View source for Precarious Lease by Jacqueline Feldman

{{infobox1
|title=Precarious Lease
|author=Jacqueline Feldman
|reviewer=Heather Magee
|genre=Biography
|summary=A well-written, if slightly digressive, chronicle of Jacqueline Feldman's time spent reporting on and witnessing firsthand the conditions in various squats across Paris. Between memoir, reportage, essay and long prosaic descriptions, this book sits on the boundaries, like the lives it seeks to illuminate.
|rating=3.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=312
|publisher=Fitzcarraldo Editions
|date=January 2025
|isbn=978-1804271407
|website=https://jacqueline-feldman.com/
|cover=1804271403
|aznuk=1804271403
|aznus=1804271403
}}

The title of this novel refers to a French legal term (''bail précaire'') associated with squatters in France, affording them temporary suspension from eviction charges and processes, but few scant property rights. Among mentions of other squats dotted around Paris like Le Carrosse and La Miroiterie, Feldman takes particular interest in one squat of massive proportions which adopted an almost mythical status for its inhabitants, admirers and detractors alike: Le Bloc. Something like a haven for artists and marginal members of society (as one character, Le Général, repeats throughout, ''I live on the margins of the margins of the margins''), Le Bloc was subject to the continual threat of eviction and the pressures from above which oppressed its inhabitants' lives. We follow Le Bloc from its opening in 2012 until its eventual dissolution, framed as a tragedy in this book. 

As a journalist and experienced reporter, Feldman deftly maneuvers the squat 'space', securing interviews with sometimes eccentric, sometimes initially unyielding subjects. These interviews comprise the best parts of the book. The sections on the history of squatting, though interesting, falter slightly, while the human drama of dependency and reliance on Le Bloc is what the reader really cares about throughout. Being told about a real person's financial insecurity, their artistic passions and their individual status in Le Bloc, then not hearing from them again for another 30 pages, was frustrating. Having said this, it was very revelatory of the mechanisms and legal particularities of squatting in the city, as well as the history surrounding this practice. 

At times poignant, Feldman's firsthand account explores the diurnal sorrows and joys which characterise life in shared and precarious living quarters on the edges of a city which does not care for this kind of life. This is an investigation in which the forces of capitalism and the French state come out very much scathed. The negative effects on squatters themselves, in particular women in the squats or racial minorities, were clearly depicted through the unjust dominion of the self-appointed squat leaders (''tontons'' who were usually involved in the opening of the squat). I found it curious how the squats themselves, with their hierarchies and violence and instabilities, were also simply microcosms of the very society they elected to be ''freed'' from. 

However, in my opinion, this account of squatting in Paris is incomplete without a comprehensive or at least partial account of the negative impact on property owners once their house or apartment has been seized by squatters. Although there are mechanisms in place equating squatting to fair access to housing, Feldman gives the impression at times that squatting is always done in the interest of the community and is almost always above board in terms of the kinds of properties they occupy. I'm not sure that this is always the case, but I would have liked to read a bit more nuance into that aspect.

The descriptions of the different types of art produced in Le Bloc were so interesting that I went to YouTube to see the building for myself. I was taken aback by the accuracy of Feldman's descriptions; her extended stay at Le Bloc, her attention to detail and her constant habit of note-taking were clearly aids to this magnificent portrayal of a truly impressive artistic site. 

I couldn't help but feel that this text would've been more effective simply as a series of interviews, allowing the squatters' lived experiences to speak for themselves, as my favourite parts were when I could hear from these people directly. However, I appreciate Feldman's commentary as a knowledgeable source and a talented writer. 

In conclusion, Feldman's account of Le Bloc and the wider squatting movement in Paris is an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of a precarious and often misunderstood way of life. While the book occasionally falters in its balance of historical context and individual narratives, its vivid portrayal of the squatters' resilience, artistry, and struggles remains impactful. Feldman's journalistic rigour and ability to bring the personalities of her interviewees to life ensure that the humanity of the squatters is never overshadowed by the political and legal frameworks surrounding them. Though it could benefit from a more nuanced consideration of the effects on property owners and a tighter focus on the personal stories at its core, ''Precarious Lease'' is a powerful testament to the creative and communal spirit that can emerge even in the most marginal and unstable spaces.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy of the book to the Bookbag. [[The Secret Life of France by Lucy Wadham]] is a book which also follows the experience of a woman journalist who moves to France and becomes fascinated with the culture there.

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[[Category:Politics and Society]]