L'Enfant à la balustrade () is a novel of manners by René Boylesve that draws heavily on the author's own experiences and is set in a regional context. The story was first published in 1903 in La Renaissance latine as a serialized work comprising four parts, titled Comédie sous la balustrade (Comedy at the Balustrade). It was subsequently released as a book by Calmann-Lévy.
This novel is a sequel to La Becquée, published two years earlier and featuring the same principal characters, most notably the narrator, Riquet Nadaud. Description L'Enfant à la balustrade is narrated from the perspective of a ten-year-old boy whose father is a notary. The novel examines the lives of the petty bourgeoisie, who are grouped in "circles" with their alliances, quarrels, and reconciliations of convenience, in a small town in southern Touraine. A residence with a terraced garden enclosed by a balustrade overlooking the town plays a pivotal role in the narrative. The notary is temporarily excluded from bourgeois society due to his purchase of the property in question, which was made in clear violation of the local notable's knowledge. The notary's return to social grace only occurs after the narrative, when he and his family finally take up residence in the house. The envy of those around them is supplanted by admiration, whether genuine or forced.
Meanwhile, the child matures without losing his emotional responsiveness; his personality becomes more defined, and his capacity for critical thinking develops. He experiences his first romantic feelings and begins a quest for an ideal that he finds difficult to define. He is fascinated by a statue of Alfred de Vigny in the town center, situated amidst the tumultuous lives of the adults.
Upon the novel's publication, most critics commended the precise portrayal of provincial life as well as the satirical elements within. Additionally, they perceived Riquet's quest for an ideal to be analogous to that of the author himself, both in his childhood and adulthood. L'Enfant à la balustrade was among the nominees for the inaugural Prix Goncourt, awarded in 1903, but did not secure the award. The novel was translated into English and Spanish during the author's lifetime. After Boylesve's passing, the novel was recognized as one of his most accomplished works and reissued on multiple occasions, yet it did not achieve a substantial print run.
Summary
Henri Nadaud, affectionately referred to as "Riquet" by his family, is approximately ten years of age at the outset of the novel. He is the son of a notary and resides in Beaumont, a modest municipality in the southern region of Touraine. Riquet observes the intricate dynamics of the local notables' world, shaped by complex relationships. These include familial bonds, such as that between his father and stepmother, whom he affectionately calls "little mom", and his grandmother, who has yet to fully accept her son's remarriage, particularly to a Creole woman. Riquet also witnesses the interplay of friendships, rivalries, alliances, betrayals, and reconciliations of convenience among the notables. This complex situation stems from the purchase of a house by Master Nadaud, which is currently occupied by Madame Colivaut, who retains its use until her death. This house, one of the town's most aesthetically pleasing, was also the object of desire for Mr. and Mrs. Plancoulaine, affluent bourgeois residents of Beaumont surrounded by a network of "friends" with ulterior motives. The Nadaud family is subjected to a social "rejection" by the Plancoulaines as a form of retribution, resulting in the loss of their clientele by the notary. To alleviate the isolation and boredom, Mrs. Nadaud is even momentarily tempted to engage in infidelity with her husband.
The isolation ended with the death of Madame Colivaut, coinciding with the Nadauds taking up residence in the house that had long been desired by them. Subsequently, those who had previously distanced themselves from the Nadauds begin to return, including Clérambourg, a friend of thirty years who had also withdrawn, and most notably, the Plancoulaines themselves, who take the initial steps towards reconciliation, eager to be invited by the Nadauds in turn. Jealousy gives way to admiration, which is occasionally tinged with envy. Nevertheless, Master Nadaud has yet to make a personal gesture to fully reconcile with the Plancoulaines. This will entail sending them a basket of game he has hunted himself.
In the context of these adult concerns, the repercussions of which he is acutely aware and which his age allows him to comprehend and analyze more effectively, Riquet's sole source of genuine pleasure is strolling in the garden of the house his father purchased, in pursuit of an ideal that he finds challenging to define. The garden, arranged over three terraces, includes a sundial that captures his attention. The sundial, which is set on a slate plaque, bears the inscription "Laedunt omnes, ultima necat" ("all [hours] wound; the last one kills"). This inscription is sometimes attributed to Seneca and is often inscribed on sundials. He encounters Marguerite Charmaison, a girl slightly older than him, in front of this sundial. He immediately develops a profound admiration and affection for her, although she is unaware of his feelings. The terrace is surrounded by a balustrade that serves as a kind of observation point, from which the boy can view the main street and the vista of the town extending southward to the square where a statue of Alfred de Vigny is situated.
In the concluding sections of the novel, Riquet reaches a state of complete disillusionment. Despite the apparent reconciliation between the Nadauds and the Plancoulaines, he is aware of its inherent artificiality. Marguerite Charmaison makes an unexpected announcement regarding her forthcoming marriage. From his vantage point on the balustrade, the boy addresses the statue of the poet one final time, seeking assistance.
