LE SABOTAGE AMOUREUX
(a novel by Amélie Nothomb)

Until 1999’s Stupeur et Tremblements this novel was Amélie Nothomb’s most autobiographical one. Nothomb, a diplomat’s daughter, spent some of her childhood in China, a dreadful place so close to her beloved Japan.
Le Sabotage Amoureux tells us of her time in China: how she grew up there, how she called her bike her horse and how she fell in love with Elena. Nine years old, boys never even had a place in Amélie’s life and Elena’s beauty made sure they’d stay out of the picture some more. The problem, however, is that Elena hardly notices Amélie’s love. She does want to friends, but only in her terms. She toys around with her friend. One of the hardest examples of this is the scene where she lets the asthmatic Amélie run around the playground, again and again, until finally Amélie collapses.
At this point Amélie has had enough of Elena’s whimps and she starts to ignore Elena. This leads to an intriguing battle of wills. And no, I won’t tell you how it ends.

Is this a good novel? And isn’t that always the question they ask you after a quick look at the plot? Well, in this case it’s hard to judge the book. (I’ve read it in april and only now am I able to write this review.) It is a nice novel, but not as good as other of her novels. On the other hand it’s autobiographical and it gives you further insight into the writer’s brain. Nothomb’s fascination with childish bodies was never so explicitly mentioned as here and in Hygiène de l’Assassin, but here you get only Amélie’s views as a nine-year old and you can see how those ideas were the bases for her later views on growing up. (In short: the body of a child is perfect and with puberty starts the rotting away of the perfectness.)
Apart from that, it’s still a novel by Nothomb and that means well-written. It certainly isn’t her best (Attentat is, but so far it hasn’t been translated), but it’s still a good book and it might be the best novel if you want to start with Nothomb Light and build your way up gradually.
It does deserve its 8/10.

The Dutch translation of Le Sabotage Amoureux is called Vuurwerk en Ventilatoren. The English translation will hit the bookstores soon.

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