By definition, a palimpsest is "a written document, usually on vellum or parchment, that has been written upon several times, often with remnants of erased writing still visible." Palimpsests (originally published in France in 1982), one of Gerard Genette's most important works, examines the manifold relationships a text may have with prior texts. Genette describes the multiple ways a later text asks readers to read or remember an earlier one. In this regard, he treats the history and nature of parody, antinovels, pastiches, caricatures, commentary, allusion, imitations, and other textual relations. Gerard Genette is one of the most original and influential literary critics of modern France. He is the major practitioner of narratological criticism, a pioneer in structuralism, and a much-admired literary historian. Such works as Narrative Discourse and Mimologics (Nebraska 1995) have established his international reputation as a literary theorist of the first order.

About the Author
Claude Doubinsky is Maitre de conferences with the English Department at the University of Tours. This is his first book-length translation. Channa Newman is a professor of French and cultural studies and coordinator of modern languages at Point Park College.

Reviews
"Genette's work on narratology has been extremely influential, and deservedly so; his intertextual studies, undeservedly, far less so. This excellent translation should inspire further work on intertextual theories and practices, including imitations and transformations of Genette's main points."-Andrew Reynolds, Journal of European Studies Journal of European Studies "Very useful to comparative literature scholars familiar with Genette's style."-Library Journal Library Journal



Book Information
ISBN 9780803270299
Author Gerard Genette
Format Paperback
Page Count 508
Imprint University of Nebraska Press
Publisher University of Nebraska Press
Weight(grams) 766g