French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Mangeon, Crimes d'auteur
Novel and Narrative Prose

Review published in Acta Fabula (October 2016, vol. 17, no. 5):

"Petits meurtres entre amis" by Jean-François Duclos.

*

Anthony MANGEON, Crimes d'auteur. De l'influence, du plagiat et de l'assassinat en littérature

What is the ultimate crime a writer can commit? Plagiarism, certainly. And to what lengths might an author go to cover their tracks, or worse, to rid themselves of an overly burdensome influence? Even to the murder of a literary father or a peer—which often amounts to the same thing. Thus, depending on the circumstances, one becomes "the author of a crime" just as one is "the author of a work."

This essay explores novels by writers who have placed plagiarism and murder at the heart of their plots. From the early 20th-century avant-gardes to contemporary Francophone novelists, from detective fiction to campus novels, and from adaptation to cinematic fiction, we see a composite portrait emerge of the plagiarizing or murderous writer—at once a mere victim and, conversely, a perverse tormentor of their rivals.

*

An article on this book can also be read on nonfiction.fr:

Anthony Mangeon's study situates itself at the intersection of literary theory, crime fiction, and metafiction. By examining how authors depict the anxieties of influence and the transgression of plagiarism, the work connects to a long intellectual tradition that views writing as a struggle for authority. Mangeon traces this thematic thread across various genres, including detective fiction, campus novels, and avant-garde texts. This interdisciplinary approach allows readers to understand how the literal crime of murder serves as a powerful metaphor for the symbolic violence inherent in literary creation and rivalry.

This essay is particularly valuable for scholars and students of comparative literature, French and Francophone studies, and narrative theory. It addresses fundamental questions about the nature of originality, the boundaries of adaptation, and the ethics of borrowing from other writers. By analyzing the figure of the murderous or plagiarizing author, the book provides fresh insights into how contemporary fiction reflects on its own production. It offers a compelling framework for anyone interested in the darker, more competitive aspects of the creative process and the psychology of authorship.

"On Plagiarism Considered as One of the Fine Arts", by F. Alix.