French Literature Reviews - 2026

Andrea S. Thomas, Lautréamont, Subject to Interpretation
Other Literary Studies

Bibliographic reference: Andrea S. Thomas, Lautréamont, Subject to Interpretation, Rodopi, "Faux Titre" series, 2015. EAN13: 9789042039254.

Andrea S. Thomas, Lautréamont, Subject to Interpretation

Leiden/Amsterdam: Brill - Rodopi, coll. "Faux Titre", 2015.

EAN 9789042039254

251p.

Price 55EUR.

Publisher's overview:

Since the 1874 publication in Belgium of the first posthumous edition of Les Chants de Maldoror, the enigmatic work has served as an inspiration for the poetic and creative liberation of countless twentieth-century writers and artists. Little is known, however, about the book’s elusive French author Isidore Ducasse, known as le comte de Lautréamont, and his abbreviated life (1846-1870). In the absence of an original manuscript, Lautréamont’s readers have over time altered his poetry for personal, political, and aesthetic reasons. Symbolist literary journals, first editions of his work, surrealist illustrated editions, and the prestigious Pléiade edition (1970 and 2009), reveal how varying editions of Lautréamont’s work have in turn contributed to his legend. In Lautréamont, Subject to Interpretation, Andrea S. Thomas carefully explores these editions of this so-called poète maudit to show how impassioned readers can shape not only the reception of works, but the works themselves.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Lautréamontage: Imaginary Portraits of Lautréamont

I – Fin de Siècle
Chapter 1: Outsiders at the Fin de Siècle
Chapter 2: Perish then Publish: Partial Truth in the 1890 Edition of Maldoror

II – Surrealism
Chapter 3: Investing in Lautréamont, 1920
Chapter 4: The Edition as Exhibition: A Surrealist Retrospective, 1938

III – Post-Structuralism
Chapter 5: Lautréamont in the Bibliothèque de la Pléiade
Chapter 6: Lautréamont Reincarnated

Conclusion: John Cage and the Chants de Maldoror: Pulvérisés par l’assistance même

Published in the Faux Titre series by Brill Rodopi, this scholarly study examines the fascinating textual history of Les Chants de Maldoror. Because no original manuscript survived, generations of readers, Symbolist journals, Surrealist artists, and editors have intervened in the text for aesthetic and ideological reasons. Andrea S. Thomas traces these shifting editions from the nineteenth century through the twentieth-century avant-garde, illuminating how the elusive identity of the author known as the comte de Lautréamont fueled a persistent literary legend and inspired numerous creative movements.

This book offers valuable insights for students and scholars of modern French literature, textual criticism, and the history of publishing. By analyzing milestones such as early editions, surrealist exhibitions, and the Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, the study addresses broader questions about authorship, canon formation, and editorial practices. It serves as an essential resource for anyone interested in the reception history of the poète maudit and the ways enthusiastic readers can actively transform a literary work over time.