Jacques Henric on Just War: BHL's Libya Chronicle

In an artpress feuilleton, Jacques Henric reviews Bernard-Henri Lévy's "La Guerre sans l'aimer" (Grasset, 2011), contrasting it with Alexis Jenni's novel "L'Art français de la guerre." Henric argues that firsthand experience of war is necessary for authentic writing, citing authors like Stendhal, Cendrars, Malraux, Hemingway, Orwell, Aragon, and Céline. He praises Lévy's direct, precise style, avoiding literary embellishment, and describes the book as a thrilling adventure, political thriller, and spy novel. Henric highlights Lévy's portraits of friends and enemies, including a warm portrayal of Nicolas Sarkozy for his role in the Libyan intervention. He questions the French left's silence on the war, except for Martine Aubry's criticism of international inaction. The piece reflects on the ethics of war, the role of the intellectual, and the tension between literature and lived experience.