The Separation is a novel by British writer Christopher Priest, published in 2002. It is an alternate history revolving around the experiences of identical twin brothers during the Second World War, during which one becomes a pilot for the RAF, and the other, a conscientious objector, becomes an ambulance driver for the Red Cross. The author introduces a deliberate confusion by giving these brothers identical initials – J.L. Sawyer – one known as Jack (the pilot) and the other as Joe (the ambulance driver).
Multiple histories – at least two, and on some readings many more – are presented, with different roles and fates for the various characters. The novel abounds with plays on the uncertainty of identity not just between the twin brothers, but also that of Winston Churchill (who used look-alike stand-ins) and, crucially, Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, who flew to Britain in 1941 claiming to have a …
The Separation is a novel by British writer Christopher Priest, published in 2002. It is an alternate history revolving around the experiences of identical twin brothers during the Second World War, during which one becomes a pilot for the RAF, and the other, a conscientious objector, becomes an ambulance driver for the Red Cross. The author introduces a deliberate confusion by giving these brothers identical initials – J.L. Sawyer – one known as Jack (the pilot) and the other as Joe (the ambulance driver).
Multiple histories – at least two, and on some readings many more – are presented, with different roles and fates for the various characters. The novel abounds with plays on the uncertainty of identity not just between the twin brothers, but also that of Winston Churchill (who used look-alike stand-ins) and, crucially, Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, who flew to Britain in 1941 claiming to have a peace offer from Hitler.
The novel also utilises a favourite technique of Priest's, that of the unreliable narrator.
Le prestige m’avait subjuguée, je poursuis donc, ébahie, ma découverte de Priest. Dans le genre « je comprends pas tout mais j’adhère », Priest se pose là. Il nous propose l’histoire de jumeaux embarqués dans la grande Histoire, à coups de points de vues divergents, contradictoires, et improbables. À la limite de l’uchronie mais point tout à fait, une belle acrobatie narrative, pleine de rebondissements.
