
France is apparently seeing unprecedented sales of La Princesse de Cleves (The Princess of Cleves), a novel by Madame de La Fayette, published in 1678.
Why?
Because Nicolas Sarkozy hates it.
The Guardian reports:
Sales of the book have soared as Sarkozy's popularity plummets.
Protest takes many forms, and reading the novel has apparently become an act of rebellion against the president. This week the Paris book fair sold out of badges saying "I'm reading La Princesse de Clèves". Scores of public protest readings have been held at places such as the Sorbonne, including one by the actor Louis Garrel. The novel, a tale of duty versus love at the king's court, has become a symbol of dissent among university staff protesting against Sarkozy's reforms. Jean Fabbri, head of the main union of university lecturers, said reading the book was "a form of resistance".
The cultural magazine Télérama this week polled 100 French writers on their favourite books and The Princess of Cleves came third, something the magazine said would never have happened before Sarkozy's jibes. Another magazine deemed it "the most startling political-literary phenomenon of the moment".
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