French Literature Reviews - 2026

Y. Citton, M. Dubacq, and P. Vincent, Scientific Imagination and Marvellous Literature: Charles Tiphaigne de La Roche
Other Literary Studies

Yves Citton, Marianne Dubacq, and Philippe Vincent, Imagination scientifique et littérature merveilleuse. Charles Tiphaigne de La Roche, Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux - "Mirabilia" series - 2014, EAN13: 9782867818684. 392 pp. €30

Overview

Literary imagination and scientific inquiry long went hand in hand. Until the 18th century, it was frequently the "mirabilia"—the glimmers of the marvelous—that stimulated both narrative fiction and scientific curiosity.

The essays collected in this volume examine a little-known author, Charles Tiphaigne de la Roche (1722-1774), a Norman physician, erudite scholar, and tireless dreamer. He provides an exemplary case of the close intertwining of emerging life sciences, ancient-inspired critical wisdom, and a literary imagination pregnant with future wonders.

Published in conjunction with the ongoing first critical edition of Tiphaigne's complete works, this book brings to light a fascinating and unclassifiable figure in our intellectual history. At the very heart of the Enlightenment, it outlines the perspective of an "alter-modernity"—both disconcerting and admirable—that largely remains to be invented.

The Enlightenment period is often characterized by a strict separation between rational inquiry and the literary imagination, yet historical studies often suggest a more fluid reality. During this era, the concept of the mirabilia served as a bridge between speculative fiction and the natural sciences. By focusing on the writings of Charles Tiphaigne de La Roche (1722-1774), this volume highlights how eighteenth-century intellectual life integrated empirical observation with fantastical elements. This study situates the physician within a broader tradition of scholars who navigated the boundaries between emerging scientific disciplines and the creative possibilities of narrative prose.

The essays in Imagination scientifique et littérature merveilleuse examine how Tiphaigne de La Roche utilized his medical background to inform his literary output, reflecting a synthesis of ancient critical wisdom and speculation. By examining his role as both a scholar and a dreamer, the text illustrates an intellectual landscape where scientific curiosity and the marvelous were not mutually exclusive. Readers interested in the history of science and literature during the Enlightenment may find the discussion of this figure relevant. The volume is published in conjunction with the ongoing critical edition of the author's complete works.