Marie-Jeanne Urech

Le syndrome de la tête qui tombe

«Nichts zwang ihn, in der Tat, aber alles trieb ihn dazu.»

Down in the basement, the faceless workers sit and perform dull tasks. People have become mute cogs in a machine, all of which answer to the name «Blanchard». Only their title indicates their level in the hierarchy. Over them reigns «our most brilliant and pantheonic exalted highness.... beloved Mr Blanchard».
One of these basement inhabitants is Arthur Bellange, who spends all day every day plotting rising diagonal lines. The sharper the rise, the greater the company's success. Unlike his colleagues, Bellange retains a spark of self-will, remembering his real name and taking the day off on Sundays. Such individuals are not punished. The company is no dictatorship, it simply deals in the daily grind.

«Le Syndrome de la tête qui tombe» depicts an absurd, superficial world in which Kafka meets Orwell – all for the success of the company. It is hard to imagine a more wickedly comical portrayal of the trading business. Marie-Jeanne Urech has created a wonderfully irreverent parable which she gradually brings to light in sober, precise language. When Mr Bellange starts drawing dainty trees instead of straight lines, the business goes under.

(Beat Mazenauer, trans. by Andrea Willfratt)

Translation of title: Falling Head Syndrome

Ed. de l'Aire, Vevey 2006

ISBN: 2-88108-789-2