Nelly Arcan - BREAKNECK Book Novel Paperback Translated by Jacob Homel

Breakneck, by Nelly Arcan BREAKNECK, Nelly Arcan's newly translated third novel (originally published in 2007 in French aa A ciel ouvert), secures the late author's singular place in Canadian letters as a writer who punctures the platitudes of sex. Composed in Arcan's trademark fiery style, BREAKNECK sets up a struggle between Rose and Julie, two successful, artistic women who want the same man. BREAKNECK is an unflinching, often outlandish look at female extremity in the matters of the heart, exposing how female rivals often share the same flaws. This is sisterhood, in Arcan's formation, 'at the bottom of the barrel.'—Tamara Faith Berger, The National Post About the Author Nelly Arcan was born in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Her first novel Putain enjoyed immediate critical and media success. It was a finalist for both the Prix Médicis and the Prix Femina, two of France's most prestigious literary awards. Three more novels followed establishing her as a literary star in Quebec and France: Folle (also nominated for the Prix Femina), À ciel ouvert, and L'enfant dans le miroir. Paradis, clef en main, her fourth novel, was completed just days before she committed in 2009 at the age of thirty-six.