Description
In this highly accessible introduction, Brian Nelson provides an overview of French literature - its themes and forms, traditions and transformations - from the Middle Ages to the present. Major writers, including Francophone authors writing from areas other than France, are discussed chronologically in the context of their times, to provide a sense of the development of the French literary tradition and the strengths of some of the most influential writers within it. Nelson offers close readings of exemplary passages from key works, presented in English translation and with the original French. The exploration of the work of important writers, including Villon, Racine, Moliere, Voltaire, Balzac, Flaubert, Zola, Proust, Sartre and Beckett, highlights the richness and diversity of French literature.
An engaging, highly accessible and informative introduction to French literature from the Middle Ages to the present.
About the Author
Brian Nelson is Professor Emeritus of French Studies and Translation Studies at Monash University, Victoria, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. His publications include Perspectives on Literature and Translation: Creation, Circulation, Reception (co-edited with Brigid Maher, 2013), The Cambridge Companion to Emile Zola (Cambridge, 2007) and translations of the novels of Emile Zola.
Reviews
'... an important contribution and a rewarding read ... [Nelson's] scholarship ... is all the more impressive for being deftly deployed ... He has successfully made his own the motto of the French classical period - plaire et instruire (to impart pleasure and knowledge).' Colin Nettelbeck, Australian Book Review
'This is a book for everyone interested in French literature, whether erudite or ignorant; it is immensely informative with no jargon and no posturing.' Valerie Minogue, Bulletin of the Emile Zola Society
'Nelson has produced a concise, easily comprehensible overview of French literature.' F. E. Nicholson, Choice
'To say that this book is readable would be a serious understatement ... inspired and often inspiring ...' T. Chapman Wing, H-France
'... rich and eminently readable ...' John Flower, French Studies
'Divided into thirty short chapters, each of which is devoted to a 'major' author, this introduction is at once easy to read and solidly grounded in recent scholarship. ... A succinct chronology of historical events is provided, as are suggestions for further reading.' Edward Ousselin, The French Review
Book Information
ISBN 9780521715096
Author Brian Nelson
Format Paperback
Page Count 318
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 460g
Dimensions(mm) 228mm * 152mm * 17mm
An engaging, highly accessible and informative introduction to French literature from the Middle Ages to the present.
About the Author
Brian Nelson is Professor Emeritus of French Studies and Translation Studies at Monash University, Victoria, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. His publications include Perspectives on Literature and Translation: Creation, Circulation, Reception (co-edited with Brigid Maher, 2013), The Cambridge Companion to Emile Zola (Cambridge, 2007) and translations of the novels of Emile Zola.
Reviews
'... an important contribution and a rewarding read ... [Nelson's] scholarship ... is all the more impressive for being deftly deployed ... He has successfully made his own the motto of the French classical period - plaire et instruire (to impart pleasure and knowledge).' Colin Nettelbeck, Australian Book Review
'This is a book for everyone interested in French literature, whether erudite or ignorant; it is immensely informative with no jargon and no posturing.' Valerie Minogue, Bulletin of the Emile Zola Society
'Nelson has produced a concise, easily comprehensible overview of French literature.' F. E. Nicholson, Choice
'To say that this book is readable would be a serious understatement ... inspired and often inspiring ...' T. Chapman Wing, H-France
'... rich and eminently readable ...' John Flower, French Studies
'Divided into thirty short chapters, each of which is devoted to a 'major' author, this introduction is at once easy to read and solidly grounded in recent scholarship. ... A succinct chronology of historical events is provided, as are suggestions for further reading.' Edward Ousselin, The French Review
Book Information
ISBN 9780521715096
Author Brian Nelson
Format Paperback
Page Count 318
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 460g
Dimensions(mm) 228mm * 152mm * 17mm
