Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Book prize on a platter for France's Houellebecq?
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
World
Book prize on a platter for France's Houellebecq?
AFP - Sunday, November 7
Send
IM Story
Print
Book prize on a platter for France's Houellebecq?
PARIS (AFP) - – For over a decade the biting, sex-fuelled satire of France's best-known living writer Michel Houellebecq has shocked and delighted readers in equal measure, but the country's top book prize has stubbornly slipped through his fingers.
But this time the writer, who came within a hair's breadth of a win on two occasions, in 1998 and 2005, is tipped as hands-down favourite for the coveted Goncourt prize, to be handed out on Monday in Paris.
"La carte et le territoire" (The Map and the Territory), one of four finalists, gleefully satirises the Paris art world, and even takes a swipe at a drunken, stinking, badly-dressed writer who goes by the name of Michel Houellebecq.
Already a best-seller in France, the tale of an artist who gains global fame by photographing old Michelin maps, largely dispenses with the misanthropic provocation his four previous novels displayed.
It has garnered enthusiastic reviews -- Liberation newspaper called it a "masterpiece" -- and sales have stayed buoyant despite a row last month over accusations of plagiarism, which the author has dismissed as "ridiculous".
The cut-and-paste claim centred on three passages, on a French hunting activist, the town of Beauvais and the housefly, that were apparently lifted from Wikipedia, the user-generated online encyclopedia.
The author has dismissed the accusation, arguing that mixing "real" texts into fiction was a technique countless writers have used, notably Argentina's Jorge Luis Borges and France's Georges Perec.
Houellebecq (pronounced "wellbeck") rose to prominence in the 1990s with "Les Particules Elementaires", which was translated into English as "Atomised" and won wide acclaim -- only narrowly missing out on a Goncourt in 1998.
Past works by the writer, who now divides his time between Spain and Ireland, have courted controversy over and over again, drawing charges that ranged from obscenity to provoking racial hatred.
In 2001, "Platform", a sex-tourism romp with an Islamist terrorism theme, landed him in court on charges over his depiction of Islam, although he was cleared of all charges.
While most French critics have taken warmly to "La carte et le territoire," one writer who is on the Goncourt prize jury -- the French-Moroccan novelist Tahar Ben Jelloun -- said he wasted three days reading it.
The Goncourt reliably delivers a commercial shot in the arm, guaranteeing average sales of 400,000 copies, but it has also become a kind of seal of approval for France's top authors.
Though critics decry him as a cold monster, even Houellebecq's detractors seem to agree that he is long overdue the honour.
"Houellebecq is highly intelligent. There is little doubt he will scoop the Goncourt this year," wrote the French critic and writer Pierre Assouline, who has publicly clashed with the writer in the past.
Houellebecq's previous work, the 2005 "The Possibility of an Island", came within one vote of a Goncourt win.
This time he is running against Virginie Despentes, with a punk novel called "Apocalypse Baby", Mathias Enard for a tale about Michelangelo in Constantinople, and Maylis de Kerangal with a novel about the building of a new Golden Gate bridge in an imaginary California.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Book prize on a platter for France's Houellebecq? AFP - Sunday, November 7
Actress Jill Clayburgh dies at 66 AFP - Sunday, November 7
US porn maker to resume filming after HIV scare AFP - Saturday, November 6
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary Reuters - Saturday, November 6
Actress Jill Clayburgh dies at age 66 Reuters - Saturday, November 6
News Search
Top Stories
Yemen orders arrest of US-born cleric Awlaqi
German protesters mobilise against nuclear waste train
Kubica tops final practice in Brazilian GP
Dell has not ruled out going private, CFO says
Tomas lashes Haiti, leaving six dead
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
RBS bank plunges back into loss
World's oldest axe found in Australia
Dell has not ruled out going private, CFO says
NASA comet fly-by yields rare images from deep space
Rolls-Royce recommends engine checks after A380 incident
More Most Viewed »
Alcohol more harmful than heroin, crack cocaine: study
Toddler survives seven-floor fall in France
Spectacular unknown species found in Amazon
Ancient galaxy is more than 13 billion light years away
Moon's 'treasure chest' includes silver
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Entertainment
Photos
Yahoo! News Network
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Community
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy
- Help
Other News on Sunday, 7 November 2010 German protesters mobilise against nuclear waste train
NATO: Afghan soldier may have killed 2 NATO troops
Gunmen block roads after Mexican drug lord killed
|
Pope warns of 'aggressive' anti-priest culture in Spain
Israel's Barak not optimistic about Iran talks
|
French take to the streets again for fading pension protests
Germany minister now warns of terror attack threat
|
Kubica tops final practice in Brazilian GP
Top Russian journalist in coma after attack
Mass German anti-nuclear rally against waste shipment
|
French pension protest shrinks as unity frays
|
Ivory Coast overrules poll result challenges
|
Vietnamese police detain government critic: state TV
England taught lesson by clinical All Blacks
Beale inspires Wallabies to rugby win over Wales
Arrests made over Afghan U.N. raid
Obama wins India business
Book prize on a platter for France's Houellebecq?
