Misadventures in the Chronicle Form

Kudos to another French writer, Emmanuel Carrère, for trying his hand at the modern chronicle -- especially given that, judging by his early work, he is a natural novelist. Unfortunately, his last two attempts at the chronicle -- "My Life as a Russian Novel," and, more recently, "Lives Other Than my Own" -- make you wish he had stuck to novels. He is one of those writers who do best to keep their silly egos concealed behind fictional characters.