French Exit

In Patrick deWitt's darkly comedic novel "French Exit," Frances Price, a once-revered New York socialite, finds herself on the precipice of financial ruin following the death of her husband and the rapid depletion of her inheritance. With scandals swirling and creditors closing in, Frances makes an audacious decision: to liquidate her remaining assets and flee to Paris, accompanied by her aimless adult son, Malcolm, and their imperious, geriatric cat, Small Frank – who Frances believes harbors the reincarnated spirit of her late husband. Settling into a borrowed apartment, the Prices embark on a bizarre and increasingly surreal journey toward self-destruction, encountering a motley crew of peculiar expats and eccentric locals. As their funds dwindle and their emotional baggage piles up, the mother-son duo navigates their fractured relationship amidst a backdrop of fading grandeur and existential ennui, culminating in a poignant and riotous exploration of grief, family, and the absurdities of life.