Luc Boltanski's 'Énigmes et complots' Links Detective Fiction, Sociology, and Paranoia

In 'Énigmes et complots' (Gallimard), sociologist Luc Boltanski explores the shared suspicion that reality hides truths requiring investigation, a common thread among the detective novel, sociology, and psychoanalytic paranoia. The book is structured in three parts, with the longest devoted to a literary analysis of detective fiction. Boltanski contrasts English and French detective novels: the English detective adheres to moral judgment, while the French counterpart, facing opaque administration, accepts concealed reality. Drawing on Max Scheler's 'The Ressentiment of Man,' Boltanski traces the shift from individual to social pathology, arguing that democratic societies, which theoretically grant equal rights, foster resentment among those unable to access all pleasures, leading them to blame obscure forces. He discusses conspiracy theories that accuse international finance of manipulating governments or fear 'flows' (migratory and financial), showing how these can fuel nationalism and fascism. Boltanski concludes with a paradox: dubious facts become more credible when the public is familiar with certain fictions, such as detective novels or series. The epilogue is titled 'And History Copied Literature.' The review was written by Catherine Millet.