'When Leon and Solange entered the church everyone was struck by the difference in height between them. Even though he was wearing heel inserts and held himself ramrod-straight, he still only came just above her shoulder. But no one was bothered by it?' However, when their first child is born, Leon gradually shrinks by fifteen inches. This is repeated after their second child and his body ? apart from one member ? continues to shrink until he is little more than a Tom Thumb driving round the family apartment in a toy car? Pascal Bruckner's novel is a delightful fantasy that can also be read as an impish contribution to the debate on feminism.
