Historical Dictionary of French Literature
By (author) John Flower
Publication date:
17 January 2013Length of book:
626 pagesPublisher
Scarecrow PressDimensions:
235x164mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9780810867789
Almost all of us know French literature, even if we don’t know French, because it is probably the second largest and certainly the most translated into English. And, even if we don’t read, we would have seen film and television versions (think Count of Monte-Cristo) and even a musical rendition (Les Mis). So this is a particularly interesting volume in the literature series, since it covers French literature from the earliest times to the present. It is also a particularly rich literature, espousing ever genre from poetry, to novel, to biography, to drama, and adopting every style, including realism and surrealism, and expressing the views of all classes and political stands, with recently strong feminist and gay strains.
Obviously, the core dictionary section includes among its panoply of often substantial and detailed entries, hundreds of authors, dozens of significant works, the various styles mentioned above and many others, events that have impacted literature such as the Dreyfus Affair and the Algerian War, and literary prizes. The chronology manages to cover about 1,200 years of literary output. And the introduction sets it all out neatly from one historical and literary period to the next. The bibliography, broken down by period and author, directs us to further reading in both French and English.
Obviously, the core dictionary section includes among its panoply of often substantial and detailed entries, hundreds of authors, dozens of significant works, the various styles mentioned above and many others, events that have impacted literature such as the Dreyfus Affair and the Algerian War, and literary prizes. The chronology manages to cover about 1,200 years of literary output. And the introduction sets it all out neatly from one historical and literary period to the next. The bibliography, broken down by period and author, directs us to further reading in both French and English.
This title provides historical literary information covering 842 CE (when the Strasbourg Oaths were written) to 2012. Flower (emer., Univ. of Kent, UK) focuses solely on literature written and published in France. Francophone literature from other areas of the globe is not covered, though some authors, such as Belgium's Georges Simenon and Senegal's Ousmane Sembène, made the cut. The alphabetically arranged entries include brief author biographies, synopses of major literary works, significant French historical events (the 1789 revolution, the Dreyfus Affair, May 1968, the two world wars, and the Algerian wars), literary definitions, themes, and other relevant terms. Entries also provide hundreds of boldface cross-references. This dictionary examines a variety of literary genres, ranging from comic strips to poetry and drama. It also features entries related to now-defunct French literary magazines and publishing houses. Feminist writers such as Hélene Cixous and Monique Wittig appear in these pages as well. A chronology, an introduction that presents a brief overview of the subject, and an extensive bibliography for particular authors and eras complete this title. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Research libraries that support the study of French literature and history; lower-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty.