“The Jaguar's Dream” won over the jury of the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française last October and that of the Femina Prize on November 5. Double award-winning, this fifth novel by the Franco-Venezuelan writer Miguel Bonnefoy reveals the fabulous destiny of his grandfather in a changing Venezuela.
A newborn baby abandoned on the steps of a church, taken in by a mute beggar. The inhabitants of Maracaibo do not yet know it, but this child is destined for an exceptional destiny. Raised in poverty, Antonio was in turn a cigarette seller, a servant in a brothel before becoming one of the most brilliant surgeons in Venezuela.
“The Dream of the Jaguar”, fifth novel by Miguel Bonnefoy, weaves a vibrant family saga, with unforgettable characters, in a Venezuela in the grip of violent political and economic changes. A novel that is both epic and intimate.
One legacy after another
Fascinated by the history of his family, Miguel Bonnefoy had already immersed himself in the adventures of his ancestors, on his father's side. His previous novel, “Héritage”, recounted their departure from the Jura, following attacks on vines ravaged by phylloxera, with their luggage a single surviving vine intended to be replanted in Chile.
As for the story of the maternal grandparents, it had been running through Miguel Bonnefoy's head for around twenty years. The Franco-Venezuelan author admits that it took him time to find the right tone, the right music to write the story of his grandfather Antonio, a brilliant surgeon who started from nothing, and his grandmother Ana Maria , exceptional woman, first obstetrician-gynecologist.
Methodical writing
Asked about his way of working, Miguel Bonnefoy declares that he is very disciplined: “I am quite military and very methodical. In the morning, I drop off my two daughters aged two and four at school and when I arrive home, generally the house is in such a state that it looks like Baghdad,” the writer admits with a smile in the Quartier livre program on September 8.
And added: “As I don't have time to put everything away, since I'm going to pick them up at 4 p.m., I simply push the Legos off the dining table and put my computer there.” If the morning is dedicated to writing, Miguel Bonnefoy devotes his afternoons to reading, research and scriptwriting.
The writer who loves beauty
Growing up in a family of women, surrounded by aunts, sisters and cousins, Miguel Bonnefoy says he was raised by courageous, intelligent and powerful women. These women – with incredible horizons – are regularly found in the characters of her novels.
Another characteristic of his writing is that one does not find disgust, cynicism or rudeness in his books. “We end up writing the books that we like to read and therefore we end up writing books that resemble us,” laughs Miguel Bonnefoy. “It turns out that I have the misfortune of not seeing the ugliness in people.. . For a city, for a situation, there is always a moment of light, a moment of beauty. For the moment, I put more of my energy into talking about the rose rather than the bramble.
Comments collected by Nicolas Julliard
Web adaptation: Sarah Clément
Miguel Bonnefoy, “The Jaguar's Dream”, ed. Shores, August 2024.
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