Virginie Despentes --- the female „Rock-’n’-Roll-Zola“

[Kai Frederik Lorentzen]

Earlier this year I uttered here my enthusiasm for the first volume of 
the Vernon Subutex trilogy by Virginie Despentes. In the meantime I also 
read, in the translation of Claudia Steinitz, the other two parts and am 
deeply impressed. While I in general tend to agree with Reich-Ranicki 
that women make great poets but not so good novelists, the trilogy of 
Madame Despentes is doubtlessly mind blowing & sublime. For me her 
skills can be recognized best in the masterful way she manages to keep 
kinda equidistance to her characters which are never ever idealized or 
denunciated (not even the 'evil' ones). And then it's a page-turner! To 
those interested in the current societal changes in continental Europe - 
there are, despite all differences, a lot of parallels between countries 
like France and Germany - this novel trilogy is a must. If you like 
Houellebecq, you will love Despentes too. And if you don't like 
Houellebecq because of his sexism, here's a huge French novel in the 
great tradition of the 19th century by a decided feminist. What are you 
waiting for? Read that!

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/31/virginie-despentes-interview-baise-moi-vernon-subutex

P.S. In the very last chapter of the trilogy there's a passage which 
makes me think that Madame Despentes does know "The Crying of Lot 49", 
which is the reason why this mail is not marked as (np).