Bestselling novel forces France to reckon with #MeToo movement

Virginie Despentes' book Cher Connard pushes problem of sexual harassment back into spotlight

A novel depicting France's #MeToo movement by the French punk feminist writer Virginie Despentes, irreverently titled Cher Connard - which roughly translates as Dear Arsehole - has become a bestseller, prompting a debate about sexual harassment and equality in the social media age.

The story opens as Oscar, a novelist in his 40s, insults an actor on Instagram about the way she has aged. The film star, Rebecca, sends a furious reply just as Oscar is accused online by a young female press officer of sexual harassment years earlier.