Paris (AFP)

Several Goncourt awards have been marked by scandals or polemics while the institution rewarded, a century ago, after very violent riots, Marcel Proust and "In the shadow of young girls in bloom".

- Proust: girls preferred to trenches -

In 1919, the attribution of the Goncourt to Proust by six votes out of ten is scandalous. At the end of the war, the patriotic opinion plebiscite "Les Croix de bois", a novel anchored in the trenches where the author, Roland Dorgelès, fought more than two years as a volunteer.

Prefer him "Young girls in flowers", evoking high society, its salons and holidays, creates a "literary riot", according to Thierry Laget, author of a book on the issue, "Proust, Goncourt price".

The press cries out against injustice and is unleashed against Proust deemed too old (48 years), too rich (the 5,000 francs of the price would be more useful to another), too mundane, homosexual and stashed.

- The biggest misfire -

This is one of the great loupés of Goncourt, even if there were others (Yourcenar, Apollinaire or Colette). Guy Mazeline, author of the novel "The Wolves" and winner in 1932, has remained in posterity for winning against Louis-Ferdinand Celine and his "Journey at the end of the night", one of the greatest novels of the century, crowned the same day by the Renaudot prize.

In the jury, Céline's defense is led by Léon Daudet, already a great defender of Proust.

- 1951: Julien Gracq, laureate despite himself -

With "The Shore of the Syrtes", Julien Gracq is, this autumn 1951, the favorite. Before even being quoted for the prize, he says he will refuse it. He has just written "Literature in the stomach", a pamphlet in which he regrets that one is more interested in the author than in books. He regrets that "the jury did not take into account his (his) attitude". For this honest man, prices are more about booksellers than literature.

The publisher José Corti refuses to dress the volumes of the traditional band "Prix Goncourt". He sells 110,000 copies of the novel the first year, only 175 the second. Julien Gracq sees the confirmation of the artificial nature of the prices. Since then, sales of the book have totaled about 300,000 copies, without appearing in pocket. The only other edition is that of the Pleiades.

- Two awards for one author -

Romain Gary left behind one of the greatest deceptions in literary history, twice receiving the Prix Goncourt under two different names.

The first under that of Romain Gary for "The Roots of Heaven" in 1956, the second for "Life before self", awarded in 1975 to Emile Ajar. He will emphasize in his posthumous work "Life and death of Emile Ajar": "It was a new birth, I started again, everything was given to me once again".

Camoufllet for the institution Goncourt, the deception is not revealed until 1980, after the death of the writer.

- The case Vintilia Horia -

In 1960, Vintilia Horia, French-speaking Romanian writer won the prize for his novel "God is born in exile", but after the revelation of his past and his fascist writings, he declines the price and leaves France. "The prize remains awarded but not awarded," according to the academy Goncourt.

- Simone de Beauvoir sulk -

In 1953, Simone de Beauvoir is already winning the prize for "The guest". It is said that she even bought a dress for the event. Finally, it is Marius Grout, long forgotten, who wins. In 1954, the novelist prevails with "Mandarins".

The juror Paule Constant told in 2003 that she only gave an interview, to "Humanity Sunday". And did not accept to pose for only one photo, with his mother. She replied that she liked the journalists, but not their newspapers.

- Houellebecq three attempts before the good -

Favorite yet ousted in 1998 for "elementary particles", Michel Houellebecq missed two more times the Goncourt (in 2001 for "Platform", in 2005 for "The possibility of an island"), before being awarded in 2010 for "The map and the territory".

The jurors crown him in less than two minutes by seven votes to two. Welcomed like a rock star by unchained journalists at Drouant, Parisian restaurant where the name of the winner is proclaimed, the writer until then bad loser says himself "deeply happy".

rap-CCD / eng / ial / phc

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