Les rangs très littéraires: A Review of Books on Books

This article reviews three books about books and publishing, written in a literary style. Paul Desalmand's "Le Pilon" gives voice to a book that fears being pulped, criticizing the practice of selling books on consignment and the destruction of unsold copies. Gabriel Zaid's "Bien trop de livres ?" (Too Many Books?) questions the exponential growth of publishing, noting a new book every thirty seconds, and distinguishes between those who want to be cultured and those who are truly cultured. Dubravka Ugresic's "Ceci n'est pas un livre" (This Is Not a Book) compares market literature to socialist realism and discusses the banality of reading the Marquis de Sade today. The article also touches on the desire to be published, referencing a Fnac magazine that offers tips for aspiring writers. Published in artpress in November 2006.