Lewis and Irene

At a solemn church service in Paris, a funeral becomes a stage for a bizarre competition. Lewis, a Frenchman fascinated by English quirks, keeps score of “Beaver”—a game where participants earn points by spotting the first beards they see, echoing tennis’s fifteen‑thirty‑forty. While mourners shuffle in starched collars and mourning dresses, the organ roars and the crowd’s attention drifts between grief and the relentless tally of facial hair.

Through Lewis’s witty observations, the novel paints a vivid portrait of the Franco‑African Bank’s elite, whose preoccupations with dividends and status seem oddly out of step with the ceremony. The narrative weaves satire with social commentary, exposing the absurdity of a world where a dead financier’s beard could still win a game. It’s a lively, slightly absurd glimpse into a society where business, vanity, and eccentric pastime collide, leaving listeners both amused and thoughtful.