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The Gasp
Marc Mathieu is a brilliant creator -- a scientist whose experiments have led him to the very essence of man's life-energy. Leading a team of top French physicists, Mathieu develops a method to capture and harness this incredible life-force as it escapes from a man's body at the moment of death. The result is the gasp: a pulsating sphere of energy that looks as harmless as a ping-pong ball but contains a power source that makes the atom obsolete.
254 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 11, 1978
About the author
Romain Gary
155 books1,795 followersRomain Gary was a Jewish-French novelist, film director, World War II aviator and diplomat. He also wrote under the pen name
Émile Ajar
.
Born Roman Kacew (Yiddish: קצב, Russian: Кацев), Romain Gary grew up in Vilnius to a family of Lithuanian Jews. He changed his name to Romain Gary when he escaped occupied France to fight with Great Britain against Germany in WWII. His father, Arieh-Leib Kacew, abandoned his family in 1925 and remarried. From this time Gary was raised by his mother, Nina Owczinski. When he was fourteen, he and his mother moved to Nice, France. In his books and interviews, he presented many different versions of his father's origin, parents, occupation and childhood.
He later studied law, first in Aix-en-Provence and then in Paris. He learned to pilot an aircraft in the French Air Force in Salon-de-Provence and in Avord Air Base, near Bourges. Following the Nazi occupation of France in World War II, he fled to England and under Charles de Gaulle served with the Free French Forces in Europe and North Africa. As a pilot, he took part in over 25 successful offensives logging over 65 hours of air time.
He was greatly decorated for his bravery in the war, receiving many medals and honors.
After the war, he worked in the French diplomatic service and in 1945 published his first novel. He would become one of France's most popular and prolific writers, authoring more than thirty novels, essays and memoirs, some of which he wrote under the pseudonym of Émile Ajar. He also wrote one novel under the pseudonym of Fosco Sinibaldi and another as Shatan Bogat.
In 1952, he became secretary of the French Delegation to the United Nations in New York, and later in London (in 1955).
In 1956, he became Consul General of France in Los Angeles.
He is the only person to win the Prix Goncourt twice. This prize for French language literature is awarded only once to an author. Gary, who had already received the prize in 1956 for Les racines du ciel , published La vie devant soi under the pseudonym of Émile Ajar in 1975. The Académie Goncourt awarded the prize to the author of this book without knowing his real identity. A period of literary intrigue followed. Gary's little cousin Paul Pavlowitch posed as the author for a time. Gary later revealed the truth in his posthumous book Vie et mort d'Émile Ajar .
Gary's first wife was the British writer, journalist, and Vogue editor Lesley Blanch (author of The Wilder Shores of Love ). They married in 1944 and divorced in 1961. From 1962 to 1970, Gary was married to the American actress Jean Seberg, with whom he had a son, Alexandre Diego Gary.
He also co-wrote the screenplay for the motion picture, The Longest Day and co-wrote and directed the 1971 film Kill! , starring his now ex-wife Seberg.
Suffering from depression after Seberg's 1979 suicide, Gary died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on December 2, 1980 in Paris, France though he left a note which said specifically that his death had no relation with Seberg's suicide.
Born Roman Kacew (Yiddish: קצב, Russian: Кацев), Romain Gary grew up in Vilnius to a family of Lithuanian Jews. He changed his name to Romain Gary when he escaped occupied France to fight with Great Britain against Germany in WWII. His father, Arieh-Leib Kacew, abandoned his family in 1925 and remarried. From this time Gary was raised by his mother, Nina Owczinski. When he was fourteen, he and his mother moved to Nice, France. In his books and interviews, he presented many different versions of his father's origin, parents, occupation and childhood.
He later studied law, first in Aix-en-Provence and then in Paris. He learned to pilot an aircraft in the French Air Force in Salon-de-Provence and in Avord Air Base, near Bourges. Following the Nazi occupation of France in World War II, he fled to England and under Charles de Gaulle served with the Free French Forces in Europe and North Africa. As a pilot, he took part in over 25 successful offensives logging over 65 hours of air time.
He was greatly decorated for his bravery in the war, receiving many medals and honors.
