Damned if I know. Every so often, the American publishing establishment decides to adopt a new "cutting-edge Gallic writer" and half the time I'm like, who? Apparently Bouillier is a sensation here in France. Somehow he got past me.
In any case, here's a delicious example of just how a) messed up b) ingenious c)totalement a l'ouest book marketing has become. I give you: the world's first coming attraction-- for a book.
There doesn't seem to be anything particularly French about this book, judging from the bande-annonce, unless the turtlenecks, 1964 Bordeaux, and effeminate accent ("these people don't look like celebrities, they look like little pieces of bread!") are supposed to be American code for "pretentious and French"? Because to me, that all just screams pretentious American graduate student.
I have no idea if the book is any good, but this little ditty is a surefire way to get me not to pick it up.
[NDLR: No offense intended to M. Bouillier, who according to Evene never intended to be a writer, much less a writer with crazy hype attached to his name. He's probably smacking his palm against his forehead and cursing America.]
Via The Elegant Variation.
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8 comments:
This is unbelievable! I'm gazing at your home page with mouth agape. Tell me this kind of ridiculous blather will die a natural death---SOON, please!
I'm thinking that the new book on the sex lives of French politicians is probably more entertaining.
Weird. I came across an excerpt from this...what?...novella? in an issue of n+1 (read yo links!) a little while ago. Interesting enough, funny/pitiful and vaguely, indirectly about artist Sophie Calle, so that combined with a long train ride convinced me to read on.
Am shocked by the promo. Book tone=absurdity, loads of self-deprication; promo tone=tone? All caricature! After seeing the promo, I'd have slapped this book down had it been offered to me. Perhaps this is the very same American publishing establishment who last year sold us Bernard-Henri Levy as Philosopher and Leading French Intellectual. Bah.
I'm dumbstruck too! I couldn't believe it..had to Google him to probe it was so :O
And Farrar, Straus and Giroux no less!? What is the world coming to..
ick.
DDJ, I don't know how much I care to know about Chirac's sex life! But Villepin's, well, that's a different story... this is the man who allegedly said that France is like a woman with her legs spread, waiting to be f*cked. (!!!)
Zeddie, was that an imperative "read yo links" or a past participle "you read mah links"? I haven't read n+1 recently, it's true. Boo on me. Let me know if there's anything interesting in there. BTW love your blog.
Laura and PB and anon: I know, ick. but FSG-- that's Morgan Entrekin over there, right? He has a reputation for being a little wonky in the name of originality and daring, so I'm not surprised that this has come out of his house. Feh.
Correction: Entrekin is at Grove/Atlantic, not FSG.
Wow. That video actually made my skin crawl. How could this possibly have anything to do with Sophie Calle?
I have been enjoying reading your blog for a few months now- thank you very much!
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