Le Goût du chlore

In Le Goût du chlore, a single, self-contained graphic novel from Casterman, a man’s nightly laps in a public pool become the setting for a quiet, introspective encounter with a mysterious woman. Published in 2008, this French-language work is most associated with its writer and artist, Bastien Vivès, whose clean, minimalist linework captures the sensory experience of chlorine, water, and fleeting human connection. A subtle, atmospheric meditation on intimacy and solitude, it stands as a defining early work in Vivès’s celebrated career.