Portugal hopes to reap benefits from Hu's visit
BP to sign exploration deal with Chinese company: report
China's Hu seals France ties ahead of G20
'Peer pressure' will police currency deal: S.Korea
S.Korea's Lee sees peer pressure enforcing G20 deal
APEC pledges cooperation to protect growth
Leader hails strong Taiwanese economic recovery
Reports Afghan soldier shot foreign troops probed
Myanmar votes in first election in 20 years
|
German protesters mobilise against nuclear waste train
U.N. rejects south Sudan calls for peacekeepers
AFP, EFE join forces to fight piracy
Fed not in the business of inflation: Bernanke
Pope warns of Spain's anti-priest culture
Haiti dodges storm disaster as cholera toll rises
|
Microsoft CEO sells 1.3 billion dollars in shares in company
Yemen orders arrest of US-born cleric Awlaqi
Bodies of 5 Afghan policemen found in east
Greeks vote in high-stake local elections
|
Sister of Dutch Colombian guerrilla urges her to surrender
Awareness About Hinduism Gets Spotlight At Fort Collins
Google Maps embroiled in Central America border dispute
150 Arrested In Protest Of Police Officer Sentencing
French take to the streets again for fading pension protests
U.N. rejects south Sudan calls for peacekeepers
|
China resolved to protect intellectual property: minister
Guineans set to vote in presidential run-off
|
U.S. won't know pace of Afghan drawdown for months
|
Azerbaijan election to extend rule of Aliyev party
|
U.S. won't know pace of Afghan drawdown for months
Chinese artist blasts 'inhuman' Communist regime
First openly gay Episcopal bishop to retire in 2013
Volcano causes more flight chaos in Indonesia
United States urges Fiji to return to democracy
Dancing Obama appeals to Indian youth
NATO to keep nuclear weapons
Recalled Japanese envoy returns to Russia
Blacks struggle with 72 percent unwed mothers rate
Australia, US want China to be 'force for good'
Secret underground art show thrills New York
Indian media say Obama visit hitting right notes
Marines' leader: Keep policy on gays in military
World's tallest Jesus looms over Poland
China dissident writer to attend Nobel ceremony
American rancher buys Miracle on Ice gold medal
Clinton calls Myanmar elections sign of repression
Pompeii house collapses into rubble
Myanmar votes in election marred by fraud fears
Gates says US seeks no new bases in Asia
Home crowd expectations for badminton star Lin Dan
Clinton says Myanmar election deeply 'flawed'
Coal India issue could boost future state sales
Obama, Calderon talk after Mexican drug shootout
Get rich quick trumps market reform: analysts
US, Australia pressure Myanmar, Fiji over rights
S.Korea seeks to revive foreign bond tax -Yonhap
Report: China may tighten controls on rare earths
China's Hu calls for Portuguese cooperation on reform agenda
Greeks vote in high-stakes local elections
|
Israel set to present Lebanese border plan to U.N.
|
MTV Unpacks The EMA Goodie Bags
Iran says nuclear talks could be held in Turkey
|
APPA Foods Recalls Chicken Pasta Salad Over Salmonella Contamination Fear
German police clash with anti-nuclear activists
|
Baugher Enterprise, Inc. Recalls Baugher's Apple Cider Because of Possible E. Coli Risk
Afghan polls protesters warn of possible violence
|
Early voting peaceful in Guinea election
|
Apathy and allegations mark Azerbaijan election
|
Israel PM heads to New Orleans to meet Biden
Thousands protest in Seoul before G20 summit
|
China offers to support Portugal but no debt pledge
Islamist boycott dents Jordan polls
|
Oakland residents awaken to broken windows, debris
Volcano travel chaos as ash grounds Indonesia flights
Tens of thousands rally in S.Korea against G20 summit
Korea's Shin wins Mizuno Classic golf
China to spend $4.5bn on domestic mineral exploration
Japan says it will open up economy, seek more FTAs
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights