Description

TYPESCRIPT OF AN UNPUBLISHED NOVEL-DIALOGUE FROM THE ARCHIVES OF MICHEL AUDIARD.

Project presented in the form of a free exchange between Audiard and his editor: "It's almost like ancient tragedy, with unity of place, unity of time and unity of action. It happens in one night, in five hours. "

"The first character is the mastermind who came up with the idea for the stunt, and his name is TROUT. It's not clear what he did before. He's lived on the cheap. He's not a bad guy at all, he's a kind of madman. From time to time he has an idea that seems absolutely marvellous, and all he wants to do is carry it out.
He is helped in the book by three other people.
The second is called FINCH, and it's quite funny when you think that Finch is a finch, so it's a little bird. But the character looks about as much like a little bird as Gérard Depardieu looks like a little rat at the Opera. Every time you say his name, there's always that little wink.  […]
There's a third character called ROBUCK, and here too it's strange because he's a roe deer and he's not a roe deer at all. He's a graceless gentleman with nothing in his head, nothing in his arms either, he's really the mollusc you drag behind you, I wouldn't say out of friendship but almost. And then, of course, in all the circumstances and on all the missions he may have, he gets into terrible situations.
And then the fourth lascar is a woman. Her name's ANABELLE, she's a former beautician, she smokes cigarette after cigarette, lighting them one after the other which, when you're doing what they're doing, is an inconvenience because her hands are always busy with a lighter, a cigarette butt or a cigarette. »

Meeting by chance at an auction, these four small-time crooks decide to get their hands on the lost luggage offered by the airlines. They failed miserably - the suitcases were empty - but that didn't stop them, and the gang of ingenues set up a number of failed scams, including the brilliant plan to sell off all the works of art in a New York museum. They only manage to negotiate three works thanks to the mercy of the caretaker, who wants to reward their efforts. Audiard then offers a few comical twists that help them avoid being caught, but "Finally, you get the feeling that they're falling back into mediocrity. In mediocrity."

This novel only remained in draft form.

From the library of Michel Audiard, stamped on the flyleaf.