Angry mob attempts to kick author’s ass
A trial began in France yesterday in which five farmers from the Auvergne countryside are accused of attacking a novelist, Pierre Jourde, who wrote unflattering things about their village. As the Guardian reports, the villagers of Lussaud were “incensed by Jourde’s depictions of heavy drinking, adultery, intermarriage, filthy homes, and accidents with farm machinery” in his 2003 novel Pays Perdu.
[Jourde] described a place where the gods were called “Alcohol, Winter, Shit and Solitude”; where having one tooth was a status symbol akin to wearing a monocle and where an old lady let dead dogs decay in her bed, tucking herself up beside them every night… [Later], Jourde heard that villagers were unhappy. Locals felt their ancestors’ secrets had been betrayed.
[…]
In July 2005, when Jourde arrived with his family for a summer break, six villagers appeared outside his house shouting insults. Things turned violent, blows were exchanged and stones were thrown. Jourde’s 15-month-old baby was slightly hurt and his mixed-race daughters were called “dirty Arabs.” Jourde and his family locked themselves in their car and fled. They have never returned.
All Quillblog could think while reading this was: why doesn’t this happen more often? Maybe it’ll start a trend, and the denizens of the Miramichi will come a-callin’ for David Adams Richards. (Hey wait, didn’t they already try to burn his house down once?)
Sounds like Part Deux of “Sei personnaggi in cerca d’autore.” :)
I only know the outline, haven’t read the book. From the little in the papers it is not that suprising that they were deeply insulted, and humiliated. He takes gossip and confidences and turns it into Euros for himself. It’s their lives and they get ridiculed.They should have shown their displeasure by suing the patronizing s.o.b… But, this is merely an opinion based on internet and newspapers. I’ll have to read the book.Don’t much like his face myself. (He refered to the faces of the villagers.)