French is in fact a living language, unlike what you seem to think, and like any living language, it evolves. One of the currently ongoing evolution is the progressive disparition of the passé simple. It has largely disappeared from the spoken language (in fact, according to the little research I just did, it had already become an almost exclusively written tense in the fifties, when Druon started his series), and as a result, like Camilla said, it also isn't used in literature that wants to seem modern or resemble the way ordinary people speak, for whatever reason. That can be an indication of a more popular and less literary writing style, but it doesn't have to be; it's perfectly possible to write good literature with words that intentionally remain close to the spoken language. As time goes on, the passé simple will most likely be used still less and disappear from all new literature except that which really aims to sound old-fashioned.

What I am getting from your posts here, and if I'm wrong do tell me but that's how it comes across, is that you despise France so much that you figure for all extents and purposes it ceased to have any cultural meaning fifty years ago or more, aren't the least bit interested in contemporary French culture or even the contemporary language, and look down your nose at people who are, including (obviously) the French themselves.