Invisible: A Memoir

By Hugues de Montalembert

The impressionistic memoir of an artist who was blinded in a sudden act of violence, leading to a profound meditation on what it means to see and be seen

“You live in a city like New York. You read the papers. You look at the television. But you never think it will happen to you. It happened to me one evening.”

One summer night in 1978, Hugues de Montalembert returned home to his New York City apartment to find two men robbing him. In a violent struggle, one of the assailants threw paint thinner in Hugues’ face. Within a few hours, he was completely blind.

Eloquent and provocative, Invisible moves beyond the horrific events of that night to what happened to Hugues after he lost his sight: his rehabilitation, his solo travels around the world, and the remarkable way he learned to “see” even without the use of his eyes.

Without a trace of self-pity, Hugues describes his transition from an up-and-coming painter to a blind man who had to learn to walk with a cane. His status changed in the eyes of other people as their reactions ranged from avoidance to making him their confidant. Hugues traveled to faraway places and learned to trust strangers and find himself at home in any situation.

Part philosophy, part autobiography, part inspiration, Invisible will change the way readers understand reality and their place in the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Release date: Jan 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9781439100684

Hugues de Montalembert

Born in France, Hugues de Montalembert is a painter and photographer who was blinded during a violent assault while living in New York in 1978. He is the author of one previous book in English, Eclipse (1985).  His story was also the basis of the acclaimed documentary film, Black Sun (2007). He currently lives in Paris. 

Book preview

INVISIBLE

ALSO BY HUGUES DE MONTALEMBERT

ECLIPSE

INVISIBLE

A MEMOIR

HUGUES DE

MONTALEMBERT

A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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New York, NY 10020

www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright © 2010 by Hugues de Montalembert

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Atria Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

First Atria Books hardcover edition January 2010

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Designed by Dana Sloan

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Montalembert, Hugues de.

Invisible : a memoir / Hugues de Montalembert.—1st Atria Books hardcover ed. p. cm. 1. Montalembert, Hugues de. 2. Montalembert, Hugues de—Travel. 3. Victims of crimes—New York (State)—New York—Biography. 4. Blind—New York (State)—New York—Biography. 5. Blindness—Psychological aspects—Case studies. 6. Life change events—Case studies. 7. French—New York (State)— New York—Biography. 8. New York (N.Y.)—Biography. 9. Painters—France— Biography. 10. Motion picture producers and directors—France—Biography. I. Title.

HV6250.3.U53N484 2010

362.88092—dc22

[B]

2009041715

ISBN 978-1-4165-9366-9

ISBN 978-1-4391-0068-4 (ebook)

To Lin

INVISIBLE

YOU LIVE in a city like New York.

You read the papers.

You look at television.

But you never think it will happen to you.

It happened to me one evening.

Going back to my house near Washington Square I was attacked by, I suppose, people looking for money to buy drugs.

When they saw there was no money in the house, it became quite nasty.

It was no longer for money; it was for, I would say, fun.

There were two of them. A very big one and a smaller, less strong one.

I attacked the big one with a poker; there was a fireplace so I attacked him with a poker.

I could feel he was dangerous.He had a knife.

I didn’t pay attention to the little one.

The little one had a weapon in his pocket.

Paint remover.

It’s not an acid, it’s a base.

If you wash a base with water it doesn’t go away.

It continues to dig.

While I was fighting with the big one, the little one threw that paint remover in my face.

I understood that something quite serious had happened.

I thought they would kill me so I started to scream. I was screaming so loudly that they got scared and they left.

I immediately went to the shower.

But I could see my sight going away, away, away.

I called a friend because I didn’t know the telephone number of the police.

I said, Please ask the police to come, I have been attacked.

But I could hardly even see the numbers to dial.

It was already getting difficult.

The police came maybe thirty minutes later.

I was brought to the emergency room of the nearby hospital.

They tried to wash it out, but as it was a base there was nothing to be done.

I could see that I was losing more and more of my sight.

I asked the doctor: Tell me the truth, is it serious?

He said, It’s very serious.

I understood that probably I’d lost my sight.

THE MORNING came and already I knew that I was on the way to an irrevocable fate.

By the morning I was totally blind.

So it took me a night; it was very fast, very drastic.

And then you find yourself lying in a bed with that new situation at hand.

With that new person.

You are somebody who used to be totally free and could look and see.

I was a painter and I was making films.

My life was based on seeing.

IT WAS not total darkness, I could see a light.

Even if my eyelids were closed, I could still see through my eyelids.

I could see a golden light.

I was not in total darkness for another reason, which at first was incredibly disturbing.

My brain, wanting to see images but not receiving any perceptions through the eyes, would create very strong images on its own.

Vivid images.

It got to the point where I would be talking to you

Reviews for Invisible

[nyiper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just plain fascinating. A very quick read but truly a book that makes you "try" and think about what is being said by this author. Something so seemingly horrific in the past becomes an acceptable reality that is even rewarding in the present.

[motherofthree_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A quick hour long read. One reads such things because they want a glimpse into the mind and feelings of a person whose experienced a trauma. I enjoyed the short paragraphs and flipping between the hospital and present day life. The author has a philosphy of life the reader may not adhere to, but a good read none-the-less.

[goodinthestacks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This memoir by Hugues de Montalembert was a quick, but thought provoking read. The author was blinded in an attack in NYC during the late 1970s, and he talks about his struggles, adjusting to his new way of life, and how he did not let his blindness stop him from doing what he wanted.