Olivier Bleys

Olivier Bleys' novel "Nous, les vivants" (Albin Michel, 2018) tells the story of helicopter pilot Jonas Muñoz, who, after a blizzard, is trapped in a mountain hut in the Andes and embarks on a seemingly real journey along the Argentinian-Chilean border with the mysterious border guard Jésus. Only at the end does it become clear that Jonas died in the helicopter crash and that the entire narrative depicts his delayed transition from life to death. The interpretation argues that Bleys prepares for this transition not through a surprising ending, but through numerous subtle clues: From then on, reality slips away in inconspicuous signs: The clock runs wrong, hours pass between sentences, the alcohol in the bottle doesn't diminish, and Jésus, whose footprints in the snow are impossibly light, speaks of Jonas's whereabouts in the future tense. Time and space lose their order, the boundary becomes a metaphor for the separation of life and death, and the fading of memories and photographs symbolizes letting go of one's own existence. The interpretation cites motifs, narrative technique, character constellation, and linguistic style to support this view. It thus focuses on the allegorical interpretation of the novel. With his novel, Bleys portrays less death itself than the difficult process of saying goodbye and surrendering to oneself.