Olivier de Benoist « Le droit au bonheur »

Olivier de Benoist returns with a text focused on his favorite playground: family life. Hit by a bout of the blues, he wants to recharge with his loved ones, only to discover that constant cohabitation rattles nerves and routines. He then unfolds the art of paternal evasion: tricks for slipping away, unlikely pretexts, and that famous “I’m going out to buy cigarettes” turned into a discreet how-to. Between coupledom, children and lofty educational principles, he scrutinizes the small daily rituals, the contradictions that cling to parents and the illusions we maintain to keep going.

Fast-paced writing, a strong sense of narrative, dry timing: ODB strings together situations where tenderness rubs up against sarcasm, with vivid images and punchy lines. No moralizing, no instruction manual, just a candid look at the home and its lines of escape.

See Olivier de Benoist on stage on 27 March 2026 at the Les Lucioles hall in Hallennes-lez-Haubourdin and dive into this domestic survival notebook.