Themes: Between satire and ideal In the preface to his work, René Boylesve clearly states the purpose he pursued in writing it:
Satire of the provincial bourgeoisie The characters whose traits Boyleves examines and the society he analyzes are predominantly members of the "middle classes." In this social stratum, instincts or profound aspirations frequently collide with the constraints of social conventions, frequently in opposition to the prejudices or traditions of their families. This choice offers the author a greater quantity of material. In small provincial French towns, 19th-century social organization appears to be modeled on the "aristocratic salon." This depiction of "ordinary people" in the provinces—a small world of urban notables led by the petty king Plancoulaine—is painted through the eyes of the child, intensifying its naive ferocity, though softened by tenderness or, on occasion, touches of humor:
The entire world depicted in this text is characterized by pettiness and servility, including the character of Maître Nadaud, who is depicted as mediocre and weak, like many other male characters in Boyle's work. The episode involving the "raisiné", a popular grape compote served at Plancoulaine's receptions, illustrates the hosts’ mediocrity, a quality one might have expected to find in more refined offerings. Towards the conclusion of the novel, Mme Plancoulaine presents Riquet and his father with game pâté instead of raisiné, a gesture of goodwill that is particularly noteworthy given that it was Maître Nadaud who had gifted the game to the Plancoulaine as a diplomatic gesture. This act serves to illustrate a softening of relations.
These events indicate the advent of a decline in the small-town bourgeoisie, a phenomenon that Boylesve depicts in this novel like his portrayal in La Becquée. According to Edmond Jaloux, the novel offers a valuable account of provincial life after the 19th century, providing insights that are relevant to historians engaged in the study of the Belle Époque.
Quest for the ideal Boylesve chooses a quote from Sainte-Beuve as an epigraph for his text:
As his awareness gradually develops, Riquet begins to experience a growing desire and attraction towards an ideal, which may have been inspired by the statue of Alfred de Vigny on the square in Beaumont. The statue in question is that of René Descartes. The pursuit of this ideal, temporarily disrupted by the influence of adult concerns and disillusionment, reemerges in the final lines of the novel, where, from the balustrade garden, the child addresses the statue, placing all his hopes in the poet above: "What do you see? What do you see? You who seem above us all!"
Additionally, Riquet's ideal may be the love he discovers for Marguerite Charmaison. Despite his feelings for her, he remains unattainable and never reveals his emotions. Consequently, she gradually fades from his life as the novel draws to a close.
In his book, Boylesve presents his life as a "sad example of a mediocre and malicious life." He also discusses the "need for something better, more beautiful", which he believes is present in childhood. This inclination, which René Boylesve likely experienced as a child, may have persisted in him as an adult and writer. The child's disenchantment reflects the author's, imparting a sad gravity to the novel. L'Enfant à la balustrade reflects the author and Riquet's challenging search for a balance between sensitivity and reason.
The setting: Touraine and gardens The novel illustrates Boylesve's affinity for his native province, its "petit pays", and its landscapes. However, as with La Becquée, this portrayal of provincial life could be elsewhere. The regional setting serves merely as a pretext. The Plancoulaine, for instance, are stereotypes, omnipresent characters. Beaumont and its residents bear resemblance to those of the Val de Loire more broadly. Boylesve's attachment to Touraine does not stem from a connection to the land itself, but rather because it is where he first experienced sensations of an external world.
The family garden occupies a central position in Boylesve's work, providing the child with an opportunity to engage in extended daydreams. In other gardens depicted in Boylesve's oeuvre, such as those in and , the gardens themselves assume a quasi-characteristic role. In his acceptance speech at the Académie Française, Abel Hermant, Boylesve's successor, underscores Boylesve's affinity for gardens.
The balustrade, frequently observed in opulent gardens and public parks, serves as a pervasive ornamental motif in Boyle's novels, functioning as "a quasi-psychic portal into the author's inner world."
Main characters The following individuals are absent from La Becquée: Plancoulaine, Marguerite Charmaison, and Dr. Troufleau.
Nadaud family Maître Nadaud is a notary public in the city of Beaumont. In the aftermath of his ostracism, he cannot discern that those who had previously excluded him from the social fabric of the town now seek his return, one by one. He persists in his stance, disregarding their messages of conciliation and inclusivity. In doing so, he illustrates his lack of knowledge regarding the principles and codes that govern the bourgeoisie of Beaumont. He is a weak-willed individual who rebels only in thought, as when he hopes the smoke from his cigar will bother one of his enemies. However, the smoke, unfortunately, rises above his enemy's head and creates a kind of aura around him. At the beginning of the novel, he displays a certain arrogance by announcing that he has purchased the Colivaut house and dismissing the potential issues that could arise from this transaction. However, he becomes more humble when he moves in. He is the pivotal figure in the plot, as his real estate purchase serves as Boyle's main narrative device. Nevertheless, it is challenging to categorize him as the "main character."