Detalles del libro

• Focuses on texts that concern protagonists whose adventures and conflicts reveal shifts in literary and social practices
• Explores the notion of the 'problematic hero'
• Introduces a number of major works from a wide variety of periods, styles, genres, and themes
• Examines how each work fits into society and its concerns and values
• Part of the bestsellingáVery Short Introductionsáseries - over three million copies sold worldwide

The heritage of literature in the French language is rich, varied, and extensive in time and space; appealing both to its immediate public, readers of French, and also to a global audience reached through translations and film adaptations.á

The first great works of this repertory were written in the twelfth century in northern France, and now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, include authors writing in many parts of the world, ranging from the Caribbean to Western Africa.á

French Literature: A Very Short Introductionáintroduces this lively literary world by focusing on texts - epics, novels, plays, poems, and screenplays - that concern protagonists whose adventures and conflicts reveal shifts in literary and social practices.á

From the hero of the medievaláSong of Rolandáto the Caribbean heroines ofáI, Tituba, Black Witch of Salemáor the European expatriate in Japan ináFear and Trembling, these problematic protagonists allow us to understand what interests writers and readers across the wide world of French.

Readership:áThe general reader with an interest in literature, particularly French literature, students of French and English literature, as well as students of modern languages, cultural studies, and French history.