… to be told, and we few, we happy few here at University Diaries, are settling ourselves in to a front seat. Croyez-moi, there’ll be a piece on this in the New York Times in the next few days, one of those arch little numbers observing the French and their ways with description but no comment…
But why wait for that? I’m giving the thing to you here and now. Plus I’m telling you what to think about it. So listen.
The fiftieth anniversary of the death of Albert Camus is coming up (January 4), and Sarkozy wants his remains transferred to the Panthéon. This article about it in the Irish Times (only English-language piece I’ve seen so far) duly notes l’absurde squabbling about it, right left and center, in Paris.
This Le Monde thing announces that Jean Camus, the man’s son, has in any case refused permission because Camus just wasn’t a Panthéon type…
So why did he accept the Nobel? Nobel yes, Panthéon no? Sartre turned down the Nobel, but Camus didn’t have any trouble… I doubt he would have minded the Panthéon.
But anyway. The spat guarantees plenty of publicity for the writer, and will certainly generate the sort of statements you and I love to make limericks out of.
November 21st, 2009 at 1:30PM
Arthur Goldhammer comments on why Sarkozy admires Camus here.
November 21st, 2009 at 1:45PM
Ecoutez-vous le nouveau contretemps?
Plant Camus in le beau Pantheon!
We can’t take this deceased
Pied-noir arriviste.
Voltaire’d say "Consider me gone."
November 21st, 2009 at 2:08PM
Mathematician sagé R. Descartes
And bug-eyed penseur J. P. Sartre
Are both buried elsewhere.
The Pantheon was trop cher,
Plus it’s rumored they sell off your parts.
November 21st, 2009 at 7:41PM
Just found this blog post (also from Ireland, re: the memory of the dead and governmental abuse of authority): http://www.indymedia.ie/article/94860