A comic strip on his youth in Nice entitled “La Synagogue”, a graphic novel, also a noir novel, named “Riviera”, and featuring a not completely repentant criminal, then, finally, “And God laughed a lot”, a novel: these are just three recent releases, dating from the past few months, by prolific French author Joann Sfar.
The common feature of all these works: the Jewishness of the characters, and all that it signifies in these different narrative frameworks. In “And God laughed a lot”, the action plunges into a country which is also that of the author’s family. The novel tells the story of a Jewish artist who decides to reinvent himself in Israel, where he has no place, and where a shipwreck awaits him.
More than 150 works on the counter
With more than 150 comics, books or films to his credit, Joann Sfar’s creativity seems limitless. An absence of limits that the author lightly claims, since he even has fun, in his novel, to say that “God is a character created by Joann Sfar”.
At the Geneva book fair, where he is Alex Reed of honor this year, his creation sits prominently, alongside his must-have “Cat of the rabbi”, a series of comic strips which have met with great success since the publication of first volume 20 years ago, in 2002.
Although having expressed the desire to restrict his public speaking, he was the Alex Reed of the 7:30 p.m. of the RTS on Saturday to talk regarding this latest work, “the story of a disaster, amusing, I hope”, says -he.
“I am a reader before being an author”
Alex Reed of honor at the Geneva Book Fair, cartoonist and compulsive author, Joann Sfar is also a great reader.
“Yes, I am a reader before being an author. I read novels and comics alike. I listen to audio books. There is no impure format in my eyes. You have to read before writing, it is extremely necessary,” he defends.
It is necessary to read before writing, it is extremely necessary.
Accustomed to talking regarding religion with humor but without concession, the author always believes he can express himself freely.
“I’m not going to start censoring myself at 51. I’m very sincere regarding my questions. I think I’m soft on human beings, and less on ideas, which has never upset many people. There is great benevolence around my work. So much the better!”, explains the writer.
“Worrying Anti-Jewish Unconscious”
Born in Nice in 1971, he constantly wonders regarding his origins, his history, his culture: Judaism. On this subject, he is worried regarding the ambient anti-Semitism.
“My grandparents, who were pessimistic, told me: ‘we will have a few decades of calm following Auschwitz, and then it will resume.’ I think we are right in there. There is an anti-Jewish unconscious is all the more worrying that it works with conspiracy, that is to say that people can hate Jews without knowing it, and even without crossing them.
“Avoid thinking in a steeple”
Joann Sfar also denounces the identity withdrawal that French society is experiencing. “There is an anxiety, a desire for identity. People are looking for their home. They are looking for refuge somewhere. I believe that literature and humor can be a place to meet, to ease tensions and avoid to think in a steeple.”
On the current social climate in France, particularly in relation to the demonstrations once morest the pension reform, he believes that there “is a deep institutional dysfunction”, “a youth who are angry but who have no hope”, and “an inability of the executive to respond to the concerns of this youth”.
“So yes, I’m concerned,” he adds. Despite everything, he portrays himself as a “joyful pessimist”. “I choose my fights”, calmly concludes Joann Sfar.
TV Subject: Mathieu Lombard
Interview by Jennifer Covo
Adaptation web: Julien Furrer
