| Unit name | The Letter Novel |
|---|---|
| Unit code | FREN30089 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Calder |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of French |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit examines a particular form of the novel genre, the epistolary or letter novel, which flourished in Europe during the eighteenth century, and of which some of the most notable examples were written in French. Four key short and medium length letter novels will be studied in chronological order, from the beginnings of the form in the late seventeenth century to its apogee on the eve of the Revolution. The style and content of the works differ markedly, from the lyricism of unrequited love described in the Lettres portugaises, through the writerly self-affirmation of the Lettres d'une P�ruvienne, to the worldly libertinism represented in Les Liaisons dangereuses, and finally the more gentle social satire of the Lettres neuch�teloises. The novels raise important questions around such areas as the politics of authorship, proto-feminism and cultural difference. The works will be approached both as individual texts, and collectively as a genre.
