This novel could be subtitled: The danger of frequenting flea markets. Indeed, Louis has a well-ordered little life, his morning coffee always at the same café, then the bench on the Toulon harbor where he gazes at the sea.
At precisely half-past noon, he has lunch, then a nap, dinner, and his day ends. Nothing unexpected. Louis is a widower; he has memories, those of his delicatessen with its recipes of black pudding and bone-in ham. Probably to kill time, he browses in an antique shop and finds a stuffed penguin which he buys.
His life is about to change drastically; he visits libraries, the internet, he wants more penguins, and then transforms his house to accommodate his penguins. He even travels to see them in real life. Now everything unfolds quickly, from the South Pole to Labrador; Louis transforms into a globetrotter, an adventurer.
His life revolves around penguins and, returning to Toulon, he has become a celebrity but has lost his tranquility; he seeks refuge among his penguins and chooses to join them. “The Melting of the Ice” is a captivating novel, well-paced, with no dull moments.
The author takes us alongside Louis, and gradually we share with him the fate of the penguins and the drama of the melting ice.
Thierry Jan
