French Literature Reviews - 2026

B. C. Bodo, La Question du picaresque dans la littérature africaine - Théories et pratiques
Francophone and Oral Literatures

Bidy Cyprien Bodo, La Question du picaresque dans la littérature africaine - Théories et pratiques

Paris: L'Harmattan, coll. "Culture africaine", 2017.

334 p.

EAN 9782343106632

34.50 EUR

Publisher's Overview:

Can we speak of a picaresque mode of writing within the field of African literature? Would such an approach be analytically viable? If so, how is it staged? How does it manifest itself? The contributors to this volume examine the structure, scenography, discourse, and, to a certain extent, the broader implications of an African picaresque writing style. Given the sheer volume of literary works to be explored, it serves both as a distinct mode of writing and as a remarkable tool for literary analysis.

Bidy Cyprien Bodo teaches at the Houphouët-Boigny University in Abidjan.

The picaresque tradition, which originated in sixteenth-century Spain, typically features a rogue protagonist navigating a corrupt or rigid society through episodic adventures. In the context of African literature, the contributors to this volume examine the structure, scenography, discourse, and broader implications of an African picaresque writing style. They explore whether the picaresque mode of writing is analytically viable within the field of African literature. Readers interested in African narrative forms and comparative literature may find this volume relevant.