Ngenoveli yakhe ethi The Smile of Women, uNicolas Barreau wakufinyelela lokho kususwa okuphupha ngabo bonke ababhali. Vele, emuva kunokuzinikezela okuningi, njengenjwayelo; yomzamo onzima, njengoba cishe njalo. Kepha iphuzu ukubhala inoveli efanele ngesikhathi esifanele. Kumele kube yilokho noma ukuthintwa inhlanhla ethile.
Noma iyiphi indlela, kulokhu incwadi Ikhofi lezimangaliso ezincane, lo mbhali ukhombisa ukuthi kungani efinyelele esicongweni sohlobo lwenoveli yezothando. Kwesinye isikhathi kubukeka sengathi abafundi bezothando yizinhlobo ezilula zokuzinqoba ngezindaba ezinoju, ezilula, zamakhosana namakhosazana kanye neziphetho ezinhle.
Kepha akufanele kube njalo lapho kuvela umbhali onjengoNicolas, eguqula uhlobo, alukhuphule njengokunye futhi ngaleyo ndlela aphumelele ukuhudula abafundi ngamandla amakhulu.
Lokho okwenziwe nguNicolas kule ncwadi ukubhala ngezothando zanamuhla kepha ngephuzu eliyimfihlo. I-protagonist yayo, uNelly yintokazi engavikelekile, intombazane ejwayelekile okuqagelwa kuyo umhlaba omkhulu wangaphakathi, ozethembayo ngokwesaba nezimo ezizithobayo.
Kepha ngenxa yalowo mhlaba ongaphakathi, kulokho kungazinzi okugcina kumfaka umfutho wokuhamba kunoma iyiphi indlela, le ndaba yothando isukela ezinkomba ezijwayelekile zalolo hlobo lwemfihlakalo. Ngaphandle kokungabaza ibhalansi ethokozisayo phakathi kwesakhiwo esibomvana, ngokuthinta amahlaya, kanye nempicabadala ethokozisayo lapho singena khona sibonga ukulingisa noNelly.
Kepha kunjalo ... uthando. Asikwazi ekugcineni ukukhipha omunye umqondo oyinhloko kule ndaba. Yonke into igcina ngokuhamba, yenzela uthando. Lokho uNelly agcina ekutholile, impicabadala enkulu ezomvulela uthando, angazithola ekhululeka kakhulu ngaye, ejabulela ukuphululwa nokuqabulwa okuthi, ngandlela thile, kugcine kusenze saba ngcono.
Ungathenga incwadi Ikhofi lezimangaliso ezincane, inoveli entsha kaNicolas Barreau, lapha:
