The 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to the French novelist Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio (born 1940), better known with his pen name J. M. G. Le Clézio, as an "author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization."[1] He became the 14th French-language author to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature after Claude Simon in 1985 and was followed later by Patrick Modiano in 2014.[2]
J. M. G. Le Clézio's literary career highlights different cultures in different times and challenges Western civilization's dominance. He questions modern society's materialistic superficiality, which chokes what is genuine in people's relationships with others, with nature, and with the past. Le Clézio, who writes in prose, has published over 40 works since his 1963 début with Le Procès-verbal ("The Interrogation", 1963). His major breakthrough came with Desert in 1980. With its flowing prose, the books stands in contrast to his earlier works' more experimental style. His other famous literary prose include Le Déluge ("The Flood", 1996), Le Chercheur d'or ("The Prospector", 1985), Onitsha (1991), and Étoile errante ("Wandering Star", 1992).[3][2]
The choice of Le Clézio was well received by Swedish commentators. Kaj Schueler, literature editor of Svenska Dagbladet said: "Not quite unexpected, and very pleasing it is the first French Nobel prize since 1985 when Claude Simon got it". Björn Linell, chair of Swedish PEN, said: "It is very pleasing because this is an authorship for all tastes".[4] Le Clézio himself said: "I am very happy and rather surprised, I did not expect this at all. I'm not sure I deserve it."[6]
Nobel lecture
Le Clézio used his Nobel prize acceptance lecture to attack the subject of information poverty.[7] The title of his lecture was Dans la forêt des paradoxes ("In the forest of paradoxes"), a title he attributed to Stig Dagerman.[8][9]
Gallery
9 October 2008: Announcement of the 2008 Nobel Prize laureate in Literature at the Swedish Academy by Horace Engdahl.
6 December 2008: Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio entertaining questions during the Swedish Academy's press conference.
^The Nobel Foundation 2008 (7 December 2008). "The Nobel Foundation 2008". Nobel Lecture. The Nobel Foundation 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)