Ah shit, j’ai pogné le cancer
I spotted the book in the image while browsing in Archambault in Montréal. It’s called Ah shit, j’ai pogné le cancer, written by Maude Schiltz.
The title means “Ah shit, I got cancer.” Maybe you’ll remember that the informal verb pogner (rhymes with cogner) is frequently used in Québec in the sense of “to catch.”
This book is Schiltz’s account of developing cancer in both breasts. I haven’t read the book yet (I’ve only just bought it), but as you may have guessed from the title, it’s written in a lively, conversational style of French.
Just a few words from the back cover:
Cancer. Les deux seins. Treize tumeurs. WHAT?! Ben voyons donc, tu me niaises-tu, j’ai 39 ans! Eille, come on – ça se peut même pas; mes enfants ont juste 5 pis 9 ans! Ben non madame, c’est pour vrai… Han?! Ah, shit…
Cancer. Both breasts. Thirteen tumours. WHAT?! Oh come on, you kidding me? I’m 39 years old! Hey, come on – this just isn’t possible; my kids are just 5 and 9 years old. “No, madame, it’s true…” Huh?! Ah, shit…
I’m looking forward to reading the book, and I’m sure I’ll be commenting on it in future entries.
Ah, “pogner”… That has so many meanings, haha! But thanks to your entries, I start getting used to it 🙂 J’ai hâte de lire tes impressions et commentaires sur le livre. Donc, ¡leélo pronto y contanos qué te pareció, che! 🙂
Yes, you’ll hear the verb pogner a lot in conversations. Fortunately, it’s not too hard to understand what it means. It many cases, it’s synonymous with attraper.
Hey, that’s lovely! Thanks for spreading the word! 🙂
This book is indeed as québécois as a book can be… Expect some swearing and trashy talk, haha! 😉 That’s because it basically consists in emails that I wrote to my friends while on treatment, so there’s not much political correctness in there… 😉 I wanted to pass along all that I’ve learned from my doc – there are so many things that we don’t know about cancer… The guy was so nice that he revised everything to make sure that the info was accurate, and guess what? He’s doing it again for volume 2! :)))
Bonne lecture, Felix!
(And when you’re through, you come and pole dance with me, hahaha!)
Thank you for sharing your story, Maude. There are so many people who will benefit from reading it. 🙂