The Thief of Talant
The Thief of Talant () was written by French poet Pierre Reverdy. Originally written in 1917, the work was not translated into English until 2016 by Ian Seed. It is a short collection of "chapters" chronicling Reverdy's, who is the Thief of Talant, disillusionment with France and the isolation he felt as a poet in the one city where he believed poetry could flourish. Additionally, in many parts of the novel there are brief moments characterizing Reverdy's professional relationships with unnamed characters with whom Reverdy was associated during his time in Paris. Ultimately, The Thief of Talant follows Reverdy through a dream-like novel concluding with his spiritual death and rebirth. Plot summary The narrative of The Thief of Talant is not so much a narrative, but a poetic autobiography. As such, the novel does not have a series of concrete plot points but rather details a descent into despair and isolation where Reverdy, as the main character (the Thief of Talant) finds that his time in Paris has ultimately killed his past, more lively self. The Thief of Talant begins with the reflections of a character who will later be known as the Thief of Talant waiting at a train