Le Père de nos pères
A novel blending crime, science, and the search for human origins.
Le Père de nos pères, published in 1998, is the first book in Bernard Werber’s Lucrèce et Isidore trilogy. The story introduces two new protagonists, Isidore Katzenberg and Lucrèce Nemrod, and explores human origins. Werber presents an unconventional take on the Missing Link, the hypothetical transitional fossil in human evolution.
The main plot is set in the present day. A palaeontologist named Professor Adjemian is murdered after claiming to know the answer to the question “Where do we come from?” Young reporter Lucrèce Nemrod covers the case and, after the police drop it, decides to investigate the motive behind the killing. She enlists the help of Isidore Katzenberg, a former science journalist. Together they travel to Africa to uncover a secret that some are willing to kill for.
Interwoven with this investigation is a second storyline set in East Africa 3.7 million years ago, following the life of a caveman simply called “He.” The suspense builds until the final word of the book, which reveals the identity of the Missing Link. The novel blends crime fiction, scientific journalism, adventure, biography, and philosophical fiction, a mix typical of Werber’s style.
Editions: Albin Michel, 1998 (ISBN 978-2253148470); LGF, Le Livre de Poche, 2000 (ISBN 2253148474). External link: Bernard Werber’s official website.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Bernard Werber
- Title Orig
- Le Père de nos pères
- Country
- France
- Language
- French. Currently unpublished in English/American languages
- Published
- 1998 (Albin Michel) (France)
- Media Type
- Print (Hardcover)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The plot takes place mainly in the present, when Professor Adjemian, a palaeontologist, is murdered. Before he died, Adjemian claimed to know the answer to the fundamental question: “Where do we come from?” Lucrèce Nemrod, a young reporter, covers this case and decides to find out why the professor was murdered after the police close the case. For her article, Lucrèce asks Isidore Katzenberg, a former scientific journalist, for help. Isidore and Lucrèce leave for Africa in order to uncover a secret for which some people are ready to kill.
Simultaneously, a second plot becomes entwined with the investigation. This second story takes place 'somewhere in East Africa', 3.7 million years ago. It deals with the life of a cave man known simply as 'He'. The suspense is very intense until it reaches the last word of the book which reveals the identity of the Missing Link.
Reader's Guide
Le Père de nos pères is significant as the opening volume of Bernard Werber's trilogy of Lucrèce et Isidore, introducing characters who reappear in subsequent works. The novel interweaves multiple literary genres—crime fiction, scientific journalism, adventure, biography, and philosophical fiction—in Werber's typical style. Its central conceit is an alternative and surprising idea for the Missing Link, the transitional fossil in human evolution, which is revealed only in the final word of the book. The story combines a present-day murder mystery with a prehistoric narrative set 3.7 million years ago, exploring the origins of humankind through the parallel lives of a murdered palaeontologist and a cave man called 'He'. The work's legacy lies in its genre-blending approach and its provocative engagement with the fundamental question of human origins.
Did You Know?
- The novel is the first volume in the trilogy of Lucrèce et Isidore.
- The plot includes a second story set 'somewhere in East Africa' 3.7 million years ago.
- The identity of the Missing Link is revealed only in the last word of the book.
- The main characters are Isidore Katzenberg and Lucrèce Nemrod.
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