The scent of happiness on France 2: “When I read the script, I cried,” Virgin Grimaldi backs up to adapt to his novel

Virgin Grimaldi has formed herself as one of the favorite authors of society for several years. Each of his novels, always caused by emotion and sensitivity, deals with millions of readers.

Published in 2017 Fayard, The smell of happiness is stronger in the rainHis third novel is no exception sold in more than 600,000 copies. Today, this moving history is given a new life on the screen, through the first television adaptation, a sober called The Happy of Happy.

The series was followed by 38 -year -old Paulin, who will not be able to end up with Ben after the sudden end of marriage. He is convinced that he is a man of his life, he will do his best to win it between crazy and absurd efforts and to move the evolutions of their memories. Deafly deaf to his family and friends, he named his sights at the end of summer. All of its flashbacks, it revisits the founding moments of their history when the family’s buried secrets are driven.

A story that is intimate and universal, where pain, tenderness and durability combine.

Between the need for the faithful stay of his text and the discovery of a new creative world, Virgin Grimald returns to this adaptation and what he is.

Through this conversation, he sincerely discusses his doubts, the difficulty of presenting such a personal story, and the confidence he chose in both producers and actors. An acquaintance marked by shining on the durability and strength of the stories that connect us.

Separation: The novel “The smell of happiness” in the rain is stronger in 2017. What is the story behind this book and what were your inspiration sources?

Virgin Grimald : I wanted to talk about perinatal robbery and influence that he can do for the couple. In life, we can go through the same event, in a completely different way, depending on our sensitivity and our journey.

In this case, it was an event that my wife and I experienced. We lost the baby at birth. This is something that inspired me for my third novel. This is the first time I applied for a personal event in one of my books. In my first work I met this topic, but it was just an paragraph. It all starts from there. Of course, everything is fictional, fictional except for some small details, as usual. However, the central theme remains the same: how we have survived such a loss, how, or if we can overcome it … and, above all, how two people can experience the same event in a completely different way.

What has been adapting or agreed to adapt this novel to television?

Paul Schmidt, one of the producers of the series, read the book and fell in love with it. Carol, who was in charge of the rights at the time, told me about it. He told me several times: “Is someone who really likes your books and thinks about how they can adapt them”

Then I met Sandra Karim, one of the producers who explained my vision. Immediately I was punished. You need to know that I refused many offers. It is not the end to adapt me. I think it’s excellent, but I’m not writing for that. I prefer it wouldn’t happen before it hurt. There I felt that we shared the same vision, the same sensitivity, the same expectations.

The project took three years as a reality. And throughout this process, I saw that I was right to trust them. My vision and text respected. It was very important to me that this thread was well covered. And I can say he is.

Is it difficult as the author to give such a personal story?

Obviously. So I’m not saying most of the time. They ask me to change the necessary thing for me.

But it was different. It was not difficult to give my story because I felt that they really wanted to talk about it. Don’t just make it in detail of the story. Moreover, let’s talk in depth, in the right way and show that it affects the mother as well as the father. Then, there is also a whole family history around it, with a somewhat dysfunctional family. This was important to me in the book and it was important in adapting.

I had this fear of frustration, but when I arrived, I saw scenes, investment of actors and the whole team, I immediately told myself that I was right to trust them.

Perinatal mourning is one of the strong topics of the novel. How was the adaptation approached this sensitive subject?

The vision for me was right. Either way, he was going in the same direction as mine. When I read the script, I cried. I have found this story and I feel as if I have never written a book.

Do you think this topic remains a taboo in our society?

Yes, it is still very taboo. I am really happy to talk about it on the main channel, in the premiere time and this way. And then, for my first adaptation, it is very strong that it is exactly on this topic. I am happy with how it was done.

As mentioned, your book deals with sadness in various forms as well as the reconstruction process. What message do you want a series about this?

I am fascinated that we can recover from everything. It never ceases to surprise me. There is a time when life will truly kill us and we are telling ourselves that we will never return. And yet, we’re back. Of course we all have this skill and don’t like sentences like: “Whatever we don’t kill us“I don’t believe it at all. These calamities still harm us. In spite of everything, many of us can retreat from pretty terrible things, and I realize that for me, this is a wonderful feature of one of the most beautiful features of human nature: this durability that we can.

Your novel has read hundreds of thousands of people. Do you have pressure to show them a series?

They are passionate readers, so I have little pressure. I hope they like it, but frankly, I have no doubt. Before starting, I was worried that the series is not in line with my expectations, but today, that’s not the case.

And for those who do not know you, what do you hope that the series will bring them?

Hope they find them a little in the story. I hope they are laughing that they are crying that they feel emotions and that they just want to get rid of the TV, they just want to enjoy life as much as possible.

Finally, what is the scent of happiness?

My children’s necks, childhood scents.

Comments were collected at Arcachon in October 2024.