210419 from 2000s?: this is read many years ago, in french, in quotes i could follow from having read le clezio in translation, but it took me two months or so. and have i actually read any book if by now i do not remember much of it...? mainly yes i could read french if much slower than english, that i had nobody to talk to about his work, that french litcrit can be annoying as any other, that i would rather read le clezio than about him/his work... most litcrit on him at u is in french anyway...
but i give it four because it did clarify one aspect/nature i had come to really like in le clezio: he writes about the world. the whole world. yes imagistic experimental plotless in early works, which of course i mostly like, but even in his later more ‘humanist’ usual, less experimental works, he portrays that natural world that europeans, french, north americans etc. are generally ignorant of. when essential plots are based on human experience, life, folly... divorce, adultery, money, art, however intriguing is that place/slice/era of human history... are considered the world. maybe this is hippy to critics, too new age, too tree-hugger... to me, this is great and then i decide to read his work in french. well eventually any way. so he won the nobel in 2008 and at least one book of his is aaafavoritefiction... but north americans have enough trouble reading their own books (1 book/year average or something?) let alone other languages. i decide now that, for example, i really do not want to read say philip roth john updike don delillo dfw etc... i will read le clezio in french...