The French Comic Imagination

Book excerpt: In this study of seven exemplary comic writers from the Renaissance to the modern period, Professor Werner undertakes close readings of texts from each author while analyzing the larger vision of comedy that defines any one narrative oeuvre. From les Caracteres to A la recherche du temps perdu, from L'Education sentimentale to Mort a Credit, Stephen Werner argues for a revised view of comic fiction. Often underestimated by critics, this mode lies at the very heart of l'imaginaire francais by virtue of its creative force and its openness to modernity.