The Anomaly

The Anomaly is a 2020 novel by French writer Hervé Le Tellier. It was published by Éditions Gallimard on 20 August 2020. An English translation by Adriana Hunter was published by Other Press on 23 November 2021. The novel received positive reviews from the literary press. It received the Prix Goncourt on 30 November 2020. Summary An Oulipian work, it is structured around three parts, "As Black as the Sky" (Aussi noir que le ciel), "Life Is a Dream, They Say" (La vie est un songe dit-on), and "Song of Oblivion" (La chanson du néant), whose names are taken from the poetry of Raymond Queneau. The novel asks several questions about the reality of the world and fiction. On March 10, 2021, Air France Flight 006 from Paris is forced to fly through a cumulonimbus supercell of unprecedented size during a routine landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Over the following few months, the passengers from this flight go about their normal lives. Several encounter milestones, such as marriage, pregnancy, breakup, and death.