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Public Enemies: Dueling Writers Take On Each Other and the World
The international publishing sensation is now available in the United States—two brilliant, controversial authors confront each other and their enemies in an unforgettable exchange of letters.
In one corner, Bernard-Henri Lévy, creator of the classic Barbarism with a Human Face, dismissed by the media as a wealthy, self-promoting, arrogant do-gooder. In the other, Michel Ho...more
In one corner, Bernard-Henri Lévy, creator of the classic Barbarism with a Human Face, dismissed by the media as a wealthy, self-promoting, arrogant do-gooder. In the other, Michel Ho...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
January 11th 2011
by Random House Trade Paperbacks
(first published 2008)
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Was wondering between giving this book 1 or 2 stars.
The book is a collection of e-mails between Houellebecq and Levy. I bought it because I've been enjoying a few of Houellebecq works, and was interested a bit of an political, cultural analysis of France, and our western society.
The book is sell as a disagreement of both "players", a clearly contrast of opinions, really far from reality, they have opposed views regardless some topics, mostly philanthropy, pessimism and spirituality, but spend...more
The book is a collection of e-mails between Houellebecq and Levy. I bought it because I've been enjoying a few of Houellebecq works, and was interested a bit of an political, cultural analysis of France, and our western society.
The book is sell as a disagreement of both "players", a clearly contrast of opinions, really far from reality, they have opposed views regardless some topics, mostly philanthropy, pessimism and spirituality, but spend...more
I really don’t know what to make of this book. As another reviewer said, there really should have been an introduction to put the dialogue in context. I started out just finding it annoying—it seemed to be over-abstract and I couldn’t help feeling like they were looking at the camera—so to speak—rather than at each other. But the book, and they, started to grow on me towards the end. I felt especially sympathetic when Levy was expressing his own sympathy for Houellebecq when his vile mother—who...more
This is a book of correspondence. It is definitely not bad. But it is definitely not good. The authors are so damn self-important! But, perhaps if I become relevant one day, I too will be self-important...
What it comes down to is that I may well have been wanting more than one should when reading correspondence, though that doesn't make me any less (however slightly) disappointed.
The best thing about this book is the wealth of references to other things that I want to read, forgot that I wanted...more
What it comes down to is that I may well have been wanting more than one should when reading correspondence, though that doesn't make me any less (however slightly) disappointed.
The best thing about this book is the wealth of references to other things that I want to read, forgot that I wanted...more
Ennemis Publics m´a pris plus que 4 mois á terminer faute de bien comprendre tout, car le livre est assez exigeant.
Les remarques de Houllebecq sont plus marrantes que celles de BHL, sauf quelques remarques sur l´amertume ou la déception:
"Entre celui qui vit dans le ressentiment, intoxiqué par l´esprit de rancune, aliéné á sa mélancolie et á son mauvais sang et celui qui, pas tellement par vertu, mais par complexion, ou par auto-dressage, ou parce qu´il a juste mieux á faire (par example un nouv...more
Les remarques de Houllebecq sont plus marrantes que celles de BHL, sauf quelques remarques sur l´amertume ou la déception:
"Entre celui qui vit dans le ressentiment, intoxiqué par l´esprit de rancune, aliéné á sa mélancolie et á son mauvais sang et celui qui, pas tellement par vertu, mais par complexion, ou par auto-dressage, ou parce qu´il a juste mieux á faire (par example un nouv...more
A very enjoyable book to read on the bus, but then again Michel Houellebecq and Bernard-Henri Lévy are not real heavy weights in the world of letters to me at least. We're not talking Sartre meets Foucault - it is more of a showbiz version of French intellectuals.