After the war, he worked in the French diplomatic service and in 1945 published his first novel. He would become one of France's most popular and prolific writers, authoring more than thirty novels, essays and memoirs, some of which he wrote under the pseudonym of Émile Ajar. He also wrote one novel under the pseudonym of Fosco Sinibaldi and another as Shatan Bogat.
In 1952, he became secretary of the French Delegation to the United Nations in New York, and later in London (in 1955).
In 1956, he became Consul General of France in Los Angeles.
He is the only person to win the Prix Goncourt twice. This prize for French language literature is awarded only once to an author. Gary, who had already received the prize in 1956 for Les racines du ciel , published La vie devant soi under the pseudonym of Émile Ajar in 1975. The Académie Goncourt awarded the prize to the author of this book without knowing his real identity. A period of literary intrigue followed. Gary's little cousin Paul Pavlowitch posed as the author for a time. Gary later revealed the truth in his posthumous book Vie et mort d'Émile Ajar .
Gary's first wife was the British writer, journalist, and Vogue editor Lesley Blanch (author of The Wilder Shores of Love ). They married in 1944 and divorced in 1961. From 1962 to 1970, Gary was married to the American actress Jean Seberg, with whom he had a son, Alexandre Diego Gary.
He also co-wrote the screenplay for the motion picture, The Longest Day and co-wrote and directed the 1971 film Kill! , starring his now ex-wife Seberg.
Suffering from depression after Seberg's 1979 suicide, Gary died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on December 2, 1980 in Paris, France though he left a note which said specifically that his death had no relation with Seberg's suicide.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 20, 2013
Ромен Гари улавя душата на човечеството: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/z...
Ромен Гари и антиутопична фантастика? Звучи като нещо невъзможно, но “Зарядът на душата” е красиво оформен факт (макар текстът на задната корица да е странен). След „Голям гальовник”, „Животът пред теб” и сборниците “Птиците идват да умрат в Перу” и “Бурята” бе обяснимо нетърпението ми да я прочета. Гмурнах се в книгата, знаейки отнапред, че душите на хората ще бъдат пленявани вътре… и попаднах в изкривен, абсурден, но и дяволски възможен свят. Книгата напомня на „Владетелят на света“ на Александър Беляев с наивитета си, но и, както щете го приемайте, ми напомни на един умален като мащаб “Кастинг за Месия” на Петър Делчев. Темите, които издигат тези произведения, са сходни – може ли науката да се разполага там, където религията претендира да има монопол, има ли душа и може ли тя да се използва, подчиняването на човечеството на каквото и да е оправдано ли е, има ли лоша и добра наука и т.н. Ромен Гари отговаря на тези въпроси, но не категорично, по-скоро поставя читателя в ситуация да потърси сам своя отговор – и дори ако в предговора си еднозначно да заявява, че не е религиозен и че това не е антинаучна книга, тя може да бъде четена по много различни – дори противоречащи си – начини.
Издателство "Леге Артис"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/z...
Ромен Гари и антиутопична фантастика? Звучи като нещо невъзможно, но “Зарядът на душата” е красиво оформен факт (макар текстът на задната корица да е странен). След „Голям гальовник”, „Животът пред теб” и сборниците “Птиците идват да умрат в Перу” и “Бурята” бе обяснимо нетърпението ми да я прочета. Гмурнах се в книгата, знаейки отнапред, че душите на хората ще бъдат пленявани вътре… и попаднах в изкривен, абсурден, но и дяволски възможен свят. Книгата напомня на „Владетелят на света“ на Александър Беляев с наивитета си, но и, както щете го приемайте, ми напомни на един умален като мащаб “Кастинг за Месия” на Петър Делчев. Темите, които издигат тези произведения, са сходни – може ли науката да се разполага там, където религията претендира да има монопол, има ли душа и може ли тя да се използва, подчиняването на човечеството на каквото и да е оправдано ли е, има ли лоша и добра наука и т.н. Ромен Гари отговаря на тези въпроси, но не категорично, по-скоро поставя читателя в ситуация да потърси сам своя отговор – и дори ако в предговора си еднозначно да заявява, че не е религиозен и че това не е антинаучна книга, тя може да бъде четена по много различни – дори противоречащи си – начини.
Издателство "Леге Артис"
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/z...
May 11, 2023
Не мога да съдя за Гари по тази книга (това е първата ми среща с автора), но идеята е изключително провокативна и по особен начин вълнуваща.
