2023-11-07 17:20:03
(Time.news) – After having achieved first place, in less than three months, in the ranking of the best-selling books beyond the Alps, ‘Watch over her (‘Watch over her’, Iconoclaste editions, 583 p.) by Jean-Baptiste Andrea (52 years old) wins the Premio Goncourt, the most prestigious French literary award.
The new novel by Andrea – also known as a director and screenwriter – revolves around a story of love and revenge between a brilliant sculptor and a rebellious heiress in early 20th century Italy. Two ‘heroes’ in conflict, in an Italy troubled by the crisis, told in a poignant way and with twists that rivet the reader to the almost 600 pages. A “picaresque novel such as has not been written since the time of the Dumas brothers”, the critics underlined, defining the work as a “formidable fresco of the Italy of the time”.
As per tradition, i members of the Goncourt jury they announced the name of the winner on the first Tuesday of the month, from the first floor lounge of the Drouant restaurant in Paris. This recognition normally marks the pinnacle of a writer’s career and makes the fortune of his publisher (in this case, the small Iconoclaste publishing house) given that, according to estimates, the awarded book sells on average at least 400 thousand copies.
‘Veiller sur elle’ has not yet been translated into Italian but Andrea, now definitively consecrated as a writer, has already been published in our country by Einaudi with two titles, both award-winning in France: “My queen”, debut novel from 2018 and “The man who played Beethoven” (2022 ).
Jean-Baptiste Andrea has in fact managed to establish himself on the French literary scene in record time and in an almost unexpected way. Upon hearing the news that he was in the running for the Goncourt award just a few years after his debut novel, the writer enthusiastically stated, “this means that I have become a writer, and for me it is the greatest reward of all”. His triumph follows that of Brigitte Giraud, awarded last year for ‘Vivre vite’.
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