L'Art français de la guerre
Encyclopedia
L'Art français de la guerre ("The French art of war") is a 2011 novel by the French writer Alexis Jenni
, published by Éditions Gallimard
. It is an adventure story about the military history of France in Indochina and Algeria. It received the Prix Goncourt
, with five votes to three against Carole Martinez's Du domaine des Murmures.
, a high-school biology teacher, although the first published. He had previously written one which he never submitted to a publisher, and one which was not accepted. According to Jenni, L'Art français de la guerre took five years to write. He considers himself a "Sunday writer, just as there are Sunday painters."
The novel was partly inspired by the debate on French national identity, announced by President Nicolas Sarkozy
’s government. Jenni wanted readers to think about the issue of national identity, a social debate occurring in France at the time the book was written, without having to take an opinion or side.
. Before it won the Prix Goncourt
it had sold more than 56,000 copies; novels that win the Goncourt will sell on average over 400,000 copies.
said of the novel "It’s important to exorcise the unpleasant parts of history through literature, and not through political discourse, which doesn’t help at all. Thanks to fiction, we can probe deep into these problems and touch people’s consciences and hearts." Journalist Jean Birnbaum (b. 1974) echoed that sentiment, praising the book for verbalizing the subconscious feelings of his generation; until Jenni’s novel was published there was no literature to help process the country’s recent military past on his generations own terms, the novel made honest debate possible.
Alexis Jenni
Alexis Jenni is a French novelist and biology teacher. His debut novel, L'Art français de la guerre, won the 2011 Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary award.-Biography:Jenni was born in 1963 in Lyon, France...
, published by Éditions Gallimard
Éditions Gallimard
Éditions Gallimard is one of the leading French publishers of books. The Guardian has described it as having "the best backlist in the world". In 2003 it and its subsidiaries published 1418 titles....
. It is an adventure story about the military history of France in Indochina and Algeria. It received the Prix Goncourt
Prix Goncourt
The Prix Goncourt is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year"...
, with five votes to three against Carole Martinez's Du domaine des Murmures.
Background
L'Art français de la guerre was the third novel written by Alexis JenniAlexis Jenni
Alexis Jenni is a French novelist and biology teacher. His debut novel, L'Art français de la guerre, won the 2011 Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary award.-Biography:Jenni was born in 1963 in Lyon, France...
, a high-school biology teacher, although the first published. He had previously written one which he never submitted to a publisher, and one which was not accepted. According to Jenni, L'Art français de la guerre took five years to write. He considers himself a "Sunday writer, just as there are Sunday painters."
The novel was partly inspired by the debate on French national identity, announced by President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
’s government. Jenni wanted readers to think about the issue of national identity, a social debate occurring in France at the time the book was written, without having to take an opinion or side.
Publication
The novel was published in France on 18 August 2011 through Éditions GallimardÉditions Gallimard
Éditions Gallimard is one of the leading French publishers of books. The Guardian has described it as having "the best backlist in the world". In 2003 it and its subsidiaries published 1418 titles....
. Before it won the Prix Goncourt
Prix Goncourt
The Prix Goncourt is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year"...
it had sold more than 56,000 copies; novels that win the Goncourt will sell on average over 400,000 copies.
Reception
Goncourt judge Tahar Ben JellounTahar Ben Jelloun
Tahar Ben Jelloun is a Moroccan poet and writer. The entirety of his work is written in French, although his first language is Arabic.-Life:...
said of the novel "It’s important to exorcise the unpleasant parts of history through literature, and not through political discourse, which doesn’t help at all. Thanks to fiction, we can probe deep into these problems and touch people’s consciences and hearts." Journalist Jean Birnbaum (b. 1974) echoed that sentiment, praising the book for verbalizing the subconscious feelings of his generation; until Jenni’s novel was published there was no literature to help process the country’s recent military past on his generations own terms, the novel made honest debate possible.