In 2021, Delos: A Journal of Translation and World Literature at Florida University, published “Dead Time”, my translation of Marcel Aymé’s short story, “Le Temps mort”. In my previous post about this story I said it was only available to subscribers to the journal, but time has passed since its publication and I can now give everyone access to a copy of it.
The story is about Martin who lives alone in Montmartre, Paris, and who exists only every second day. Life isn’t too difficult for him until he falls in love and wonders how his girlfriend will handle his disappearance every other day.
“Le Temps mort” was first published in the journal Candide in 1936, then again in 1938 in the collection Derrière chez Martin. A film version came out in 2002, “Les Jours où je n’existe pas” (The Days When I Don’t Exist), which takes the story to an even stranger dimension. I recommend reading the story instead, either in my translation or, even better, in French.
Oh, and the image at the top of this post is of the Hôtel Littéraire Marcel Aymé in Rue Tholozé, the street where Martin lives (every second day).
Click here to download its pdf in English.
Please let me know if you read it.
***