Claude Arnaud and Marc Weitzmann novels explore generational trauma and antisemitism

Éditions Grasset has released two novels for the 2010 literary season that delve into the consequences of May 1968 and the emergence of modern antisemitism. In "Qu'as-tu fait de tes frères ?", Claude Arnaud shares the heartbreaking stories of his brothers, Philippe and Pierre, against the backdrop of the post-68 generation's hedonism. Philippe, a film scholar who focused on Bresson, tragically drowned off Corsica in 1996, while Pierre met a grim fate. Arnaud, burdened by survivor's guilt, contemplates the era's idealistic aspirations and their repercussions. The narrative includes figures like Benny Lévy, Guattari, and Foucault. Meanwhile, Marc Weitzmann's "Quand j'étais normal" follows journalist Gilbert Bratsky as he investigates a wave of antisemitic emails from the early 2000s, exploring the evolution of anti-Jewish sentiment, highlighted by the 2006 Halimi affair. The perpetrator, Didier Leroux, is a childhood acquaintance whose rebellion transforms into a dangerous ideology. Both works are categorized as novels, merging elements of autobiography with fiction.