За жалост, втората половина на книгата по-скоро ме разочарова леко и ме отегчи. Военщината уби до голяма степен малкия философски ужас, заключен във въпроса "Какво е душа?"
За жалост, втората половина на книгата по-скоро ме разочарова леко и ме отегчи. Военщината уби до голяма степен малкия философски ужас, заключен във въпроса "Какво е душа?"
August 26, 2024
книга, яку хочеться перечитувати знову й знову. не тому, що там шалений вир подій, а тому, що книга підіймає вічні моральні теми людства, тему душі. а тема душі - це те, що всі ми маємо, але описати то не можемо. багато питань задаєш собі в процесі читання. ідея книги також вражає. про цю ідею ти розмірковуєш в контексті: чи хочеш ти жити в саме такому майбутньому, яке описано в тексті?
власне, коли перечитуєш книгу в різні роки, цей текст відкривається по-новому.
власне, коли перечитуєш книгу в різні роки, цей текст відкривається по-новому.
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June 30, 2018Интересна идея за дистопичен роман, искам да прочета някой ден наистина добре развита подобна тема. Обаче не е подходящ материал за този писател - не се справя много добре. Неговата сила е в нещо друго.
Все пак "Сияние на жена" е връх.
Все пак "Сияние на жена" е връх.
May 12, 2023
A genius inventor, Marc Mathieu, created a device that traps energy released when a person dies. It provides a great amount of power without ever getting exhausted. Scientist call it exhaust or yield. Despite not exactly knowing what it is, they try to assure people that it is definitely not a soul, just a leftover energy. Certain properties of the contained energy lead some to believe otherwise.
While the debate goes on as to the morality of the Gasp, the climate of cold war leads to a race between nations on conquering this mysterious energy.
"If ever the world is destroyed, it will be by a creator."
I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The exploration of the invention and its yet unknown consequences. The author writes about quite a serious matter with a great dose of humor.
"Marc... don't you ever think of God?"
He tried to behave, but then despair always took the form of irony with him.
"Darling, you're pushing us poor scientists too hard. Give us time. We can't discover everything at once. Right now, we were able to isolate a new, cheap-the cheapest- source of energy. We haven't got to discovering God yet. In the last forty years, science's made a fantastic leap forward, but we haven't got that far yet. Progress always slows down before picking up again. Besides, this is a matter of funds, of government subsidies. We can't both land on the moon and discover God, there's simply not enough money for that kind of advance on all fronts."
We follow many points of view: the scientist, the church, the country leaders and their agents. With that, of course, come many opinions and goals.
The second half wasn't as interesting as it is more concentrated on the political consequences. It still does some exploration into the invention and its relation to humanity's nature.
While the debate goes on as to the morality of the Gasp, the climate of cold war leads to a race between nations on conquering this mysterious energy.
"If ever the world is destroyed, it will be by a creator."
I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The exploration of the invention and its yet unknown consequences. The author writes about quite a serious matter with a great dose of humor.
"Marc... don't you ever think of God?"
He tried to behave, but then despair always took the form of irony with him.
"Darling, you're pushing us poor scientists too hard. Give us time. We can't discover everything at once. Right now, we were able to isolate a new, cheap-the cheapest- source of energy. We haven't got to discovering God yet. In the last forty years, science's made a fantastic leap forward, but we haven't got that far yet. Progress always slows down before picking up again. Besides, this is a matter of funds, of government subsidies. We can't both land on the moon and discover God, there's simply not enough money for that kind of advance on all fronts."
We follow many points of view: the scientist, the church, the country leaders and their agents. With that, of course, come many opinions and goals.
The second half wasn't as interesting as it is more concentrated on the political consequences. It still does some exploration into the invention and its relation to humanity's nature.
April 30, 2016
this is a quite interesting dystopian version of the cold war atmosphere. It could actually turn into a breath-holding spy adventure. However, after finishing it, I was left with a feeling of disappointement, as the main element of the plot, exploitation of the human soul, is left somehow unexploited (oh the irony). The writer didn't elaborate that much on the philosophical meaning of this discovery, but mainly focuses on how the political powers on the planete are trying to seize an advantage from it. Therefore, the novel, curiously, ends up being a political and not a metaphysical one.
