PARIS — In France, the country of Sartre and Molière, literary knowledge is considered a sign of savoir faire, and all the more so, perhaps, if you are the person presiding over the country’s culture budget.

So an admission by the French culture minister, Fleur Pellerin, that she has not read a book in two years has provoked horror among some members of the cultural elite here.

The awkward confession, in an interview over the weekend on the television channel Canal Plus, spawned a storm of criticism on social media and beyond, and even some demands for the resignation of a seemingly uncultured culture minister who had previously been lauded for her intellect and style.

When asked to name her favorite book by Patrick Modiano, the French author who recently won the Nobel Prize in Literature, Ms. Pellerin laughed uncomfortably, unable to name any work by the celebrated writer.