A Thriller That Defies the Self-Indulgence of Modern Literature ; Our Man in Paris

Lichfield, John, The Independent (London, England)

At the start of every year, France conducts a kind of literary lottery. More than 600 new novels are tipped on to the shelves of French bookshops. One or two sell. Most vanish without trace.

A debate is raging this year about the future of the novel in France. Why are so many of them unreadable beyond the 11th page?

A series of essays suggests that the problem is that too many French authors write about their favourite subject: themselves. They have given up on plots and characters. Instead, they write in adoring detail about their own lives. This genre is called "auto fiction", a kind of interminable blogging in print. There is also, however, a thriving genre of …

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Publication information: Article title: A Thriller That Defies the Self-Indulgence of Modern Literature ; Our Man in Paris. Contributors: Lichfield, John - Author. Newspaper title: The Independent (London, England). Publication date: February 19, 2007. Page number: 18. © 2009 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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