Frédéric Beigbeder: «Looking at reality with astonishment doesn't prevent us from being corrosive».»14 reading minutes

On the occasion of the presentation of the final part of his trilogy devoted to Octave Parango, Frédéric Beigbeder takes us on a journey in the footsteps of this literary double, sharing his criticism of the dictatorship of laughter and his passion for the novel.

Frédéric Beigbeder (sou)laughs at Payot Genève Rive gauche. He presents his new novel, L'Homme qui pleure de rire, to a packed and enthusiastic audience. Charismatic and charming, the French writer is a socialite. The kind you'd find in the books of Balzac, Fitzgerald or even the most literate society. But beneath this dandy mask - decadent as it may be - lies a book lover and story enthusiast. I meet him after his appearance at Payot for an exhilarating interview in a deserted bookshop. In the realm of books, the French writer takes us in the footsteps of Octave Parango, the dic