French Literature Reviews - 2026
B. Viard, La République insoumise. Réponse à Michel Houellebecq
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics
Bruno Viard
La République insoumise. Réponse à Michel Houellebecq
Editions Mimésis, "Literature and Criticism" series, 2017
Pages: 210
ISBN: 978-88-6976-053-2
Publication date: 2016
Price: € 20.00
Publisher's overview:
Michel Houellebecq's latest novel depicts Christian and republican brotherhoods as so exhausted that France would have no choice but to submit to the yoke of Islam without even enduring a jihad. For the French republican mindset, this political fiction serves as a provocation to conduct a health check.
This book belongs to the genre of amplification—a critical expansion of the themes developed in Submission. Framed as a dialogue between an author and readers—who are more or less rebellious—humor blends with pedagogy in an attempt to offer a fresh response to the major questions of our time. Republican principles are tested against the realities of decolonization, the events of May '68, and globalization.
Bruno Viard is a Professor of French Literature at Aix-Marseille University, organizer of the 2013 academic conference The Unity of Michel Houellebecq's Work, and author of The Drawers of Michel Houellebecq (2014). He has also written several books on nineteenth-century republican and socialist movements, with a particular focus on Pierre Leroux.
This volume engages with contemporary debates surrounding political fiction and the ideological tensions within modern society. Republican principles are tested against the realities of decolonization, the events of May '68, and globalization. The text addresses how literary works can provoke critical reflection on pressing historical and social transformations, including the legacies of May '68 and the ongoing challenges posed by globalization.
Readers interested in contemporary French literature and cultural critique may find this discussion relevant. The work reflects the scholarly background of its author, Bruno Viard, who is a Professor of French Literature at Aix-Marseille University, organizer of the 2013 academic conference The Unity of Michel Houellebecq's Work, and author of The Drawers of Michel Houellebecq (2014). He has also written several books on nineteenth-century republican and socialist movements, with a particular focus on Pierre Leroux.