The Name Jean Perdu

Jean Perdu’s name translates to “John Lost.” This name symbolized the way he had spent the last 21 years of his life. He had lost his identity with the loss of his love, Manon. After losing Manon, Jean had allowed his soul to die. He went through life as if on autopilot, not allowing himself to feel out of fear of reminding himself of Manon. Through disallowing himself to feel, he had lost the very essence of what made him human.

The Literary Apothecary

Jean Perdu described his waterborne bookshop, The Literary Apothecary, as an arrested adventure. Although he had kept the floating bookstore in running condition for the 21 years following Manon’s death, he was never able to leave the dock. For fear of facing the past, Jean remained a creature of habit, forever anchored in Paris. In living vicariously through literature...