you much about this volume, as I risk spoiling all the suspense. Let’s just say that, too, we’re captivated by this sequel with its many twists and turns.
These first two volumes also offer a second reading, more sociological, even philosophical, but again, I’ll leave you to discover all that. What I can tell you, however, is that these two books are real “page-turners,” as our Anglo-Saxon friends would say, and you won’t be able to put the book down because you want to know what happens next, what will happen to our protagonists, and by the way, it’s not over yet…
The cycle of the gods
Regarding Werber, for those who haven’t read him at all (what, there are still some of them?! lol), there’s one thing to know: he’s fascinating. You’re never content to read a novel where the protagonists live out their little adventures; no, there’s always a cultural, even sociological or philosophical, background. In Thanatonauts, for example, we get a lot of information on Egyptian mythology; in Empire of the Angels, we start with an encyclopedia of relative and absolute knowledge that will continue throughout the following trilogy; and in this last one, we’re dealing with Hellenic mythology. Fascinating!
And yes, this trilogy will take you back to the adventures of the Greek gods: Athena, Poseidon, Zeus, Hermes, Aphrodite, that good old planet-bearing Atlas, and all their cousins, uncles, aunts, brothers, and sisters, not to mention our protagonists, Michael and Raoul, and some of their friends from the two previous novels.
Same here, I can’t tell you too much, especially not about this trilogy, because otherwise I’ll spoil all the magic of discovery. But in any case, if you decide to start it, it’s because you’ll have enjoyed the previous two volumes.
So here’s my little summer reading tip, which tells you a bit without revealing too much, to whet your appetite without spoiling the discovery. These five books are truly fascinating to read, and if you enjoyed reading about Egyptian or Hellenic mythology in your younger years, you’ll find many fascinating references, but also very accessible for a first discovery. These five volumes read like a single work, and as quickly as a single book. You can trust me, and even more so the author, you won’t notice the time passing, and especially for a summer, it’s really fun; you’ll travel beyond the limits of possibility, both literally and figuratively.
I hope I’ve made you want to start this saga, as the young people say. I wish you a wonderful summer, and we’ll see you next Friday, as usual, for new adventures on this blog.
XO 💫
