- Join the France 24 community here
- Log in
Latest update: 22/01/2011
- France - French culture - French politics - literature
Fifty years after death, France wrestles with legacy of writer Céline
Is it possible to celebrate a body of work and censure the man behind it? A decision to exclude the acclaimed – and notoriously anti-Semitic – author Louis-Ferdinand Céline from a list of posthumous honours has left France pondering the question.
By Guillaume LOIRET (text)
"One can love Céline without being an anti-Semite as one can love Proust without being a homosexual!" French President Nicolas Sarkozy quipped during a visit to India in 2008. While Sarkozy’s reasoning was peculiar, it nonetheless reflected a dilemma that many lovers and caretakers of French literature wrestle with: how, and even whether, to honour the late author Louis-Ferdinand Céline.
The writer of Journey to the End of the Night may the president’s favourite, but Céline’s name will not be included in this year’s liste des célébrations nationales, an annual honour-role marking significant anniversaries linked to France’s cultural heritage.
The writer’s literary genius is not in question. But 50 years after Céline’s death, his brazen anti-Semitism and support for France's pro-Nazi Vichy government continue to cast a shadow on his groundbreaking body of work.
After a reported two days of calculated consideration, French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand announced Friday that Céline would be barred from the list, which honours, among other people and events, the creation of France’s National Centre of Space Research, the first issue of the world-famous comic book series Asterix, and the birth of classical composer Franz Liszt.
"I welcome Frederic Mitterrand’s gesture,” Richard Prasquier, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF), told France24.com. “I find it unthinkable that Céline be evoked as an example to celebrate. When the pen is despicable, so is the writer.”
A running controversy
Louis-Ferdinand Céline, who died on July 1, 1961, is France’s most widely-read author after Marcel Proust. He rose to prominence in the 1930s, but wrote viciously anti-Semitic essays during the rise of Nazi Germany.
He collaborated with the Vichy regime and was exiled after France’s liberation, but returned home in 1951 after being granted amnesty.
In the days before the controversial writer was excluded from the culture tribute, Serge Klarsfeld, the president of the Association of Sons and Daughters of Jews Deported from France (FFDJF), wrote: “Céline’s talent as a writer should not let us to forget the man who appealed for the murder of Jews during the occupation.”
Like the CRIF, the FFDJF also hailed Mitterrand’s decision. Céline’s censure in 2011, however, did not win unanimous praise in France.
Following the statements made by Jewish groups, several academics and writers urged the culture minister not mix Céline “the literary genius" with Céline “the anti-Semitic bastard."
Henri Godard, one of France’s leading specialists on Céline, told AFP on Friday that the decision, “Looks like censorship, even if Céline is an immensely difficult case.”
Related Content
‘Darth Vader’ demands free land from Ukrainian government
Browse all editions
FRANCE 24 PARTNERS
Comments (5)
Artists are all crazy
I have been an admirer of Celine's work for nearly fifty years. He is the most original voice of his age. He was also, as noted, "the anti-semitic bastard." When I look at the artists I admire, I note that many of them have extreme or just plain insane political and social ideas. Many of them, including Celine, hate my ethnicity (part Jewish) or political ideas or religion. If I began judging artists and enjoying them on the basis of their politics and prejudices, I would have only half or less of the people that have touched and inspired me. Leave the anti-Semitic bastard part of Celine alone-- it was a disease of the age he lived in. Celebrate the artist.
Céline
"Henri Godard, one of France’s leading specialists on Céline, told AFP on Friday that the decision, “Looks like censorship, even if Céline is an immensely difficult case.”"
No Henry, it looks like common sense.
freedom, censureship and communication
Take each issue seperately and don't throw them together, sarkozy's example was perfect...you can agree with some things and disagree with others, what does writting and communication have to do with with censureship and excommunication?...take celine for a writer and communicator and not for all his ideas, after all, we have freedom of speech and seperation of church and state and one doesn't have to agree or accept everything that the "establish" has to decree or we wouldn't be free.
Take for the good and the bad for the bad...
and each issue for itself...most of the biggest wrong doers in civilsation has been the very establishments and institutions that seek to control or govern us...i.e., politics, government, religion, business, corporations, etc...
Celine Was A Great Man
The Jews are only shooting themselves in the foot with this obvious prejudice. Celine was one of the best writers of the 20th Century and all the censoring and pouting in the world will not change that.
His books ARE censored in America as Bagatelles has never been available in English. Look it up. For shame!
Céline
The decision of minister Mitterand was right, as it clearly differentiated between the undisputable writing skills of Céline and the despicable character of this author.
Mr Godard is off the mark by lamenting that not to honour Céline constitutes censorship. That banter is insane: Céline's books remain readily available, uncut in their entirety. I advise Mr Godard to travel to countries where true censorship exists, like in China, before making such trivial charges that would not hold up in any academic discussion.
My respect to Mr Mitterand.
Post new comment