French Literature Reviews - 2026
Y. Mercoyrol, La bibliothèque du littéraire
Other Literary Studies
La bibliothèque du littéraire
Yannick Mercoyrol
Publication date: 10/06/2020
Number of pages: 288
ISBN: 978-2-13-082469-5
This book is designed as a practical handbook on major works of French literature. For each featured work, a concise summary outlines the text's framework, followed by in-depth literary commentaries that explore its principal analytical angles, providing models of the type of discourse expected in higher education.
Clear and user-friendly, and structured by genre and chronology, these studies serve as an essential reference tool for students embarking on literature degrees. They will accompany learners throughout their studies, equipping them with solid analytical foundations. Candidates preparing for the CAPES or oral competitive exams in general culture (such as the ENS or HEC) will also find invaluable resources here to prepare effectively for these demanding and rigorous exercises.
Furthermore, the book is envisioned as an invitation to all those interested in literature who wish to enrich their cultural background—designed to spark curiosity and inspire readers to explore these enduringly essential texts.
Table of Contents
Part I. — Prose: From François Rabelais to Marguerite Duras. The Thirty-Nine Steps
I. Gargantua: François Rabelais – II. Apology for Raymond Sebond: Michel de Montaigne – III. The Princess of Cleves: Madame de La Fayette – IV. Persian Letters: Montesquieu – V. The Story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut: Abbé Prévost – VI. Candide, or Optimism: Voltaire – VIII. Jacques the Fatalist: Denis Diderot – X. The Reveries of the Solitary Walker: Jean-Jacques Rousseau – XI. Dangerous Liaisons: Choderlos de Laclos – XII. The Confessions: Jean-Jacques Rousseau – XIV. René: François-René de Chateaubriand – XV. The Red and the Black: Stendhal – XVII. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame: Victor Hugo – XIX. Father Goriot: Honoré de Balzac – XXI. The Charterhouse of Parma: Stendhal – XXII. Madame Bovary: Gustave Flaubert – XXIII. Les Misérables: Victor Hugo – XXVII. A Life: Guy de Maupassant – XXVIII. Against Nature: Joris-Karl Huysmans – XXIX. Bel-Ami: Guy de Maupassant – XXX. Germinal: Émile Zola – XXXI. Swann's Way: Marcel Proust – XXXIII. Journey to the End of the Night: Louis-Ferdinand Céline – XXXV. The Stranger: Albert Camus – XXXVI. The Man Who Slept Away His Life: Jean Giono – XXXVII. Memoirs of Hadrian: Marguerite Yourcenar – XXXVIII. Words: Jean-Paul Sartre
Part II. — Poetry: From Joachim du Bellay to Saint-John Perse. Uninterrupted Poetry
II. Sonnets for Helen: Pierre de Ronsard – III. Fables: Jean de La Fontaine – IV. Poetic Meditations: Alphonse de Lamartine – V. The Contemplations: Victor Hugo – VI. The Flowers of Evil: Charles Baudelaire – VII. Paris Spleen: Charles Baudelaire – VIII. Gallant Fêtes: Paul Verlaine – XI. Poetry: Arthur Rimbaud – XII. Alcools: Guillaume Apollinaire – XIII. Capital of Pain: Paul Éluard – XIV. Soap Bubbles / The Voice of Things: Francis Ponge – XV. Elsa's Eyes: Louis Aragon – XVI. Fury and Mystery: René Char – XVII. Seamarks: Saint-John Perse
Part III. — Theatre: From Pierre Corneille to Samuel Beckett. The Grand Repertoire
I. Le Cid: Pierre Corneille – II. Horace: Pierre Corneille – VII. The Misanthrope: Molière – VIII. Andromache: Jean Racine – IX. Britannicus: Jean Racine – X. Bérénice: Jean Racine – XI. The Would-Be Gentleman: Molière – XIII. Phaedra: Jean Racine – XIV. The Game of Love and Chance: Marivaux – XVI. The Barber of Seville: Beaumarchais – XVII. The Marriage of Figaro: Beaumarchais – XVIII. Hernani: Victor Hugo – XIX. Lorenzaccio: Alfred de Musset – XX. Ruy Blas: Victor Hugo – XXI. Breaking Noon: Paul Claudel – XXII. The Trojan War Will Not Take Place: Jean Giraudoux – XXIII. No Exit: Jean-Paul Sartre – XXV. Caligula: Albert Camus – XXVI. The Bald Soprano: Eugène Ionesco – XXVII. Waiting for Godot: Samuel Beckett.
The study of French literature in higher education often relies on the close reading of canonical texts spanning several centuries. By organizing works chronologically and by genre, this volume reflects a pedagogical tradition that emphasizes the historical development of literary forms. The selection includes prose from Rabelais to Duras, poetry from the Pléiade to the twentieth century, and dramatic works ranging from the classical period to the theatre of the absurd. Readers interested in the evolution of French letters may find this structured overview a relevant reference for navigating the breadth of the national repertoire.
This volume is designed as a practical handbook for students, specifically addressing the requirements of academic preparation for competitive examinations such as the CAPES or entrance tests for the Grandes Écoles. The text provides summaries and literary commentaries on works including Gargantua, The Flowers of Evil, and Waiting for Godot. These studies are structured by genre and chronology to provide models of analytical discourse for those embarking on literature degrees or seeking to enrich their cultural background.