December 5, 2009
This novel, in which human souls are used to fuel the French car, the Citroen, is one I read a long time ago. I really have no idea how good a novel it is, but the basic idea of it has stayed with me for a long time.
May 5, 2022
Yo creo que la ciencia ficción no es lo mío, aunque sólo leí dos libros este género. Sin embargo, la historia en sí de este libro me gustó.
Lo que más me atrajo del libro fue el trasfondo que tiene muchos puntos de debate sobre la ciencia (¿es buena o mala?, ¿hay descubrimientos que es mejor no hacerlos?, etc), entre pensamientos de diferentes religiones, entre poderes de las super potencias del mundo, entre la vida y la muerte y el respeto hacia quienes ya no están, y sobre el complejo tema del materialismo y la globalización...
También me gustó que el autor no te da las respuestas ni te dice cómo pensar, sino que te da un puntapié para cuestionarte, pensar y repensar los hechos y los puntos de vida, y aproximarse a una alguna conclusión u opinión.
Lo que me sorprendió más de una vez fue haberme encontrando pensado que si de verdad se pudiera capturar el último soplo de la vida estos debates se estarían dando en la vida real, no era algo loco leer los cuestionamientos que se planteaban los personajes porque me parecía completamente posible.
Le doy 4 estrellas porque me pareció medio lento o enredado en algunos momentos, pero logró captar mi atención por completo en otras.
Lo que más me atrajo del libro fue el trasfondo que tiene muchos puntos de debate sobre la ciencia (¿es buena o mala?, ¿hay descubrimientos que es mejor no hacerlos?, etc), entre pensamientos de diferentes religiones, entre poderes de las super potencias del mundo, entre la vida y la muerte y el respeto hacia quienes ya no están, y sobre el complejo tema del materialismo y la globalización...
También me gustó que el autor no te da las respuestas ni te dice cómo pensar, sino que te da un puntapié para cuestionarte, pensar y repensar los hechos y los puntos de vida, y aproximarse a una alguna conclusión u opinión.
Lo que me sorprendió más de una vez fue haberme encontrando pensado que si de verdad se pudiera capturar el último soplo de la vida estos debates se estarían dando en la vida real, no era algo loco leer los cuestionamientos que se planteaban los personajes porque me parecía completamente posible.
Le doy 4 estrellas porque me pareció medio lento o enredado en algunos momentos, pero logró captar mi atención por completo en otras.
April 6, 2021
J'ai eu beaucoup de mal à accrocher à ce roman, malgré mon amour pour Gary...
Je l'ai trouvé un peu brouillon, n'explorant pas assez son sujet (qui se serait plus prêté à un bon roman de SF classique à mon avis), parfois difficile à comprendre.
Heureusement, c'est quand même Gary et j'ai donc ri plusieurs fois à son ironie qui fait toujours mouche!
Je l'ai trouvé un peu brouillon, n'explorant pas assez son sujet (qui se serait plus prêté à un bon roman de SF classique à mon avis), parfois difficile à comprendre.
Heureusement, c'est quand même Gary et j'ai donc ri plusieurs fois à son ironie qui fait toujours mouche!
May 7, 2022
1.5⭐
Este libro fue una lectura conjunta y la verdad no lo disfrute, me super aburrio.
El tema que trama es re interesante, todo el entremadado y la tensión que hay entre la ciencia, la política y la religión, tres sistemas de poder que entran en colisión por un nuevo invento que crea el protagonista.
Pero siento que no era el momento de leerlo y al mismo tiempo no me atrapó del todo.
Este libro fue una lectura conjunta y la verdad no lo disfrute, me super aburrio.
El tema que trama es re interesante, todo el entremadado y la tensión que hay entre la ciencia, la política y la religión, tres sistemas de poder que entran en colisión por un nuevo invento que crea el protagonista.
Pero siento que no era el momento de leerlo y al mismo tiempo no me atrapó del todo.
November 24, 2019
C'est assez étrange de lire ce lire, 42 ans après sa parution, qui propose un carburant propre, sans déchet, qui est inépuisable... et finalement on se dit que ce serait bien... La déshumanisation a bien avancé toute seule...
