• It's the same tune every year, the literary season is in full swing, like the back to school season.

    The Goncourt jurors unveiled Tuesday afternoon the first selection of contenders for the most prestigious of French literary prizes.

  • Consecrations for many authors, the literary prizes boost the sales of publishing houses and ensure their success in bookstores.

  • We asked our readers if these labels influence their choice of books.

    Most are turning away from these distinctions that they consider economical to discover feathers more in line with their interests.

After a turbulent summer transfer window, the publishing world is setting out to attack the 2022 literary season. Gallimard, Actes Sud and Flammarion are also in a good position in the first selection of the Goncourt prize, unveiled on Tuesday afternoon. by the illustrious jury.

Many called, but there will be only one elected to succeed Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, 119th winner for his novel

The most secret memory of men

(Philippe Rey).

pic.twitter.com/NAlCkIUChq

– Goncourt Academy (@AcadGoncourt) September 6, 2022

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“Overpriced” works

A prestigious distinction that does not make all our readers dream.

To tell the truth, Sacha Guitry's quote, "Les mots qui font impauvril la langue", could sum up the opinion of some of our readers on the French tradition of the literary prize.

Evelyne, for example, decided to boycott the future winner because she considers reading these award-winning works “difficult” and reserved for “an intellectual elite”.

She is not the only bookseller to judge these works “pompous”.

“Why be influenced in one's tastes by a handful of people making up a jury?

“, challenges us on his side Jad.

The other critical argument that feeds the dislike of some of our readers for this reward is its cost.

“The award-winning books are 90% uninteresting and overpriced!

We see some at 25-30 euros and it's much too expensive for what it is, ”protests Miguel Ange.

Brigitte, for her part, has nothing against literary prizes, but she believes that they are “a media showcase for the publishing world”.

By leafing through works, joining a book club or simply choosing books that are more in keeping with the genres they like, these readers find what they are looking for.

A “

doping

comeback

Stop!

If the Goncourt or the Renaudot are among the best-known literary prizes, there are others that delight our readers even more.

"For example, the Nebula and Hugo prizes in Fantasy/Science-fiction I will tend to follow them, whereas I obviously know that the Goncourt prizes are not for me", writes Hender.

A fan of the literary season, Françoise "looks out for literary meetings" to form her own opinion among the forty books she buys, without favoring prices over others.

Yannick fell in love with the Prix Goncourt in 2015. Each year, he rushes to the winner.

"I take great pleasure in comparing them, getting my own idea and above all sharing my impressions with other readers around me," he explains.

The fervent reader is also fascinated by “the enthusiasm that this award arouses in society, more than for the work itself, which is found alongside the great classics of literature that have also been awarded prizes”.

And what about librarians?

Jacques, manager of several libraries, gave us his opinion: "I systematically buy the award-winning books, especially Goncourt, Femina, Goncourt des Lycéens, Prix des Libraires, Renaudot... The choices are not always in line with mine, but the reward attracts potential readers.

The other volumes depend on particular requests or on the choice of the librarians according to the critics or their personal tastes”.

Ultimately, tastes and colors, we do not discuss and everyone ends up finding their account.

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