French Literature Reviews - 2026
É. Chevillard, Prosper at Work
Novel and Narrative Prose
Prosper at Work
Eric Chevillard
Noir & Blanc Publ.
coll. Notabilia
Publication date: 17/10/2019
Format: 14.5 x 21 cm, 112 p., 15.00 EUR
ISBN 978-2-88250-589-7
Prosper is back! The most unbearable writer in Saint-Germain-des-Prés is grappling with the torments of a bestselling author: he appears on TV, talks about literature, leads a masterclass, and, following the success of his debut novel, tries his hand at writing a detective story. He waits for inspiration to strike while polishing his metaphors, recruits his characters, arms himself with tools, sets the scene, reads his ghostwriters the riot act, and drops clues with his tumescent pen... all while making sure his advance payments keep rising.
It is with sheer, delightful pleasure that one dives into this ferocious diatribe against industrial literature and the world of bestselling authors. A satirical and hilarious book, featuring illustrations once again by Jean-François Martin.
“Prosper Roughdraft does not write for himself. He thinks only of his reader, obsessively, passionately, inventing a new torture with every new book to force that greedy rat to cough up his twenty euros.”
Visit the publisher's website...
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An article about this book can be read on en-attendant-nadeau.fr:
"Chevillard, yop la boum", by Alain Joubert (published online November 19, 2019)
“Nothing was tragic. He knew there were shuttles running between the isle of suffering, the isle of oblivion, and the even more distant isle of hope.” (David Foenkinos) “The muffled tom-tom of the absolute was calling him toward an unpadded encounter, a love woven from truths dangerous to oneself and to others.” (Alexandre Jardin) “All right, but be careful not to pick the wrong hole.” (Christine Angot) “A tear took advantage of a moment of inattention and managed to slip through my eyelashes and roll down my cheek. I had neither the courage nor the strength to intercept it.” (Yasmina Khadra) These few brightly ringing quotations appear, among others, as epigraphs to Eric Chevillard's new Prosper novel.
The figure of the writer as a public persona has long served as a target for French satire, exploring the tensions between artistic integrity and the commercial pressures of the publishing industry. This work depicts the protagonist Prosper navigating television appearances, masterclasses, and the demands of genre fiction, while focusing on the performative nature of authorship and the pursuit of financial success within the contemporary Parisian scene.
The narrative describes the protagonist’s creative process as a series of maneuvers to secure advances and engage with readers. The inclusion of diverse epigraphs situates the narrative within a wider dialogue about the nature of writing. Readers interested in contemporary French satire and the deconstruction of the authorial image may find this exploration of the writing life relevant.