India, Feb. 13 -- You begin Sad Tiger, translated from the French by Natasha Lehrer, by creating a portrait of an abuser, your stepfather. Why did you do that?

One of the reasons is the impact the trauma had on me. I was abused by a powerful figure, and I was forced to put myself in his shoes all the time. One of the strategies of his domination over me as a child, as a victim, was to make me consider him more important than me. I think it's very common in people who've been victims to think a lot about the abuser.

And it's also strange, the language we use. I've seen something I can call evil, but I don't really know how and what to call this. I always wondered what happened to [my stepfather]? What was happening in his brain when he s...