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The French writer owes his standing to provocative social critique — but does his antagonistic image mask a concern for humanity?
From Voltaire to Houellebecq — art’s pessimists will always find a captive audience
National Front has given voice to much of working class once represented by the left
The French writer says he’s the world’s best living novelist. Now he has curated a show of his own photographs
A round-up of the titles to remember
Secular liberalism is no match for the certainties of religious faith in this satire of a near-future France
Photos released of other two suspects after 12 shot dead
The next question is what impact the murders will have on politics, writes Tony Barber
A controversial French movie is a surprising one-man vehicle for the avant-garde writer
The festival aims to be inclusive – but its avant-garde offerings can be hard to digest
The notion that the teacher can do all the work is nonsense – learning another tongue requires effort
Photographing Michelin maps brings prestige and money to an artist in this novel that tweaks the postmodern conceit of the death of the author
Michel Houellebecq and Bernard-Henri Lévy, giants of French literature, publish their six-month exchange of letters
Michel Houellebecq’s tale of art and murder reveals his humanist side
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