Thomas Schlesser
Author Interview - Thomas Schlesser
Author of Mona's Eyes
Ten-year-old Mona and her beloved grandfather have only fifty-two Wednesdays to visit fifty-two works of art and commit to memory "all that is beautiful in the world" before Mona loses her sight forever.
While the doctors can find no explanation for Mona's brief episode of blindness, they agree that the threat of permanent vision loss cannot be ruled out. The girl's grandfather, Henry, may not be able to stop his granddaughter from losing her sight, but he can fill the encroaching darkness with beauty.
Every Wednesday for a year, the pair abscond together and visit a single masterpiece in one of Paris's renowned museums. From Botticelli to Basquiat, Mona learns how each artist's work shaped the world around them. In turn, the young girl's world is changed forever by the power of their art. Under the kind and careful tutelage of her grandfather, Mona learns the true meaning of generosity, melancholy, love, loss, and revolution.
Author Interview - Thomas Schlesser
Author I draw inspiration from:
Marcel Proust, and of course In Search of Lost Time. Because of childhood, art, time, absolute sophistication, and that improbable music in his sentences. And because Proust is not someone you love by studying him, but by living him—especially if, like me, you carry a touch of melancholy yourself.
Author Interview - Thomas Schlesser | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
A train
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Gimli, from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
At first, Gimli would probably complain loudly and bang the walls with his axe. But very soon his anger would turn into laughter, and he would start telling stories about the dwarves, their battles, and their treasures. In the end, the elevator would feel less like a small box and more like the entrance to a great adventure.
Author Interview - Thomas Schlesser | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I never really dreamed of being an “author” as such—it was never the social status that fascinated me. What I wanted, first of all, around 22 or 23 years old, was to teach and help young students grow. And I wanted to write only because I felt I had a few things worth sharing—not so many, but still enough. Above all, that art is at the service of life, that freedom must remain our cardinal value, and that melancholy, in its way, is a form of joy.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I would start with the audiobook, because I am just discovering its full potential. It gives access to literature for people living with blindness or severe visual impairments, and that dimension of inclusivity is very important to me. It also resonates directly with Mona’s Eyes, which places the question of blindness at its core. Hardbacks have the lasting beauty of objects to treasure, paperbacks the lightness and freedom to circulate, and ebooks the convenience of instant access
The last book I read:
I finally took the time to read Small World by David Lodge carefully. As an art historian and academic, I recognized so many familiar scenes—the endless conferences, the frantic travel from airport to airport, the vain wish of being heard. I laughed a lot, especially at myself, because I’ve taken part in exactly those rituals, sometimes with far too much seriousness. Lodge reminded me how comical our academic world can look from the outside.
Author Interview - Thomas Schlesser | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Computer, unfortunately. Unfortunately, because I would love to have beautiful handwritten drafts in order to create real archives. I do keep a few notebooks, but I regret not leaving behind proper paper traces. I have spent a lot of time working in archives and I admire old manuscripts. Next time, I will try to force myself back to pen and paper, so that something more tangible remains.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Mephistopheles, from Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Not because I admire the devil, of course, but because there is something fascinating in the idea of negotiating with him. Making a pact with Mephisto would mean facing temptation, irony, and the darker sides of human ambition. As a friend, he would constantly challenge me, expose my contradictions, and force me to confront what I really value. Friendship with him would be dangerous, no doubt, but also full of sharp wit and uncomfortable truths—and maybe that is what makes it so attractive.
Author Interview - Thomas Schlesser | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
My professional life has already been shaped by art history, teaching, and running a cultural institution. But if I had to imagine a completely different path, I would have loved to work with animals, perhaps as an ethologist. The problem is that I am hopeless at hard sciences and biology… so that will have to remain for another life.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
I love the succession of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s in the twentieth century. To put it simply, I am fascinated by watching the changing styles of David Bowie throughout his career ! And if I had to look further back, I would choose the so-called decadent years of the 1890s in the nineteenth century.
Place I’d most like to travel:
It may sound strange, but the place I most like to travel to is my own home. I live alone in a small apartment in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, in a popular neighborhood, where I have been a tenant for twenty years. Each time my key turns in the lock, I feel as if I am arriving in a promised land. I do enjoy traveling, but in the end I love just as much the feeling of coming back.
My signature drink:
I would say I am more of a drunkard than an alcoholic: I have no problem not drinking for days or even weeks, but if I have one glass, it usually turns into three bottles.
Favorite artist:
That is the impossible question! Right now, I am almost obsessed with Erik Satie—I listen to him endlessly and remain fascinated by his strange simplicity and depth. But I could just as easily say Kazimir Malevich, Andrei Tarkovsky, Joan Mitchell, David Bowie (again!), Caravaggio, Victor Hugo, or Janis Joplin. In truth, it is impossible to choose only one. Perhaps with the help of AI we could build a great pantheon and organize a festival of geniuses—then I would not have to decide.
Number one on my bucket list:
To be more generous with others, to give more—and then even more. Every day I feel trapped by my own selfishness. What I truly want is to break free from it and learn to give, give, and give again.
Anything else you'd like to add:
France still loves the United States, and the American people. My wish is that, even in these complicated political times, our two countries keep smiling at each other—and remain good friends.
About Thomas Schlesser:
Author Interview with Thomas Schlesser
Thomas Schlesser is a French art historian and professor. Since 2014, he has directed the Hartung-Bergman Foundation in Antibes and teaches at the École Polytechnique in Paris. A former contributor to Beaux Arts Magazine and Radio Nova, he has published several works on 19th- and 20th-century art, including L’Univers sans l’Homme (Prix Bernier, Académie des Beaux-Arts, 2017) and a biography of Anna-Eva Bergman (2022). His novel Les Yeux de Mona (2024), translated as Mona’s Eyes, became an international success.
