2005-12-29 Very long and engaging

What would you do, and how far would you go, to bring back the love of your life? That question is at the heart of Sebastien Japrisot's "A Very Long Engagement," a quiet little story about love and war. While the story drags a little at times, the exquisite story of Matti and the love for a man whom she won't believe is dead.

Wheelchair-bound Mathilde grew up with Manech, and as teenagers they fell in love and became engaged. But Manech is killed in action, leaving Matti to dwell on her imaginary adventures. But one day she is contacted by a dying veteran, Daniel Esperanza, who tells her a terrible story -- Manech was one of five men who shot themselves in the hand to avoid fighting. Because of that, they were condemned to death: sent to the front lines with their hands bound.

But Matti doesn't accept it -- she believes that there is chance, even a small one, that Manech survived somehow. She has her friends assist her in searching through mounds of paperwork, and she herself writes to anyone who might be able to help her -- ex-officers, widows, and lovers. And slowly Matti begins to piece together what happened that day -- and why Manech might still be alive.

"A Very Long Engagement" is complex and a bit confusing, but it's also worth the effort. Japrisot takes a simple plot and gives it some extra twists, a few lessons about war and misery -- but at its heart, "Engagement" is just about love and determination. It's difficult not to be stirred by Matti's long quest to find her lover.

Japrisot's complex paper trail is a bit hard to follow, and the novel tends to drag in the middle, which is mostly Matti reading and writing letters. Japrisot seems uncertain where to go at that point. But the novel is also a jigsaw puzzle -- the German boots, the color of a young man's eyes, a lost hand, and a packet of old letters are all pieces. And many scenes in it are exceptionally tender and beautifully written. Matti's flashbacks and fantasies are dreamy, and even the real world seems to be a bit hazy. The climactic scene is without a doubt the most beautiful, understated and yet deeply romantic.

Japrisot created a wonderful character in Matti. Despite being stuck in a wheelchair, she doesn't let this hold her back; she lets her mind fly in all sorts of fantasies. Perhaps it's that childlike belief in the unbelievable that lets her hold on to the belief that Manech is alive. And though Manech only appears for a few pages over the whole book, he becomes as strong as presence as Matti is. Japrisot avoids the cliches of young lovers, while convincing readers that what Matti and Manech share is stronger than anything that comes between them.

"A Very Long Engagement" (now a movie starring Audrey Tautou) is an exquisite love story, heartbreaking and uplifting at once. And it will leave readers with a question -- how long would you look for your one true love?