A History of Modern French Literature : From the Sixteenth Century to the Twentieth Century

An accessible and authoritative new history of French literature, written by a highly distinguished transatlantic group of scholars This book provides an engaging, accessible, and exciting new history of French literature from the Renaissance through the twentieth century, from Rabelais and Marguerite de Navarre to Samuel Beckett and Assia Djebar. Christopher Prendergast, one of today's most distinguished authorities on French literature, has gathered a transatlantic group of more than thirty leading scholars who provide original essays on carefully selected writers, works, and topics that open a window onto key chapters of French literary history. The book begins in the sixteenth century with the formation of a modern national literary consciousness, and ends in the late twentieth century with the idea of the "national" coming increasingly into question as inherited meanings of "French" and "Frenchness" expand beyond the geographical limits of mainland France. Provides an exciting new account of French literary history from the Renaissance to the end of the twentieth century Features more than thirty original essays on key writers, works, and topics, written by a distinguished transatlantic group of scholars Includes an introduction and index The contributors include Etienne Beaulieu, Christopher Braider, Peter Brooks, Mary Ann Caws, David Coward, Nicholas Cronk, Edwin M. Duval, Mary Gallagher, Raymond Geuss, Timothy Hampton, Nicholas Harrison, Katherine Ibbett, Michael Lucey, Susan Maslan, Eric Méchoulan, Hassan Melehy, Larry F. Norman, Nicholas Paige, Roger Pearson, Christopher Prendergast, Jean-Michel Rabaté, Timothy J. Reiss, Sarah Rocheville, Pierre Saint-Amand, Clive Scott, Catriona Seth, Judith Sribnai, Joanna Stalnaker, Aleksandar Stević, Kate E. Tunstall, Steven Ungar, and Wes Williams. Introduction (1): Aims, Methods, Stories / Christopher Prendergast -- Introduction (2): The Frenchness Of French Literature / David Coward -- Erasmus And The First Renaissance In France / Edwin M. Duval -- Rabelais And The Low Road To Modernity / Raymond Geuss -- Marguerite De Navarre: Renaissance Woman / Wes Williams -- Pierre Ronsard: Poet Laureate, Public Intellectual, Cultural Creator / Timothy Reiss -- Du Bellay And La Deffence Et Illustration De La Langue Française / Hassan Melehy -- Montaigne: Philosophy Before Philosophy / Timothy Hampton --molière, Theater, And Modernity / Christopher Braider -- Racine, Phèdre And The French Classical Stage / Nicholas Paige -- Listening In: Lafayette's La Princesse De Clèves And The Conversational Culture Of Seventeenth-century Fiction / Katherine Ibbett -- From Moralists To Libertines / Eric Méchoulan -- Women's Voices In Enlightenment France / Catriona Seth -- The Quarrel Of The Ancients And The Moderns / Larry F. Norman --^ Voltaire's Candide: Lessons Of Enlightenment And The Search For Truth / Nicholas Cronk -- Disclosures Of The Boudoir: The Novel In The Eighteenth Century / Pierre Saint Amand -- Comedy In The Age Of Reason / Susan Maslan -- Diderot, Le Neveu De Rameau, And The Philosophe In Eighteenth-century Paris / Kate Tunstall -- Rousseau's First Person / Joanna Stalnaker -- Travel Narratives In The Seventeenth Century: La Fontaine And Cyrano De Bergerac / Judith Sribnai -- Realism, The Bildungsroman, And The Art Of Self-invention: Stendhal And Balzac / Aleksandar Stević -- Victor Hugo And Romantic Drama: The (k)night Of The Red / Sarah Rocheville And Étienne Beaulieu -- Flaubert And Madame Bovary / Peter Brooks -- Baudelaire, Verlaine, Rimbaud: Poetry, Consciousness And Modernity / Clive Scott -- Mallarmé And Poetry: Stitching The Random / Roger Pearson -- Becoming Proust In Time / Michael Lucey -- Céline/malraux: Politics And The Novel In The 1930s / Steven Ungar --^ André Breton, René Char, And Modern French Poetry / Mary Ann Caws -- Aimé Césaire: Poetry And Politics / Mary Gallagher -- Sartre's La Nausée And The Modern Novel / Christopher Prendergast -- Beckett's French Contexts / Jean-michel Rabaté-- Assia Djebar And The Birth Of Francophone Literature / Nicholas Harrison. This Book Provides An Engaging, Accessible, And Exciting New History Of French Literature From The Renaissance Through The Twentieth Century, From Rabelais And Marguerite De Navarre To Samuel Beckett And Assia Djebar. Christopher Prendergast, One Of Today's Most Distinguished Authorities On French Literature, Has Gathered A Transatlantic Group Of More Than Thirty Leading Scholars Who Provide Original Essays On Carefully Selected Writers, Works, And Topics That Open A Window Onto Key Chapters Of French Literary History. The Book Begins In The Sixteenth Century With The Formation Of A