The august institution that sets the standards of the French language has admitted Peruvian novelist Mario Vargas Llosa as a new member, although he is 10 years older than its statutes allow and has never written a book in French. While no-one disputes the Nobel laureate’s literary merits, critics say his support for far-right politicians in Latin America risks “tarnishing France’s image” in the region.
Vargas Llosa’s election comes at a delicate time for the venerable but frequently derided institution, which is struggling to fill longstanding vacancies among its 40 sitting “Immortals” even as its authority and pertinence are increasingly questioned.
The custodian of the French language has produced just eight dictionaries in its almost 400-year history (a ninth edition has been in the works since 1986) and is routinely criticised for its entrenched conservatism. Its stubborn opposition to any attempt at making French grammar less sexist has left it singularly out of step with society. When it did attempt to feminise a word last year – ruling that “le Covid-19” should become “la” – it was promptly mocked and ignored.
Given the bad press and dearth of suitable candidates, it is small wonder that when the 2010 Nobel laureate came knocking, the gates to the domed Académie française promptly swung open. Never mind the applicant’s age – a full decade above the academy’s limit of 75 – or the fact that he has never written a book in the language of Molière; the prestigious institution could scarcely resist having one of the world’s foremost writers among its sword-carrying members.
Vargas Llosa was duly elected on November 25, with 18 votes in favour, one abstention and two blank ballots – just weeks after the release of his latest novel, “Harsh Times”. Since then, however, political comments made by the incoming académicien have revived talk…
Source : france24
