An article from the Guardian refers to Céline as a “one of the greatest French writers of the 20th century – probably the greatest, with Proust,” yet…
The dominant French view on literature was probably best expressed by Oscar Wilde, who ended his life in exile in Paris: “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.” Not quite, though, in this case. No one is denying Céline’s talent as one of the greatest French writers of the 20th century – probably the greatest, with Proust. Is it possible, however, to distinguish the author of antisemitic tracts from the genius novelist; the man from the artist?
My answer to the above question is that, yes, one can separate the man from the artist if one wishes to do so. Or not.
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