Nelly Alard
Author Interview - Nelly Alard
Author of THE LIFE YOU HAD IMAGINED
In October 1930, a young actress named Elissa Landi, touted by Fox Studios as the next Greta Garbo, sets foot in Hollywood. She has talent, striking looks and a mysterious background : her mother, Karoline Zanardi Landi, has always claimed to be the hidden daughter of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Fantasy or reality ? Fascinated by the mystery surrounding the two women, Nelly Alard investigates the case. Did the famously free-spirited, eccentric Empress Sisi really go as far as raising a child in secret, away from the stuffy Viennese court? If not, why on earth did Karoline make up this outlandish story, years before the collapse of the Austrian Empire, exposing herself to retaliation from the emperor’s police ?
As she tries to answer these questions, Alard takes us through the ups and downs of her own career as an actress, from her childhood dreams of glory to her first literary efforts, all related to the empress in one way or another. As we follow her search, we become aware of an intricate web of coincidences and echoes between her own existence and those of her three heroines—Elisabeth, Karoline, and Elissa…
Author Interview - Nelly Alard
Author I draw inspiration from:
I grew up primarily reading French classics. I was a romantic soul with a taste for crinolines, old castles and horses, and Balzac and Proust were my heroes because they transported me to a vanished world (the 19th/early 20th century) that I nostalgically longed for. For the same reason, I adored Tolstoy (Anna Karenina), Henry James (whom I laboriously read in English as I began to master the language), Edith Wharton, Jane Austen... Today, I am fluent in English, and the book that inspired me the most while writing this one are "The Hare with Amber Eyes" by Edmund de Waal, and "Hhhh," by Laurent Binet. Both books are investigations into a mystery of the past, and the life of the author/narrator, as well as the story of the writing process, are integral parts of the narrative – something that personally, I love as a reader. "The Hours", by Michael Cunningham, with its three different generations and timelines, was also a great source of inspiration.
Author Interview - Nelly Alard | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
My bed ! I usually read before going to sleep and start writing (also in bed) as soon as I wake up. Fortunately, I also love walking and horseback riding; otherwise, I would spend most of my time in bed.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Elissa Landi, of course. She was a somewhat forgotten Hollywood star of the 1930s and is the central character of my book. She died at a very young age, leaving behind a 4-year-old daughter who has suffered greatly (and still suffers) from having no memories of her mother. I would tell Elissa that I believe I have unraveled the mystery of her mother Karoline's birth. But most importantly, I would say to her, "Come, let me introduce you to your daughter! She will be so thrilled to meet you!"
Author Interview - Nelly Alard | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
Probably when I finished reading Marcel Proust's "In Search of Lost Time." I understood that writing was like a philosopher's stone. Just as the stone transforms lead into gold, writing allows us to transform our own lives, including our worst misfortunes and dramas, into something beautiful that we can offer to the world and share with others. When we write or when we read, we are never alone.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
In France, we don't have hardcovers for novels, (except for graphic ones), and audiobooks are far much less common than in the United States. Moreover, I confess that I prefer hearing my own voice in my head when I read rather than that of an actor or actress, no matter how talented they may be. For me, reading is a one-on-one conversation with the author, and it doesn't tolerate any intermediaries. Therefore, my choice is really between paperback and ebook, and I like both. Since I write on a computer, I usually like to take a break from screens and go for paperback. However, since I never manage to find the books I loved when I search for them because I have lent or given them away, I often repurchase them in ebook format, which is also undeniably more convenient when traveling.
The last book I read:
It's a French book that just came out and hasn't been translated yet in English, therefore I don't think it would mean anything to your readers.. Moreover, I didn't like it very much and I don't see the point of commenting a book I didn't love. So I'd rather pass on this question.
Pen & paper or computer:
I write on a computer, but I have a small notebook that I carry with me everywhere, where I jot down ideas, or sentences, as they pop up. I would be incapable of writing with a pen, perhaps at most with a pencil and eraser, because I write in "thin layers." I quickly write one or two pages every morning, then the next day I reread, correct (or throw away), and continue until I have a first draft, then a second one, then a third, then many many others. If I worked with a pencil and eraser, there would soon be no paper left from erasing and rewriting so much!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Patty Berglund, from "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen. I read this novel years ago and loved it, and Patty has stayed with me ever since, with her doubts, wit and self-deprecating humor.
Author Interview - Nelly Alard | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I would have certainly continued to be an actress, which was my first career. But I believe that it is incomparably more pleasant for a woman to age as a writer, like, say, Mary Higgins Clark or Marguerite Duras, than as an actress, where you are constantly compared physically to how you looked when you were younger.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
1850s... Of course : crinoline period !
Place I’d most like to travel:
Victoria Falls, Iguazu Falls, Niagara Falls.... Any kind of falls ! I have never seen any big ones and I'd love to.
My signature drink:
Kir Royal : champagne and crème de cassis, it's my guilty little pleasure
Favorite artist:
William Turner
Number one on my bucket list:
Being able to ride my horse bareback and without a bridle !
Anything else you'd like to add:
The character of Elisabeth of Austria, better known as Sisi, has been very popular in Europe since the 1950s and is starting to gain popularity in the United States thanks to Alison Patacki's books and the series "The Empress." I very much hope American readers will share my fascination for her and be interested in the incredible story of a Hollywood star who claimed - believed - to be the granddaughter of this enigmatic figure.
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/nelly.alard.gallimard
https://www.facebook.com/nelly.alard.9047
Twitter : @AlardNelly