June 13, 2023
Lieu : Avion en direction d'Abidjan, achevé sur les berges du fleuve avec Solenn
February 24, 2016
I read this book when it first appeared on newstands, so my memory of it is minimal, but it made enough of an impression on me to have remembered its title till now. It was engaging and held my interest, but its main strength is the power of its imagery of human corporatists imprisoning human souls to power electric toothbrushes—souls are not divisible, so it's all or nothing: toothbrush or airplane—and the notion of the sea of human consciousness and creativity. My recollection is that I'd have given it only three stars for style, had its basic concept not stirred me as it did.
August 8, 2007
What if tomorrow people were able to catch people's spirit to use it as an endless energy? The theme is not so original. It reminds the Sorcerer's Apprentice of Goethe. Nevertheless, beautiful writing, nice perspective, a bomb made of people's mind, able to destroy the humanity of people. If there is anything to destroy over there...
January 24, 2014
In The Gasp a scientist is able harness the energy that escapes from humans at the exact moment of death. The global consequences of this feat are looked at with an interesting balance of sarcasm and empathy. I did laugh out loud at some of the dialog that took place as the world politicians discussed what to do with this new power source that some people defined as the human soul.
April 21, 2009
C'est un livre différent. En effet pendant les premières 20 pages je ne pouvais pas comprendre l'environnement de l'histoire et ce m'ennuyait. Mais peu à peu je vais le comprends mieux qu'avant.
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April 13, 2017The book opens with a man being shot dead in St Peter's Square as the Pope is addressing the crowds. The man had been trying to reach the Pope with a desperate message. In his briefcase was found a ping pong ball that bounced continually, a cigarette lighter, and a letter.
The ball and the lighter were fueled by a new energy source, the last gasp of a dying human. A French scientist named Mathieu had figured out how to capture the gasp. When contained, the gasp would beat itself against the walls seeking to escape, which is what powered the devices.
On the one hand, this is a free power source that can raise the standard of living of the third world, making life better for everyone. On the other hand, these are human souls condemned to eternal imprisonment, a kind of damnation. Will the desire for gain and national glory outweigh the desire to do right? Can Communist countries, which acknowledge no religion, admit to the afterlife of the soul?
The major governments are in a race to scale this technology up, to make a power plant fueled by thousands of gasps. There are complications. The humanity of the imprisoned souls "leaks" out, causing nearby workers to experience visions of great art, music, or religious figures. An industrial accident in China caused the plant to suck the souls out of living humans, living them alive, but "like animals."
This is a very odd book. It raises ethical and philosophical questions. It deals with what it means to be human, and other "big questions," but it is essentially comic. The characters, including leaders from assorted countries, are shallow caricatures. It is almost a farce of international misunderstandings, skewering the politics of the day (1973). It was probably much funnier at the time. Now it is interesting in a historical way.
In the race to the big conclusion, the action was sometimes confusing. What exactly was happening? The writing was sometimes more clever than clear, and the cast of characters was large. It was certainly interesting, and unique.
The ball and the lighter were fueled by a new energy source, the last gasp of a dying human. A French scientist named Mathieu had figured out how to capture the gasp. When contained, the gasp would beat itself against the walls seeking to escape, which is what powered the devices.
On the one hand, this is a free power source that can raise the standard of living of the third world, making life better for everyone. On the other hand, these are human souls condemned to eternal imprisonment, a kind of damnation. Will the desire for gain and national glory outweigh the desire to do right? Can Communist countries, which acknowledge no religion, admit to the afterlife of the soul?
The major governments are in a race to scale this technology up, to make a power plant fueled by thousands of gasps. There are complications. The humanity of the imprisoned souls "leaks" out, causing nearby workers to experience visions of great art, music, or religious figures. An industrial accident in China caused the plant to suck the souls out of living humans, living them alive, but "like animals."
This is a very odd book. It raises ethical and philosophical questions. It deals with what it means to be human, and other "big questions," but it is essentially comic. The characters, including leaders from assorted countries, are shallow caricatures. It is almost a farce of international misunderstandings, skewering the politics of the day (1973). It was probably much funnier at the time. Now it is interesting in a historical way.
In the race to the big conclusion, the action was sometimes confusing. What exactly was happening? The writing was sometimes more clever than clear, and the cast of characters was large. It was certainly interesting, and unique.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews