Y. Hervouet, The French Face of Joseph Conrad

HERVOUET, Yves, The French Face of Joseph Conrad, New York, Cambridge University Press, 2008, 368 p.
ISBN 9780521069298

RÉSUMÉ

Joseph Conrad has generally been regarded as a novelist with "dual" Polish and English national affinities. This study argues for a triple identity by introducing the French face of Conrad's work, demonstrating that his knowledge of the French language and its literature has profound implications for the study of the novels. Yves Hervouet documents chronologically the influence of French authors including Flaubert, Maupassant and Anatole France, building up a picture of Conrad at work. This first large-scale account of Conrad's involvement with a French literary, aesthetic and philosophical tradition provokes an important reassessment of his creative originality. It should have a major impact on Conrad scholarship, and as a study of cross-cultural influence, it will be of interest to all students of comparative literature in the period.

TABLE DES MATIÈRES

Foreword; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction; Part I. Conrad's French Literary and Cultural Background: 1. A part of Conrad's life; Part II. Conrad's Debt to French Authors: 2. The early fiction; 3. The first phase of maturity; 4. The second phase of maturity; 5. The third phase of maturity and the last decade; 6. Critical writings; Part III. Conrad's Philosophical and Aesthetic Inheritance: 7. Conrad and Anatole France; 8. Conrad and Gustave Flaubert; Part IV. Conclusion: 9. Conclusion appendix; Notes; Bibliography; Index.