French Literature Reviews - 2026

Yevgeny Medvedev, Théorie de la lecture chez Marcel Proust.
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics

Bibliographic reference: Yevgeny MEDVEDEV, Théorie de la lecture chez Marcel Proust, Éditions Universitaires Européennes, 2014. EAN13: 9786131528682.

Creative writing lends itself to a two-part analysis: (1) the author in relation to the text—the rhetorical dimension; (2) the reader in their interpretive effort—the hermeneutic dimension. There is a scarcity of criticism that, rather than favoring one of the aforementioned aspects, examines both simultaneously to observe their interactions. This project develops an approach capable of capturing insights from both the production and reception sides and offering a synthesis of them. It represents a hybrid of classical rhetoric and psychoanalysis, the trajectory of which facilitates hermeneutic inquiry.

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The study of literary reception often distinguishes between the rhetorical strategies employed by an author and the interpretive processes of the reader. By positioning Marcel Proust within this dual framework, the text examines the interaction between the rhetorical dimension of the author and the hermeneutic dimension of the reader. This approach draws upon the traditions of classical rhetoric and psychoanalytic inquiry to investigate how meaning is constructed during the interaction between a text and its audience. Readers interested in the history of reader-response criticism or the structural analysis of narrative may find this perspective relevant.

Proustian scholarship frequently addresses the complex relationship between the narrator and the reader, often highlighting the ways in which the act of reading is a central theme in À la recherche du temps perdu. By examining both the production and reception sides, this work situates itself within a broader tradition of literary analysis that seeks to bridge the gap between creative intent and interpretive experience. The focus remains on the interaction between these two dimensions, reflecting a long-standing interest in how literary texts guide the reader through the interpretive process.