Fear and Trembling (novel)

Fear and Trembling (original title: Stupeur et tremblements, which means "Amazement and trembling") is a novel by Amélie Nothomb, first published in 1999. It was awarded the Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française that year.

Plot

Amélie, a young Belgian woman who spent the first five years of her life in Japan, signs a one-year contract as a translator at the prestigious company Yumimoto. Beginning at the bottom of the corporate ladder, Amélie manages to descend even lower.

Explanation of title

According to the novel, in Japan, protocol states that in the presence of the Emperor, who until 1947 had been considered a living god, a person must demonstrate his or her reverence with fear and trembling, though most Japanese citizens today are unaware of this injunction.

Adaptation

• Fear and Trembling, a film by Alain Corneau, released in 2003.

Publication details

• Stupeur et tremblements, Éditions Albin Michel, 1999. ISBN 2-226-10950-1
• Stupeur et tremblements, Livre de Poche, 2001. ISBN 2-253-15071-1