French Literature Reviews - 2026
W. Marx, La Haine de la littérature
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics
W. MARX, La Haine de la littérature, Paris, Les Éditions de Minuit, 2015
EAN 9782707329165
224 p.
19 EUR
They have attacked it, jeered at it, and condemned it under every pretext, under every regime, with the best or the worst of intentions, for poor reasons and sometimes even for good ones. They have exiled poets, burned their books—or simply wished to do so. For 2,500 years, literature has been subject to every criticism and accusation imaginable from philosophers and theologians, priests and educators, scientists and sociologists, kings, emperors, and even presidents.
From Plato to Nicolas Sarkozy, this book compiles the evidence for this staggering trial, portrays an incredible gallery of grotesque and ridiculous figures, and uniquely traces an alternative history of Western literature from its origins—full of sound and fury, stupidity, hypocrisy, and ignorance, with its quarrels and battles, defeats and triumphs, strategists, traitors, and heroes.
Through the hatred of literature, the hidden side of literary history is revealed—the one that perhaps gives it its true meaning.
The institutional critique of letters forms a long-standing tradition within Western intellectual history, where poetry and prose have frequently faced moral, political, and philosophical objections. From antiquity through the modern era, authorities ranging from classical philosophers to contemporary politicians have questioned the utility, morality, and social impact of imaginative writing. This recurring antagonism highlights a persistent tension between aesthetic expression and societal norms, reflecting broader anxieties surrounding the autonomy of artistic creation across different political and cultural regimes.
Readers interested in the history of censorship, the sociology of literature, and the recurring debates surrounding the cultural value of writing may find this volume relevant. As detailed in La Haine de la littérature, literature has been subject to criticism and accusation from philosophers, theologians, scientists, and politicians over a period of 2,500 years. The work compiles evidence for this trial and traces an alternative history of Western literature through its various quarrels, battles, defeats, and triumphs.