Minimalistic and realistic dichotomisation of contemporary French novels: the cases of Jean Echenoz and Jean-Philippe Toussaint

Haniyeh Barahouie

Abstract


In the mid- eighties, a number of contemporary French writers tried to renew the genre of French novel by a polyvalent stylistic revival. The critics had condemned the novel to death since it was drowned in theories and did not bring something new. The new generation put the emphasis on writing and ignored all other the theory- based approaches. Clearly, the critic started identifying the new phenomena and finally came up with the “minimalist” etiquette for writers of this clan. The novels of Jean Echenoz and Jean-Philippe Toussaint are remarkable examples of this literary movement since they draw all aspects of minimalist art in I’m Off (Je m’en vais) and Running away (Fuir). In this paper we will try to study the resemblances and the differences between minimalism and the important literary movement of the 19th century, realism. We will also spotlight the traces of realism in contemporary writings to point out the maintenance or the rejection of its components in new literary texts.


Keywords


Jean Echenoz, Jean-Philippe Toussaint, contemporary novel, minimalism, realism

References


● BLANCKEMAN, B. ,2000, Les récits indécidables. Jean Echenoz. Hervé Guibert. Pascal Guignard. Paris, Coll. « Perspectives », Presses Universitaires du Septentrion.

● ____., (2002), Les fictions singulières, Paris, Prétexte Editeur.

● ____ et MILLOIS, J-C. (2004), Le roman français aujourd'hui, Paris, Prétexte éditeur.

● BOND, D. (2000) “Small Worlds: Minimalism in Contemporary French Literature

by Warren Motte” French Forum, Vol. 25, No. 2, University of Nebraska Press Stable, pp. 242-243, URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40552108

● JERUSALEM, Ch. (2007) Je m’en vais de Jean Echenoz, Paris, éd. Hatier.

● ____. « Géographies de Jean Echenoz », http://remue.net/spip.php?article3126,

● LEBRUN, J.C et PREVOST,C.(1990), «Jean Echenoz, l'accélérateur de particules» In Nouveaux territoires romanesques. p. 95-110, Paris, Messidor Éditions Sociales.

● ____. Jean Echenoz, (1992), Paris, Edition du rocher.

● MITTERREND H.(1994), « L’Illusion réaliste de Balzac à Aragon », P.U.F, Coll. « Ecriture», p. 63-64.

PANAITE, O.(2006), « Les fins de l'écriture. Réflexion et pratique du style dans les œuvres de Jean Echenoz et Pierre Michon », French Forum, Vol. 31, No. 2, University of Nebraska Press Stable, pp. 95-110. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40552433

● SCHOOTS, F.(1997), ‘passer en douce à la douane’. Atlanta, GA, Rodopi.

● VIART, D.(1993), « Le récit 'postmoderne' », in Baert, F., Viart, D. (éd.), La littérature française contemporaine, questions et perspectives, Presses Universitaires de Louvain.

● ____, (2004) « les esthétiques démenties », Revue du roman du XXe siècle, N◦ 38, p.14-26 Lille, presse de l’université de Charles-de-Gaule.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/lsmll.2016.40.1.1
Date of publication: 2016-07-27 14:57:55
Date of submission: 2015-06-11 19:24:05


Statistics


Total abstract view - 1583
Downloads (from 2020-06-17) - PDF (Français (France)) - 649

Indicators



Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2016 Haniyeh Barahouie_P.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.