
GEORGES DUHAMEL - de l'Académie Française
Confession de Minuit
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A weary narrator, once a modest clerk in a sprawling office, recounts his fall from a comfortable position with a mix of rueful honesty and sharp observation. He blames no one outright, yet he offers a litany of grievances against his superiors and colleagues—Sureau's abrupt dismissal, Jacob's silent indifference—painting a vivid portrait of bureaucratic indifference. The prose unfolds in a single, tension‑filled morning when a ringing telephone becomes the catalyst for an uneasy conversation that threatens to expose long‑buried resentments.
The listener is drawn into the claustrophobic atmosphere of the office, where each ring is measured, each glance is weighed, and the narrator's inner monologue spikes between sarcasm and self‑reflection. Through wry humor and meticulous detail, the story explores themes of accountability, the quiet desperation of the overlooked, and the absurd power dynamics that govern everyday work life. All the while, the narrative remains rooted in the present moment, inviting you to feel the protagonist's palpable tension as he teeters between compliance and a sudden, unspoken urge to rebel.
Language
fr
Duration
~3 hours (205K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Renald Levesque and PG Distributed Proofreaders
Release date
2003-11-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1884–1966
A doctor as well as a novelist, he brought unusual moral clarity and compassion to French literature, especially in books shaped by the human cost of war. His fiction is best known for combining intimate character studies with a steady, humane skepticism toward modern life.
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