Morgane Moncomble still causes a sensation – L’Express

It was to be expected, it is not yet the tidal wave of January publications, this list ranging from 1st to 7th… Only five entries are to be noted, three in novels and two in essays. Starting with Morgane Moncomble, new star of French romance, who places the 2nd volume of Seasons, A winter to resist you (Hugo Romans), released January 3. Printed in 100,000 copies, the figure skating story of this 27-year-old novelist who started on the Wattpad platform, under the pseudonym “blunicorn05”, could well exceed the already very happy score of the first volume, An autumn to forgive you (120,000 copies sold since September 20, 2023). She is followed (or almost) by David Foenkinos, whose new novel, Happy life (not to be confused with the document A happy life signed Ginette Kolinka and Marion Ruggieri at Grasset and on January 10 in Livre de Pocket) takes 4th place in our list. With a print run of 150,000 copies and published on January 4 (by Gallimard), this story of the change in the life of a man dedicated to work and success seems destined for a great destiny. The 3rd entry concerns the American Lisa Gardner, whose 45th thriller, The summer before (Albin Michel), new opus in the Frankie Elkin series, is off to a very good start.

What remains is the track record of the tests with two newcomers, diametrically opposed. In 8th place, in fact, emerges the eurosceptic and ultraliberal financier Charles Gave, president of the think tank the Institute of Liberties and a Time, close to Eric Zemmour. Published on October 27, 2023, his work The Truth will set you freeeither The history of the last forty years reviewed and corrected by Charles Gave (Pierre de Taillac editions) offers a vision that could not be darker than the state of the world (and of France) according to its back cover: “And I can’t help but wonder: but what “Has it been produced in just over thirty years that we have gone from what seemed like singing mornings to this bloody twilight into which we are sinking? This is the question I will try to answer.”

The other essay is signed by CNRS researcher (LCP-IRISSO) and media historian, Claire Sécail. In Don’t touch my people (Seuil, Libelle Collection at €5.90), the academic examines the populism of Cyril Hanouna and his “disinformation enterprise which threatens the foundations of democracy”. Let us quote, here too, the publisher’s argument: “This book is aimed at those who still doubt Vincent Bolloré’s ideological project, as well as those who no longer accept the trivialization of the violence of human exchanges, the depoliticization of citizen exchanges, and the dumbing down of public debate.” So, Charles Gave or Claire Sécail? Everyone has their own side.