French Literature Reviews - 2026

André Gide: Against the Grain
Writers: Biography, Letters and Memoirs

I am pleased to announce the publication of the following essay: André Gide: Against the Grain

Author: Sidonie Rivalin-Padiou
Publisher: L'Harmattan, "Literary Critics" series
Published in December 2002
363 pages; ISBN: 2-7475-3179-1

This is a revised and abridged version of my doctoral dissertation dedicated to André Gide (Representations of the Body in the Work of André Gide).

This scholarly study investigates the complex thematic role of corporeal representation throughout the writings of André Gide. As a central figure of twentieth-century French literature, Gide famously challenged conventional morality, religious orthodoxy, and bourgeois sensibilities, prompting intense debates about aesthetics and ethics. Sidonie Rivalin-Padiou builds upon her doctoral research to examine how physical presence and bodily experiences function within his fictional and autobiographical works. The volume offers a focused perspective on a recurring motif that underlies the author's broader interrogation of authenticity, desire, and individual freedom.

Published by L'Harmattan in their Literary Critics series, this book serves as a valuable resource for students and researchers of modern French literature and intellectual history. It contributes to the ongoing critical reception of Gide by offering a revised, accessible treatment of specialized doctoral research. Scholars interested in narrative technique, twentieth-century French prose, and the thematic evolution of the body in literature will find this essay particularly engaging for its close reading and its positioning within broader literary traditions.