French Literature Reviews - 2026
Étienne Boillet, Fiction: A User's Manual
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics
Review published in Acta Fabula (November 2022, vol. 23, no. 9):
"Restoring Meaning to the Notion of Fiction" by Milène Lang
—
Étienne Boillet,
Fiction: A User's Manual
P.U. Rennes, Nov. 2020
350 p. — ISBN: 978-2-7535-7897-5
Book published with the support of the University of Poitiers.
This essay provides a synthesis of foundational texts on fiction while attempting to expand upon them. By setting forth his own theses and conceptual tools, Étienne Boillet aims to counter relativistic or "panfictionalist" arguments claiming there is no essential difference between fiction and non-fiction. Ranging from literature to cinema, and from comic books to video games, he endeavors to identify both the specific traits and common denominators shared by texts and images, novels and testimonials, biopics and documentaries, fiction and historical reenactment.
Étienne Boillet, a specialist in contemporary Italian literature, is an associate professor at the University of Poitiers (FoReLLIS).
Readers can read a brief "Dialogue" on the fictional pact in the Literary Theory Workshop, drawn from the first chapter.
The study of fiction has long occupied a central place in literary theory, often centering on the distinction between imaginative constructs and factual accounts. This work engages with foundational texts to investigate whether essential differences exist between fictional and non-fictional modes. The author examines the boundaries between diverse media, including literature, cinema, and video games, to clarify how audiences distinguish between varied forms of storytelling and historical record.
Boillet explores the common denominators shared by disparate formats, such as novels, testimonials, and documentaries, to identify the specific traits of the fictional experience. The book addresses the mechanics of historical reenactment and biopics to counter arguments claiming there is no essential difference between fiction and non-fiction. Readers interested in the intersection of contemporary media and narrative theory may find it relevant to consider these conceptual frameworks.
Access the book online via OpenEdition…
Watch the presentation video on the University of Poitiers website…