Modern National Literary Consciousness, And Ends In The Late Twentieth Century With The Idea Of The National Coming Increasingly Into Question As Inherited Meanings Of French And Frenchness Expand Beyond The Geographical Limits Of Mainland France. -- Introduction (1): Aims, Methods, Stories / Christopher Prendergast -- Introduction (2): The Frenchness Of French Literature / David Coward -- Erasmus And The First Renaissance In France / Edwin M. Duval -- Rabelais And The Low Road To Modernity / Raymond Geuss -- Marguerite De Navarre: Renaissance Woman / Wes Williams -- Pierre Ronsard: Poet Laureate, Public Intellectual, Cultural Creator / Timothy Reiss -- Du Bellay And La Deffence Et Illustration De La Langue Française / Hassan Melehy -- Montaigne: Philosophy Before Philosophy / Timothy Hampton -- Molière, Theater, And Modernity / Christopher Braider -- Racine, Phèdre And The French Classical Stage / Nicholas Paige -- Listening In: Lafayette's La Princesse De Clèves And The Conversational Culture Of Seventeenth-century Fiction / Katherine Ibbett -- From Moralists To Libertines / Eric Méchoulan -- Women's Voices In Enlightenment France / Catriona Seth -- The Quarrel Of The Ancients And The Moderns / Larry F. Norman --^ Voltaire's Candide: Lessons Of Enlightenment And The Search For Truth / Nicholas Cronk -- Disclosures Of The Boudoir: The Novel In The Eighteenth Century / Pierre Saint Amand -- Comedy In The Age Of Reason / Susan Maslan -- Diderot, Le Neveu De Rameau, And The Philosophe In Eighteenth-century Paris / Kate Tunstall -- Rousseau's First Person / Joanna Stalnaker -- Travel Narratives In The Seventeenth Century: La Fontaine And Cyrano De Bergerac / Judith Sribnai -- Realism, The Bildungsroman, And The Art Of Self-invention: Stendhal And Balzac / Aleksandar Stević -- Victor Hugo And Romantic Drama: The (k)night Of The Red / Sarah Rocheville And Étienne Beaulieu -- Flaubert And Madame Bovary / Peter Brooks -- Baudelaire, Verlaine, Rimbaud: Poetry, Consciousness And Modernity / Clive Scott -- Mallarmé And Poetry: Stitching The Random / Roger Pearson -- Becoming Proust In Time / Michael Lucey -- Céline/malraux: Politics And The Novel In The 1930s / Steven Ungar --^ André Breton, René Char, And Modern French Poetry / Mary Ann Caws -- Aimé Césaire: Poetry And Politics / Mary Gallagher -- Sartre's La Nausée And The Modern Novel / Christopher Prendergast -- Beckett's French Contexts / Jean-michel Rabaté -- Assia Djebar And The Birth Of Francophone Literature / Nicholas Harrison. Edited By Christopher Prendergast. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Introduction (1): Aims, Methods, Stories / Christopher Prendergast Introduction (2): The Frenchness of French Literature / David Coward Erasmus and the "First Renaissance" in France / Edwin M. Duval Rabelais and the Low Road to Modernity / Raymond Geuss Marguerite de Navarre: Renaissance Woman / Wes Williams Ronsard : Poet Laureate, Public Intellectual, Cultural Creator / Timothy Reiss Du Bellay and La deffence et illustration de la langue françoyse / Hassan Melehy Montaigne : Philosophy before Philosophy / Timothy Hampton Molière, Theater, and Modernity / Christopher Braider Racine, Phèdre and the French Classical Stage / Nicholas Paige Lafayette : La Princesse de Clèves and the Conversational Culture of Seventeenth-Century Fiction / Katherine Ibbett From Moralists to Libertines / Eric Méchoulan Travel Narratives in the Seventeenth Century : La Fontaine and Cyrano de Bergerac / Judith Sribnai The Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns / Larry F. Norman Voltaire's Candide : Lessons of Enlightenment and the Search for Truth / Nicholas Cronk Disclosures of the Boudoir : The Novel in the Eighteenth Century / Pierre Saint-Amand Women's Voices in Enlightenment France / Catriona Seth Comedy in the Age of Reason / Susan Maslan Diderot, Le Neveu de Rameau, and the Figure of the Philosophe in Eighteenth-Century Paris / Kate E. Tunstall Rousseau's First Person / Joanna Stalnaker Realism, the Bildungsroman, and the Art of Self-Invention : Stendhal and Balzac / Aleksandar Stević Hugo and Romantic Drama : The (K)night of the Red / Sarah Rocheville and Étienne Beaulieu Flaubert and Madame Bovary / Peter Brooks Baudelaire, Verlaine, Rimbaud : Poetry, Consciousness and Modernity / Clive Scott Mallarmé and Poetry : Stitching the Random / Roger Pearson Becoming Proust in Time / Michael Lucey Céline/Malraux : Politics and the Novel in the 1930s / Steven Ungar Breton, Char, and Modern French Poetry / Mary Ann Caws Césaire : Poetry and Politics / Mary Gallagher Sartre's La Nausée and the Modern Novel / Christopher Prendergast Beckett's French Contexts / Jean-Michel Rabaté Djebar and the Birth of "Francophone" Literature / Nicholas Harrison.