French Literature Reviews - 2026
É. Sermadiras, Croire et Souffrir. Religion et pathologie dans le roman de la seconde moitié du XIXe s.
Novel and Narrative Prose
A review of this book is available in Acta Fabula:
"Corps croyants, corps souffrants" by Mathieu Roger-Lacan…
—
Émilie Sermadiras
Croire et Souffrir. Religion et pathologie dans le roman de la seconde moitié du XIXe siècle
Paris, Classiques Garnier, coll. Études romantiques et dix-neuviémistes, 2021
EAN: 9782406113904 — 499 p. — 49 €
This study examines novels that explore the connections between religion and pathology. Despite their poetic and ideological differences, authors who focus on the spectacle of the ailing believer rely on a shared depiction of the suffering body to frame their reflections on religion.
The nineteenth century in France witnessed a transformation in the representation of the human body within literature, as medical discourses intersected with theological concerns. During this period, the figure of the believer often became a site for exploring the tensions between spiritual devotion and physical frailty. This study examines novels that explore the connections between religion and pathology, situating these narrative choices within the broader evolution of the novel, where the physical condition of characters serves as a lens for examining ideological shifts.
The intersection of religion and pathology remains an area of inquiry for scholars of nineteenth-century French literature. This study examines how authors utilize the spectacle of the ailing believer to frame their reflections on religion, despite poetic and ideological differences. Readers interested in the history of medical narratives and the evolution of religious themes in prose fiction may find this analysis of nineteenth-century literary conventions relevant to their research.