The Angers Grand théâtre was on October 4th the place where hundreds of the French philosopher Jean d'Ormesson's admirers gathered to get a message of hope. That one, invited by the Richer bookshop to autograph his last novel ("Comme un chant d'espérance") about the origins and the end of the universe, also spoke about his own origins and feelings about the future. Mr. d'Ormesson told the public, through numerous anecdotes, how his life was and still is happy. "I loved my parents and my parents loved me. What a tragedy!", he maliciously said.
If the author has no regret about a kind of "golden past", he gave a message of hope the theatre audience was desperately waiting. Jean d'Ormesson excels in that kind of exercising hihgly appreciated by the public. Litterary quotes, historical exposés and personal souvenirs with scientists, authors and politicians made the conference captivating and, in that kind of situation where the form is as important as the content, the Richer's guest is unsurpassable.
The lecturer was invited to tell his feelings about the current despair of French people. "Debt, unemployment" are some of the numerous difficulties which may explain why French people are hopeless, admitted Jean d'Ormesson who also added that the speed of the change is something rather disorienting : "I am always fascinated about the fact mobile phones took the place of the rosary", what led the audience to approve. In the circumstances, the author was escorted by his daughter, Eloïse, publisher who also detailed what kind of father Jean d'Ormesson was.
He surely is one the intellectual father of contemporary France and surely a very missed character when he will be gone.
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