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Rebecca and Oscar begin exchanging hostile messages in the early 2020s. She is a striking actress of 50. He is a fairly well-known writer, aged 43. He listens to rap and struggles with a new book. Both have lived by the myth of the troubled artist. Both abuse drugs and feel a need to change. Zoé adds a third voice to their exchange. She is under 30, a feminist, and hooked on social media. All three hide frailty behind their urge to argue. Over time, their clashes give way to friendship.

Virginie Despentes builds this contemporary novel around their messages. Its world bears the marks of Covid and MeToo. It explores anger, comfort, stubbornness, and the work of accepting others. As women speak out, it asks whether men can change. Friendship offers a way beyond harmful habits and painful encounters.

Despentes was born in Nancy on 13 June 1969. Her work spans novels, essays, and film adaptations. Her awards include the Prix de Flore and Prix Renaudot. She also won the Lambda Literary Award for LGBT nonfiction. She served in the Académie Goncourt from 2016 to 2020. This translation of Cher connard belongs to the Fiction Connection series.