What these two do is moan about their public identity, and their importance to culture. Which may be true (and I am a fan of Houellebecq) but it is almost like a Saturday Night Live skit. They're hysterical but I don't think they mean i...more
What these two do is moan about their public identity, and their importance to culture. Which may be true (and I am a fan of Houellebecq) but it is almost like a Saturday Night Live skit. They're hysterical but I don't think they mean i...more
I was interested in this book because I am a fan of Michel Houellebecq's novels and do not have much love for Bernard-Henri Levi. I knew that this was a series of open letters that the two authors penned to each other. As the title suggests, I expected it to be fairly contentious and I hoped that Houellbecq would win. What I got was something else entirely. Slow at first, the book developed and actually became a page turner as I couldn't wait to see each response. While much of the time it seems...more
I found it incredibly difficult to care about anything that Bernard-Henri had to say. He has an incredibly sharp mind, but his curiousity flounders in self-importance. Maybe his incessant name-dropping is some kind of inside joke, but I found him otherwise to be completely without humour, and worse yet, dull.
Michel Houellebecq, on the other hand, is honest, insightful, and entertaining. Granted, I don't read French tabloids, so half the controversy went over my head. But I appreciated that his...more
Michel Houellebecq, on the other hand, is honest, insightful, and entertaining. Granted, I don't read French tabloids, so half the controversy went over my head. But I appreciated that his...more
This is a book about the tensions between honesty, truth and fame. It is also a firework display of insight. Unfortunately the publishers believe that presenting the dialogue as a fight might make it more interesting to readers. There is no fight here. There is a cordial exchange of ideas. BHL and MH reveal a lot about themselves and this might satisfy their admirers or detractors, but they also discuss literature, philosophy, fame, writing, cinema, life, death - the whole panoply - and they do...more
You might be forgiven for snickering at the title of “Public Enemies,” Michel Houllebecq’s and Bernard-Henri Levy’s collection of email correspondence, before even cracking the cover. Far from a threat to the Republic, these two writers are card-carrying members of the Apollonian French literary/philosophical establishment. Any countercultural postures from these public intellectuals, in a country where the role carries real gravity, are bound to be at least a partial masquerade.
Levy, in particu...more
Levy, in particu...more
A lot of people have slagged this book, even though it's a huge seller in Europe, as a couple of whiny Frenchmen commiserating over their shared mistreatment by the French press. But I think these people don't fully understand the status of authors in France, who are akin to rock stars there, and how microscopically they are both parsed and obsessed over. Both authors have legions of detractors, and the French are not nearly as kind to their literary celebrities as we are. Huge volumes of words...more
I've seen Bernard-Henri Lévy speaking on TV for years, so when I heard about this book, I thought it would be a lot of fun. A debate between two diametrically opposed French philosophers. How could it be anything but. I must admit that I am by no means a philosopher and have never been a fan of reading philosophy, but I did enjoy this book.
There are times when both Lévy and Houellebecq got off on a train of thought, exploring it and arguing it for the sake of polemics rather than conviction. And...more
There are times when both Lévy and Houellebecq got off on a train of thought, exploring it and arguing it for the sake of polemics rather than conviction. And...more
A collection of letters between Houellebecq and Levy. Being a huge fan of the former I very much enjoyed the exchange - you get a nice peak at Houellebecq's views in their raw form - without the usual envelope of fictional narrative around them. Levy isn't as funny or as original but is clearly more 'plugged in' into various worldly affairs so his perspective is not unwelcome either.
My rating will tend to cling to the Houellebecq sections as I find BHL ever-dull and prone to posing beyond his depth. Cher H's diatribes against contemporary public spaces (bubbles of enforced conformity between private residences) and the stench of political participation (leave it to the users, darling) are gripping reading and his recollections of his father and his childhood are quick to unsettle.
It's very rare for me to abandon a book i'm reading but I just couldn't get into this book. A friend recommended it to me so I gave it a shot and it's just not for me. I don't know enough about the authors or about the culture they continually reference throughout the correspondence to really 'get it'. I liked the concept, but like I said, it's just not for me.
Usually letters between famous people are published posthumously. The fact these are out a year later is simply how things work now I suppose. I wonder if these were handwritten letters or e-mails actually. The very act of writing traditional letters is a self-conscious throwback but then again so is this whole interchange--very deliberately so.
