French Literature Reviews - 2026
A. Veinstein, Les Ravisseurs
Poetry and Poetics
Les ravisseurs
Alain Veinstein
Publication date: 08/04/2015 Publisher: Grasset ISBN: 978-2-246-80264-8 EAN: 9782246802648 Format: Paperback No. of pages: 286 p.
“The ravishers surrounding readers are legion. They are all those books discovered over the years with which close bonds are forged. To them we owe the experience of fascination, which is a kind of abduction, a way of taking possession of us with or without our consent. Those discussed in this volume have ravished my heart. I keep them close at hand, for they have taken a lasting place in my life without ever losing any of what gripped me upon first reading.
No matter how often I reread them, it is always the first time. I met their authors on the ground of friendship. Indeed, I could have entitled these pages L'Amitié had Maurice Blanchot not had the idea long before me. Thus appear some of the great names of poetry from the second half of the 20th century. In particular, those gathered around the journal L'Éphémère, published from 1967 to 1972 by the Maeght Foundation. With them—Yves Bonnefoy, André du Bouchet, Jacques Dupin, Louis-René des Forêts, and, later, Pascal Quignard (as you can see, I take the word 'poetry' in its broadest sense)—I was, strictly speaking, 'constituted'. The central part evokes Anne-Marie Albiach and Claude Royet-Journoud, two emblematic figures of 1970s poetry who, at the beginning of that decade, revolutionized my reading and practice of poetry.
The third part brings together authors who are completely unlike one another, met in isolation, whose intensity of presence and writing has fueled my energy reserves. Some are too little known today, such as Jean Tortel and Danielle Mémoire, despite a body of work whose importance is beyond question; others were identified long ago by literary enthusiasts: Henri Thomas, Michel Deguy, Antonio Tabucchi, Michel Cournot, Jacqueline Risset.” (A. V.)
Alain Veinstein gathers figures associated with the twentieth-century poetic landscape, including those connected to the journal L'Éphémère alongside writers encountered in distinct contexts. The volume discusses close bonds formed with authors whose works generated lasting fascination, exploring a broad conception of poetry that shaped the author's reading practices and personal trajectory over the years. The text highlights figures such as Yves Bonnefoy, André du Bouchet, Jacques Dupin, Louis-René des Forêts, and Pascal Quignard, reflecting on encounters that fueled energy reserves through the intensity of their presence and writing.
The central section focuses on Anne-Marie Albiach and Claude Royet-Journoud, identified here as emblematic figures of 1970s poetry. Subsequent sections bring together diverse writers including Henri Thomas, Michel Deguy, Antonio Tabucchi, Michel Cournot, Jacqueline Risset, Jean Tortel, and Danielle Mémoire. Readers interested in twentieth-century poetry and literary memoirs may find this volume relevant.