ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Jean Rolin's Britney Spears Novel Blends Reportage and Fiction

publication · 2026-04-23

Jean Rolin, known for exploring Parisian peripheries and African cities, spent months in Los Angeles researching a novel about Britney Spears. The book, "Le ravissement de Britney Spears," mixes reportage with fiction: Rolin shadowed paparazzi and visited Rodeo Drive and the Château Marmont. The fictional plot involves an alter-ego secret agent absurdly tasked with protecting Spears from Al Qaeda-linked kidnappers. The work is praised for Rolin's precise reporting, elegant long sentences, and wry humor, offering a portrait of 21st-century spectacle culture in L.A. The review by Yann Perreau appeared in artpress in September 2011.

Key facts

  • Jean Rolin wrote a novel about Britney Spears set in Los Angeles.
  • Rolin is known for exploring marginal zones like Paris suburbs and African cities.
  • He spent several months in California researching the book.
  • He visited Rodeo Drive and attended a private party at the Château Marmont.
  • The novel's narrator waits with paparazzi to glimpse Spears.
  • The fictional plot involves a secret agent protecting Spears from Al Qaeda.
  • The book is described as a great work on L.A. and celebrity culture.
  • The review was published in artpress in September 2011 by Yann Perreau.

Entities

Artists

  • Jean Rolin
  • Britney Spears
  • Pierric Bailly
  • Yann Perreau

Institutions

  • artpress

Locations

  • Los Angeles
  • California
  • Rodeo Drive
  • Château Marmont
  • Paris

Sources