‘Inquiétude' in the work of Pierre Mac Orlan

Erscheinungsjahr 2000
ISBN: 978-90-420-1343-8
Verlag: Brill | Rodopi

Buch, Englisch, Band 192, 315 Seiten, Format (B × H): 150 mm x 220 mm, Gewicht: 526 g

Reihe: Faux Titre

This is the first major study in English of the work of the French novelist, essayist, journalist, poet and ‘chansonnier’ Pierre Mac Orlan (1882-1970). It assesses Mac Orlan's contribution to the post-1918 phenomenon of intellectual disillusionment and disorientation which was termed the ‘nouveau mal du siècle’, or ‘inquiétude’. Although he has largely been ignored by critics thus far, Mac Orlan was part of mainstream French literary production and a major exponent of ‘inquiétude’. Where he differs from his contemporaries is in his subject matter, in his use of sociological, rather than abstract, intellectual material. His expression of ‘inquiétude’ encompasses: ‘le fantastique social’; adventure; marginality; ‘le cafard’; and sadistic sexuality. His originality lies in his invention of ‘le fantastique social’, in his constant use of certain techniques, as well as the subject matter, of German Expressionism via the depiction of the disturbing landscape of the modern city, post-1918 inflation and decadence, prostitutes and criminals, doomed adventurers, the mystery of modern technology, and in the expression of a morbid interest in sexual violence. This volume will be of particular interest to students of inter-war French literature and thought.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Baines, Roger W.

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Romanische Literaturen Französische Literatur

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements. Introduction. Chapter 1 - ‘Inquiétude' and Germany. Chapter 2 - ‘Inquiétude' and the city: London and Paris. Chapter 3 - ‘Inquiétude' and ports. Chapter 4 - ‘Inquiétude' and adventure i): theory and piracy. Chapter 5 - ‘Inquiétude' and adventure ii): the colonial army and the inter-war years. Chapter 6 - ‘Inquiétude' and sex and eroticism. Conclusion. Bibliography. Index.