Aphorism in the Francophone Novel of the Twentieth Century includes critical readings of Terre des hommes by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Alexandre Chenevert by Gabrielle Roy, Gouverneurs de la rosée by Jacques Roumain, Pluie et vent sur Télumée miracle by Simone Schwarz-Bart, La route des Flandres by Claude Simon, Présence de la mort by C.F. Ramuz, and Neige noire by Hubert Aquin. Bell addresses the problems inherent in the term aphorism, the narrative and discourse function of aphorism within the genre of the novel, the interrelation between the structure of aphorism and the epistemological and hermeneutical functions this sub-genre may perform as a component part of the narrative fabric, the "national" character of aphoristics, and the problems that arise from "anthologizing" a novel's aphorisms. The importance of aphoristic formulation in the French literary tradition and its undeniable presence in the modern novel make this a particularly significant and fruitful study.

Mark Bell's profile page

"A valuable contribution to literary research as an introduction to a new, highly original field of investigation." Jean-Claude Morisot, Department of French Language and Literature, McGill University.