In a novel that takes on the air of a detective story, French writer Lilia Hassaine leads the charge against a society that has erected transparency as a way of life. in absolute virtue.
How do you live in a world where privacy no longer exists? French author Lilia Hassaine asks this question in her latest book, Panorama, published this autumn in Gallimard's white collection.
For her third book, she tackles the novel of anticipation, projecting herself into the year 2050. In a France that has emerged from a new revolution, the political class has been disowned, institutions dismantled, the police disarmed and the justice system stripped of all legitimacy. It's the people who are in power: they vote on laws on the Internet, acquitting or convicting via votes on social networks.
«Giving up your privacy in the name of civil peace».»
Even privacy has disappeared: income, diplomas and medical data are now just a click away on the Internet. Homes are glazed to prevent child abuse and domestic violence. Everyone becomes the guarantor of their neighbor's safety and happiness. «If we have nothing to reproach ourselves for, why not agree to show everything?» asks this company.
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In this smooth, transparent world, a family - a couple and their little boy - disappear without a trace. How is this possible, when everyone is in permanent representation under the suspicious eye of their neighbors? Hélène, a policewoman turned «protection guard» under the new terminology, leads the investigation.
In the course of our investigations, all the less glamorous aspects of this community are brought to light. If there's 1984 In this world of 2050, there is no mustachioed despot representing authority. Everyone becomes a kind of Big Brother to their fellow man, with an obligation to benevolence and well-being, as well as a certain vision of morality. And beware of those who don't fit the mold.
«To live happily, let's live hidden»
In this novel, the writer warns, however, that this society is not so far removed from our own. Leila Hassaine paints a vitriolic portrait of these social networks, which already have a considerable influence on our lives and open a window on our intimacy on a daily basis. These are the platforms on which a large proportion of public opinion is formed today.
More than 70 years ago, George Orwell warned, on the sidelines of the publication of 1984«Make sure that doesn't happen. It's up to you.» Leila Hassaine, for her part, takes up a few lines from an 18th-century fable.th century: «To live happily, let's live hidden.»
Write to the author: sandrine.rovere@leregardlibre.com
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Leila Hassaine
Panorama
Gallimard, «Blanche» series»
2023
240 pages
French 
German 
English