French Literature Reviews - 2026
C. Blandin, Le Figaro littéraire - Vie d'un hebdomadaire politique et culturel (1946-1971)
History, Politics and Society
Claire Blandin
Le Figaro littéraire - Vie d'un hebdomadaire politique et culturel (1946-1971)
Nouveau Monde Editions
Coll. Culture / Médias
2010
655 p.
ISBN: 978-2-84736-438-5
49 euros
Publisher's overview:
Banned by the ordinances of the Liberation, Le Figaro littéraire reappeared in 1946 under the title Littéraire, waiting a year to reclaim its original name. However, the weekly edited by Maurice Noël bore no resemblance to the literary pages of the interwar Le Figaro. It had become an autonomous publication, operating from the salons of the prestigious private mansion at Rond-Point des Champs-Élysées. Born amidst the purges of post-war France, and against the backdrop of the Cold War, Le Figaro littéraire became a space that rejected the political commitment of literature. Yet, from supporting David Rousset's appeal to the Kravchenko trial, the weekly forged its own form of "counter-commitment." While deeply engaged in these major ideological battles, it remained a general cultural newspaper, often viewed as the anteroom of the French Academy. Following in the footsteps of François Mauriac, the "star writers" of Le Figaro defended the French literary tradition there, while young critics such as Bernard Pivot and Jean Chalon scoured the literary circles of Paris in search of new talent. Now reintegrated into the pages of Le Figaro, this literary weekly remains a legendary publication in the history of the French press. An analysis of its content and the individual trajectories of its contributors highlights the diversity of right-wing political cultures in the second half of the 20th century. It bears witness to the unique nature of this journalistic venture, which, from the post-war era to May 68, confronted the cultural and political upheavals of its time.
About the author: Claire Blandin is a Senior Lecturer in Contemporary History at Paris-Est Créteil University. In 2007, she published a comprehensive study on the history of Le Figaro with Armand Colin (Le Figaro, Deux siècles d'histoire) and currently leads the "Magazine Press" working group at the Sciences Po Center for History. This book stems from her doctoral dissertation in history, defended at Sciences Po.
The history of twentieth-century French journalism is closely tied to the evolution of cultural weeklies that shaped intellectual debates after the Second World War. Publications operating during this period often navigated complex ideological landscapes, balancing literary criticism with broader political currents and Cold War contexts. Within the field of media history, the study of press organs provides insight into how editorial teams, star writers and young critics interacted with changing artistic and political norms from the post-war era through the upheavals of May 1968.
Claire Blandin examines the trajectory of Le Figaro littéraire from its post-war reappearance to 1971, analyzing its contents and the individual paths of its contributors. The text outlines how the weekly functioned as an autonomous publication, defended the French literary tradition, and engaged in ideological battles while maintaining its identity as a cultural newspaper. Readers interested in the history of French political and cultural journalism may find this study relevant.
Review available online at nonfiction.fr