PARTHENIA – Pauline Gonthier

Information

Author:

Pauline Gonthier

Date:

Les Léonides
August 2025

Author:

Additional Info

PARTHENIA

Rights Holder: Author
Original Language: French

« Politics, masculism and video games: a chilling and addictive novel » — Vanessa Springora

Since his breakup, Baptiste has lost interest in everything, except scrolling night and day online in forums that offer advice on seduction, and that criticize on women, all while waiting for his father to kick him out of his apartment.

A young parliamentary attaché, Léa devotes all her energy to her boss, whose shocking, far right ideas attract more and more voters. Baptiste and Léa have nothing in common, except Parthenia. Parthenia is their escape: a virtual Greco-Roman city where duty and discipline reign supreme. But from online gaming to the political chessboard, it's only a short step, and in the darkness of lonely mens’ bedrooms, the rebellion is taking shape. The pawns are in place, the game can begin.

Pauline Gonthier paints a vivid portrait of a civilizational malaise and a battle of the sexes that is doomed from the start. A merciless novel.

Pauline Gonthier's first novel Les Oiselles sauvages was published by Julliard in 2021 to critical acclaim. This is her second novel.

Related Portfolio

OBSOLETE – LOUBIÈRE

JUSQU’À LA BÊTE / UP UNTIL THE BEAST – DEMEILLERS

MATRIA – GARRIGUE

LE BILLET DE 5 / THE FIVE-EURO BILL – Hakim Benbouchta