Archive · 27 Oct 2025
A Cage in Search of a Bird: Book Explores Obsession and Language Failure
In the book, Laura, a journalist, is being stalked by a woman named C, who has become obsessed with her.
C begins to mimic Laura and invades her life, leading Laura to feel trapped and terrified.
Laura tries to understand what's happening to her but struggles to communicate her distress to others.
She learns about De Clérambault’s syndrome, where someone believes they are secretly loved.
The story shows how Laura’s language fails her, causing her to feel isolated and helpless as she spirals into this terrifying situation.
The book follows Laura, a television journalist in Paris, and her unsettling encounter with C.
C develops an obsessive fixation on Laura, mimicking her and invading her personal space.
Laura discovers the psychiatric condition De Clérambault's syndrome, a form of delusion.
Laura experiences a 'failure of language,' struggling to express her distress and fear.
The narrative explores the terrifying impact of obsession, untreated mental illness, and the breakdown of communication.
- Who
- Laura Wilmote and C
- What
- Explores the psychological impact of obsession and the failure of language through Laura’s experience with C.
- When
- Originally published in French in 2015, translated to English in 2016.
- Where
- Paris, at a television station and Laura's home.
- Why
- To illustrate the frightening effects of obsession and untreated mental illness.
- Original Title
- L’illusion délirante d’être aimé
- Author
- Florence Noiville
- Translator
- Teresa Lavender Fagan
- Protagonist
- Laura Wilmote
- Published
- 2016 (English)
- Subject
- De Clérambault’s Syndrome