[Tanitra]

A synopsis of the NOVEL by Jean Johnsen.
The very week she receives her first old-age pension cheque, Eva walks out on her querulous, demanding and insensitive invalid husband of 40 years. She surprises everyone with her instant decision, husband, son, granddaughter and, not least, herself. But she feels no guilt.
She finds herself in a basement flat in a rooming-house on the poor side of MontrЁ¦al. Here she becomes acquainted with the other residents. A very old tottery couple, the "old fellow upstairs" (Johnny Horvarth, a.k.a. Brancusi), a young girl with two snivelling offspring, a gay couple and her landlady and son. Eva is short of money and didn't even think to bring her snow boots when she fled. Some days she is optimistic, regarding her freedom highly, at other times she sinks into inertia, her physical ills and lack of purpose overwhelming her.
Gradually, she builds a new life. Her first real meeting with Johnny occurs when, a little worse for wear, he tumbles down her basement stairs. She, and the other residents attend to him and he expresses his gratitude and instantly proposes marriage to Eva! Then she doesn't see him for several days.

The next meeting occurs when her flat is flooded. He arrives in cerise polka-dot pyjamas and, with some difficulty, stems the flow of water. Then he cooks them both an omelette served with red wine. They talk together after their exertions and he tells her about his early life before he had to flee his country. He is something of a philosopher, enjoys classical music and has a dim opinion of Canadians whom he considers are afraid to live. She decides he is a grade A bore.

Late one evening he arrives at her door with two bags of food and cooks her a gourmet meal complete with aperitif, a fine wine and a digestif to follow. He rants on about de Gaulle and useless Canadian politicians. The alcohol has its effect. They relax and, tenderly, he makes live with her. Afterwards she feels "pleased, serene and amused". He finds her "beautiful for loving".

Throughout the novel Eva reminisces about her life, her close relationship with her father, education, friends and early loves, her marriage, her son and granddaughter and about the husband who turned the marriage sour. On her excursions into the city she scavenges, finds useful objects, some of which she sells to a second hand dealer. Here she bumps into her granddaughter one day. She phones her son intermittently and discovers that her husband has also become a new person with a housekeeper and a dog. Eva and her son reach a mutual understanding of each other.

Johnny becomes ever present, cooking meals, repairing her flat and welcoming a tattered old Tom into their mЁЁnage, the old "beauty boy" whom he shampoos and turns into their pet. He proposes moving in permanently with Eva. She resists this firmly. He loses his job after a dispute with the boss and disappears for several days after being severely beaten up by the husband of a young waitress with whom he was also having sex. Eva is angry with him and says he must leave her alone. She thinks she is serious, she even contemplates returning to her husband. After a few days she climbs Johnny's stairs to find him in bed with a bottle. He is toasting the new baby girl of Jeanne Leblanc, the young neighbour with two boys already. As he grins happily at Eva you know that she cannot resist this irritating man and, for a while at least, they will be happy and find solace together. Tow "refugees" with a need for tenderness, affection, romance and blissful sex. They can be happy together.

This is a brief account of the book. Films rarely follow a book to the letter. The book is full of comparison and understanding of human nature and is what is generally known as "a good read".



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