Reviewing Blindness in French Fiction, 1789–2013 (Literary Disability Studies)

This book argues that the most interesting depictions of blindness in French fiction are those which call into question and ultimately undermine the prevailing myths and stereotypes of blindness which dominate Western thought. Rather than seeing blindness as an affliction, a tragedy or even a fate worse than death, the authors examined in this study celebrate blindness for its own sake. For them it is a powerful artistic and creative force which offers new and surprising ways of describing, and relating to, reality. Canonical and lesser-known novels from a range of genres, including the __roman noir__, science fiction, __auto-fiction__ and realism are analyzed in detail to show how the presence of blind characters invites the reader to abandon his or her traditional reliance on the sense of sight and engage with the world in sensual, and hitherto unexpected, ways. This book challenges everything we thought we knew about blindness and invites us to revel in the pleasures and perils of reading blind. Acknowledgements -- A Note on Translations -- Contents -- Chapter 1 Introduction -- (Re)Viewing Blindness -- The Language of Blindness -- Overview -- Chapter 2 The French Metanarrative of Blindness -- Blindness as Emasculation -- Blindness and Femininity -- Representing Typhlophobia: Trickery, Pity and (Self)-Loathing -- The Blind Sensorium -- Blindness as Metaphor: La Symphonie Pastorale -- Chapter 3 The Creative "Look" of the Blind "Seer"--Balzac's Blind Narrator-Surrogates -- Hugo's Blind Starer -- Husson's Blind Regard -- Monnier's Possibly Blind Narrator -- Villet's Proudly Blind Narrator -- Chapter 4 Non-visual Language and Descriptive Blindness -- Descriptive Confusion -- The Function of the Blind Character -- Writing Blindness: Les Emmurés -- Chapter 5 Male Desire and the Paradox of Blind Sexuality -- (Non- )Visual Pleasure -- The Erotics of Enucleation -- Non-Visual Pornography -- The Poetics of Blind Sensuality -- Chapter 6 Silenced Sexualities: Listening to the Voice of the Blind Woman -- The Male Mediation of the Blind Woman -- Reflections -- Alice -- Chapter 7 Blind Assassins -- The Roman Noir: An Ocularcentric Text -- The Blind Man -- The Blind Woman -- The Blind Assassin -- Conclusion -- Chapter 8 Science, Fantasy and (In)Visible Blindness -- Chapter 9 Conclusion -- Works Cited -- Index This book argues that the most interesting depictions of blindness in French fiction are those which call into question and ultimately undermine the prevailing myths and stereotypes of blindness which dominate Western thought. Rather than seeing blindness as an affliction, a tragedy or even a fate worse than death, the authors examined in this study celebrate blindness for its own sake. For them it is a powerful artistic and creative force which offers new and surprising ways of describing, and relating to, reality. Canonical and lesser-known novels from a range of genres, including the roman noir, science fiction, auto-fiction and realism are analyzed in detail to show how the presence of blind characters invites the reader to abandon his or her traditional reliance on the sense of sight and engage with the world in sensual, and hitherto unexpected, ways. This book challenges everything we thought we knew about blindness and invites us to revel in the pleasures and perils of reading blind. -- From publisher's website Front Matter ....Pages i-ix Introduction (Hannah Thompson)....Pages 1-15 The French Metanarrative of Blindness (Hannah Thompson)....Pages 17-39 The Creative “Look” of the Blind “Seer” (Hannah Thompson)....Pages 41-56 Non-visual Language and Descriptive Blindness (Hannah Thompson)....Pages 57-87 Male Desire and the Paradox of Blind Sexuality (Hannah Thompson)....Pages 89-115 Silenced Sexualities: Listening to the Voice of the Blind Woman (Hannah Thompson)....Pages 117-143 Blind Assassins (Hannah Thompson)....Pages 145-164 Science, Fantasy and (In)Visible Blindness (Hannah Thompson)....Pages 165-185 Conclusion (Hannah Thompson)....Pages 187-189 Back Matter ....Pages 191-199 'Through thoughtful juxtapositions in modern French fiction, Thompson posits text as both a material and critical encounter in order to celebrate blindness and topple stereotypes. Masterful analyses demonstrate the eloquence of "blind" narrative in cultivating the pleasure of the unexpected and shaping representation in Western traditions.' -- Tammy Berberi, Associate Professor of French, University of Minnesota, Morris, USA Hannah Thompson. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 191-196) And Index.