Littell Wins Goncourt, Stays Away

Jonathan Littell, the first American winner of France’s Prix Goncourt, did not attend Monday’s announcement of the prize in Paris. “‘He hopes his absence will not be misunderstood or, even less, be interpreted as disdain for the jury,’ his French publisher, Antoine Gallimard, told reporters here. ‘He has no need for publicity, both out of modesty and because he believes that literature is not part of show business, that what’s important is the book.'” Littell’s novel, “Les Bienveillantes,” is a huge best seller in France.