In a country where literature is almost a matter of state, it is not strange that a novel ends up in court. As happened with the new book by Emmanuel Carrère, created after signing a legal contract with his ex-wife, other characters have rebelled against its authors, accusing them of lying or slander and demanding the right to reply. Édouard Louis, a child prodigy of French letters, described in History of violence (Salamandra) his rape by Reda, a young Maghrebi immigrant, a few years before he became a literary star. The writer has been facing his alleged attacker for years in a dispute full of unexpected twists. After losing a first trial for defamation, Reda was found not guilty by a court that alleged “the inconsistency of the statements” of the author. In December, the defendant was sentenced to three months in jail exempt from compliance, but for attempted robbery and not for sexual assault. “Guilt is not decreed in novels. Justice has settled ”, congratulated his lawyer. The case is not closed, because Louis plans to appeal the verdict.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/novels-that-go-to-trial/
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