The words of Alex Delval, the central character of the novel From the Family of the Chosen (Garamond, 164 pages, translated by Tomáš Havel), which confesses to a psychiatrist in the book, are undoubtedly the personal confession of model, actor and debuting writer Alain-Fabien Delon. Although his book has fictional characters and plots, there is no doubt that in it it deals with the relationship with its own father, Alain Delon.
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The relationship is complicated not only because Alain-Fabien has always been primarily a “son” throughout his childhood and adolescence, but also because Alain Delon himself is a complex character. His difficult childhood and youth made him a man who knew that only through his own efforts and endeavor one could succeed, and fame and fortune again made him (according to his son) always behaving like a king, a living legend. Maybe that’s why he was left alone in the end …
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Delon always knew how to behave in public to get it unconditionally. A personal memory goes back to an ancient Berlinale, when he did not come to the press conference, but ran in, jumped on the table and gave bright smiles to all sides for a few minutes. He did not answer any questions without seeing the interviewer directly in the face. And the whole hall lay at his feet.
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However, Alain-Fabien and no doubt his other loved ones also recognized him as a tough ruler, a man who managed to betray his own child, and not only when he left the hospital from his son’s bed because they called him to see that his cat had fallen ill.
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Growing up in the shadow of a father who didn’t have time and a mother who lost interest in the child after the breakup was very stressful. Unlimited funds, but also the indifference of the environment. Life in the midst of golden youth led the novel Alex to an accidental, but still tragedy, when he seriously injured a friend. Doubts prevented him from going his own way.
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Delon’s confession is readable, engaging, works well with words and scoring of individual situations. However, the future will show whether he will be able to continue with less personal topics.
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