“Something happens between a novel and its reader which is similar to the process of developing photographs, the way they did it before the digital age. The photograph, as it was printed in the darkroom, became visible bit by bit. As you read your way through a novel, the same chemical process takes place.” – Patrick Modiano
Born on this date in 1945, French
novelist and 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature winner Modiano’s analogy of the
development of the novel “before our eyes” is a remarkable one that also gives
us a look into his writing style. He
lets the picture slowly unfold, sometimes leaving us startled, sometimes
satisfied, sometimes angry, but always interested in what’s coming next. 
His novels delve into the puzzle of identity in ways seldom seen. And, he tackles a time in France – the German occupation during World War II – that evokes both heroism and shame depending on from whose point of view his tale is being told. While Modiano’s works have been translated into more than 30 languages, most had not been available in English before he was awarded the Nobel.
While he has had a huge body of work, he said writing, especially novels, has never been an easy process. “I quickly realized that it is difficult to get started when writing a novel,” he said. “You have this dream of what you want to create, but it is like walking around a swimming pool and hesitating to jump in because the water is too cold.”
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