Im a fanatic for Houellebecq's style and attitude so I lapped up the early sections: "We have contributed nothing to France's electropop revival. We wer...more
Im a fanatic for Houellebecq's style and attitude so I lapped up the early sections: "We have contributed nothing to France's electropop revival. We wer...more
The opening to this book is very promising and sets the reader up for some very interesting discussion. The book does not deliver on its early promise, but meanders through a range of topics instead. Like other readers I too am more familiar with H than L, and therefore enjoyed H's writing more overall. I would love to see more books in this style, perhaps with more structure to topics, but all conversations wander, don't they?
Entertaining, funny, and a little thought provoking too. I enjoyed th...more
Entertaining, funny, and a little thought provoking too. I enjoyed th...more
A great conversation between Houellebecq and Lévy that covers everything from the pleasures and misfortunes of being a public figure, memories from their youth, literary preferences and philosophical influences. The form, an exchange of letters, makes for an easy read. Insulting each other in a subtle and sophisticated manner keeps the book light and entertaining. Finally, the fact that they find out that they have more in common than they first thought and a friendship seems to form makes you w...more
At times, the literary/philosophical game of one-upmanship was exhausting, but mostly, I was enthralled by their self examination. Character studies of their parents, and intense discussions of what and why they write, were among the best parts, and I enjoyed the debate on political apathy versus engagement.
A fun, relatively quick, thought-provoking read. Admittedly, I did not always get the references to European journalists or thinkers, and I wish I could have read it in French as I worry things get lost in translation but really enjoyed it nonetheless.
Aug 01, 2011
Lauri-Ann
added it
I'm not going to give this a star rating because I only understood about half of it. I found some of what I understood interesting, but mostly the book felt self-absorbed, or should I say selves-absorbed.
If you absolutely love Houellebecq and/or Levy OR you are interested in the details of French bookchat this is highly recommended...otherwise,except for some provocative comments about Romain Gary,this is pretty bland stuff...
The French references (although defined) are a bit esoteric, the philosophical references made me realize how much I have to read. Spinoza here I come. Overall interesting and educational beyond the egos and posturing.
Two people one can't stomach arguing about France and the lack of it. Really annoying read, but surprisingly well-crafted. Surprise is the word.
Abandoned this one. It doesn't have an introduction or preface, so I have nothing to guide me other than the paragraph on the back cover. I thought maybe the letters themselves would start to make sense, but they don't. Also, I'm not familiar with most of the people referred to in their non-stop name-dropping. The letters come across like English majors or film students debating in a cafe - more of a pretentious performance than a true debate.
Aug 09, 2011
Simon
marked it as kill-me-if-i-ever-think-of-reading
OK, I had to start this new bookshelf just to put this book into it. Seriously, kill me if I ever think of reading this.
Try to put aside all the extra-literary tittle-tattle surrounding Houellebecq and BHL, and just enjoy this one for what it is: a couple of super-smart, hyper-articulate guys talkin' about stuff. To that extent, it's really good. 3.5 stars, as the neurotic sticklers say.
A few nice anecdotes, but not worth reading their benign back and forth. Two hours on a tellie? Maybe. 300 pages? No.
They're french. They're irritable. They have opinions. What more do you want?
The first letter is hilarious and worth the price of the book on its own.
The first letter is hilarious and worth the price of the book on its own.
Entertaining pissing contest between two of France's least likeable public intellectuals.
Michel Houellebecq presents a fascinating method of saving a life, by appealing to one's deep-seeded need to intellectually explain away the human condition. The rope thrown was both near and far, leaving the victim to decide, whether reaching beyond himself was worth the effort. Intriguing concept. Bravo!
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Michel Houellebecq (born Michel Thomas), born 26 February 1958 (birth certificate) or 1956 on the French island of Réunion, is a controversial and award-winning French novelist. To admirers he is a writer in the tradition of literary provocation that reaches back to the Marquis de Sade and Baudelaire; to detractors he is a peddler of sleaze and shock. Having written poetry and a biography of the h...more
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“τι υπάρχει πίσω από αυτή την άρνηση, αυτή τη φοβία, αυτή την απόφαση να λέω όσο το δυνατόν λιγότερα και να μένω χωρίς ομολογία;”
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Jul 13, 2011 01:23am