"After The Night" by Everyone Agrees (Book Works)

Book Works ISBN: 978-1-906012-47-2

If not the brother or sister of Michéle Bernstein's "The Night" then at the very least the distant British cousin.   Its a beautiful gesture to Bernstein's masterful "The Night" in that it deals with the theme and style of that book, that serves itself as both a critique and an entertaining read.  The Bernstein book is map as literature.  One could easily follow the path of the three main characters as they wonder around Paris in the nighttime.  "After The Night" does the same with similar characters, but they're British and their map is a combination of Paris and London.   So one could encounter an adventure without knowing the results of sorts.

The book is edited and written by 'Everyone Agrees' which seems to be a collective that does work through the London based Book Works.   The design of the book is incredible.  The flap opens up to an actual map, with the routes marked.   If you are going to read "The Night" I think you need to get this book as well.   Reading the Bernstein 'novel' stands on its own, but this book doesn't.  You need to read "The Night" first.   Nevertheless a remarkable journey with a map that leads one to.... somewhere.

"The Night" by Michéle Bernstein (Translated by Clodagh Kinsella) Edited by Everyone Agrees

One can gather that this is memoir writing, since we think the main two characters are Guy Debord and the author of this book, Michéle Bernstein.  And the book plays with the concept of memoir and novel, but it does say 'novel' on the front cover, and I am going to go with that.  The book is very much like Bernstein's first book "All The King's Horses" except this is witty turned into a 'new novel' or Nouveau Roman.  Whatever it is a satire or a homage to that form I don't know, but either way it doesn't take away the enjoyment of going with the main couple's long walks through the Left Bank of Paris.  in fact I had to stop myself from google mapping the streets - which one can do, because their walks are deeply and specifically perfect.  There is another woman involved and in a way it is a story about seduction, power, and exploring.  I'm a Bernstein fan.

Also the production level of the publisher of this book, Book Works, is pretty great.   The book is translated by Clodagh Kinsella and edited by Everyone Else.  There is a sequel of sorts.... well review that next!