NADA - Jean-Patrick Manchette BOOK REVIEW | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Nada is a fast-paced French crime novel set in the 70s, following a group of anarchist revolutionaries and their plans to kidnap an American ambassador.

Key Insights

• 😃 Nada is Jean Patrick Manchette's first big hit as a French crime novelist, published in 1972.
• 🇫🇷 The book captures the atmosphere of the 70s post-May 68 riots in France, with a focus on violent explorations of the human condition and French society.
• ↔️ It is a notable example of the fluidity with which crime writing in France shifted from being a right-wing genre to a left-leaning one.
• 🛟 The characters in the book serve as representations of different political ideologies and motivations, with some driven by romanticized ideals and others by personal gain.
• 🫠 The book's writing style and pacing make it an engaging and quick read, reminiscent of American film noir and crime fiction.
• 🙃 Nada explores themes of political fatalism, nihilism, and the flawed nature of both sides of the political spectrum.
• 🉐 The story delves into the destructive consequences of terrorism and the manipulation of state systems for political gain.

Transcript

in the end what it seems to say is that neither side is perfect and we're all on a pretty damn big mess better than food man good afternoon everyone welcome to better the book reviews i'm your host clifford lee sergeant great to see you as always hope you're doing well get that coffee mmm half cup today i'm wired it's like the scene from blazing sa... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the setting of the book?

The story takes place in France during the 70s, a time of political unrest and terrorism.

Q: Who are the main characters in the book?

The main characters include members of the Nada group, such as Dal Si, Meyer, Trefe, Buena Ventura, Veronique Cash, and Epilaut.

Q: What is the main goal of the Nada group?

The Nada group plans to kidnap an American ambassador, motivated by various reasons including political idealism, revenge, and financial gain.

Q: How is the book's writing style?

The book is characterized by its fast-paced and cinematic writing style, reminiscent of a film, with smooth storytelling and a lack of boring or repetitive moments.

Q: What is the significance of the book's political context?

The book is set during a period of political unrest and terrorism in France, exploring themes of political fatalism and the collapse of leftism into terrorism.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Nada by Jean Patrick Manchette is a French crime novel set in the 70s during a period of political unrest and terrorism.

• The book follows a group of anarchist revolutionaries known as the Nada group as they plan to kidnap an American ambassador.

• The story is fast-paced and cinematic, characterized by its fluid writing style and lack of dull moments.