You
may have read in the media that a «Myshkin Prize»
(founded by a group of intellectuals among whom Peter Sloterdijk) was
awarded, in 2012, to a certain Stéphane Hessel, the author –
adulated as a saint – of a pamphlet called «Indignez-vous»
(Be indignant).
Due
to my old frienship with Prince Myshkin, I had the pleasure to
receive a copy of a letter of protest sent to the jury of the Prize
by the father of The
Idiot,
the great Fiodor Dostoevsky himself. Here it is :
«To
the members of the jury of the Myshkin Prize,
On
behalf of Prince Lev Nikolayevich Myshkin, I want you to know that I
totally disapprove the awarding of a prize bearing his name – by
what right?? – To Mr. Hessel. The latter, whose old age however
deserves respect, has no other merit than having published twenty or
so pages, trite and digestible enough to win tens of thousands of
suckers, too happy to buy themselves a cheap good conscience.
Be
assured of my indignation.
Fiodor
Mikhailovich Dostoevsky»
You
will easily understand how eagerly I consider it my duty to inform
you of this letter.
Fiodor
(the other one)
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