French Literary Season's Demonization of Bestsellers

In an editorial for artpress, Jacques Henric addresses the annual ritual among journalists who bemoan the sheer volume of novels released in the French literary season, as well as the media's tendency to spotlight only a select few. He points out that a single newspaper is tasked with reviewing nearly 700 titles, emphasizing that France's literary supplements are fewer than those in other nations. Henric contends that the real problem lies not in the visibility of certain books, but rather in the oversight of numerous high-quality works. He criticizes the animosity directed at successful writers like Michel Houellebecq and Christine Angot, whose popularity invites scrutiny, while he upholds Angot's freedom to share her literary tastes and reaffirms artpress's dedication to highlighting all deserving literature.