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Illustrated portrait of Mathilde Donnay

A character in A Very Long Engagement

Mathilde Donnay

The young artist who refuses the official account of her fiancé's death.

What they want

To discover exactly what happened to Manech and find him if he survived.

The book

Cover of A Very Long Engagement by Sébastien Japrisot
A Very Long EngagementSébastien Japrisot, 1991

A young artist rebuilds the truth about five condemned soldiers from letters, witnesses, codes, and stubborn love.

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At a glance

Role
the protagonist and investigator
Pressure
The young artist who refuses the official account of her fiancé's death.
Goal
To discover exactly what happened to Manech and find him if he survived.
Evidence
She finds Manech alive with amnesia and later marries him.

Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Mathilde Donnay is the protagonist and investigator. The young artist who refuses the official account of her fiancé's death.

The character wants to discover exactly what happened to manech and find him if he survived.. That desire determines what is remembered, hidden, or investigated.

She finds Manech alive with amnesia and later marries him. The detail matters because Mathilde can reach the truth only by comparing partial accounts.

How the book draws them

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • Rolethe protagonist and investigator
  • PressureThe young artist who refuses the official account of her fiancé's death.
  • GoalTo discover exactly what happened to Manech and find him if he survived.
  • EvidenceShe finds Manech alive with amnesia and later marries him.
  • ExpressionThe face should register to discover exactly what happened to manech and find him if he survived. without melodrama.
  • Place in the mysteryMathilde Donnay changes how Mathilde or the reader understands Bingo Crépuscule.
What happens to Mathilde DonnayHow the book leaves them, what happened after, and what the record says. Open when you're ready.

She finds Manech alive with amnesia and later marries him.

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