"There is no doubt that we are in the midst of literature at its best" -Humanité "(Gailly) goes backwards, looks forward, talks about what he does not see, and yet, curiously, his apparent incoherence has perfect pitch. Gailly works not only as a musician but also as a painter: he composes." -La Quinzaine An Evening at the Club tells the story of a love triangle through the virtuoso style of the widely celebrated French novelist Christian Gailly. This novel has become a cause celebre throughout Europe. A number one bestseller in France, it won the coveted 2002 Prix Livre Inter and has already been translated into Russian, Italian, and German. Other Press is proud to bring out the English translation of Gailly’s most highly acclaimed work. In order to save his life and his marriage, Simon Nardis gave up his career as an outstandingly innovative jazz pianist. No more road trips, alcohol, or women. And no more jazz. For ten years, Simon has worked at a humdrum job and led a quiet home life with his wife, Suzanne. Then, one evening, he finds himself in a jazz club owned by the American singer Debbie Parker. The sudden, irresistible reawakening of sexual and artistic passion in this middle-aged man leads to a tragicomedy of missed trains and missed opportunities, as seen through the eyes of Suzanne, Debbie, and a painter, the good friend of Simon, who tells their story and, indirectly, his own. Gailly's deadpan, quirky humor and a style that excites the reader with a verbal texture like the riffs and syncopations of jazz are a dazzling counterpoint to the profound and disturbing theme of the novel: the life-and-death stakes of the risks and sacrifices demanded by art and by marriage.