Bonbons Assortis / Assorted Candies is Michel Tremblay's fourth (and
he says last) book of autobiographical narratives inspired by his
childhood and youth. Like the previous three volumes, which celebrate
the books, plays and films that shaped his imagination and writing life,
this collection of eight delightful stories takes us back to Tremblay's
formative years in Montreal's Plateau Mont-Royal, offering the reader
poignant and joyful childhood memories as varied as the assorted candies
his mother hoarded under her bed, to be shared only on the most festive
or dramatic of family occasions.
Here we get to see the world through the eyes of young Michel, who is
often discovered observing the other nine members of the bustling
household on Fabre Street from his hiding place under the dining-room
table. His mother, Nana (immortalized in the play For the Pleasure of
Seeing Her Again), dominates these memories; but the tender, cherished
moments shared with his father, along with his prickly paternal
grandmother and irascible aunt (who inspired his unforgettable character
Albertine), also profoundly shape this child's view of the world.
Neighbours, from whom the family haplessly tries to hide their poverty
with dignity, brothers and an uncle (who, telephoning from the local
tavern, claims to be Santa calling from the North Pole), complete the
rich and colourful cast of characters in this exquisite remembrance of
childhood past.
