French Literature Reviews - 2026
The Freest Writer
Comparative and World Literature
Cécile GUILBERT L'écrivain le plus libre, essay, Gallimard, collection L'Infini, April 22, 2004, 336 pages, €22.50
“Who goes there? - It is I, Laurence Sterne... the incomparable clergyman who sent his cassock to the moths and unchristened himself the moment he dipped into the inkwell... thus unfrocked and renamed, newly recomposed in my verbal body, you may well call me Tristram or Yorick, but I'm telling you straight: I much prefer that you call me the author. As the saying goes, I is another, and I am the author of it.” Is it possible to premeditate a bestseller? To be a media star while possessing true genius? Does success always rest on a misunderstanding? These are a few of the questions raised by the emblematic fate of Laurence Sterne (1713–1768), an English libertine clergyman, eccentric writer, and the unforgettable author of The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy and A Sentimental Journey, which were admired across Europe from the moment of their publication. Yet beyond this incredible literary success story and the conventional interpretations of the past two centuries, The Freest Writer seeks above all to highlight the true secret driving forces behind Sterne's genius: the playful dynamiting of the familial novel, the aggressive reactivation of classical authors, the joyful subversion of time, the invention of “lived autofiction,” and sexual satire. Blending the successive paths of narrative, essay, biography, and fiction (notably through a lengthy and droll dialogue between the author and Sterne's spectre), this book demonstrates why Nietzsche could describe Sterne as “the freest writer of his time,” and proves that one can still be free today. Cécile Guilbert is the author of Saint-Simon ou l'encre de la subversion (1994), Pour Guy Debord (1996), and the novel Le Musée national (2000), all published by Gallimard.
Laurence Sterne occupies a singular place in eighteenth-century literature, bridging the playful irreverence of the period and stylistic experimentation. His masterworks, including The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy and A Sentimental Journey, challenged conventional storytelling through formal devices, digressions, and a distinct awareness. Writers and philosophers across Europe, including Nietzsche, engaged deeply with his voice, recognizing in his work a meditation on authorship, temporality, and the relationship between the writer and the public.
Cécile Guilbert examines the life and legacy of the eighteenth-century English writer, engaging with themes such as narrative subversion, autofiction, and literary celebrity. Blending critical analysis with biographical inquiry and creative dialogue, the volume reflects on how Sterne managed public acclaim alongside artistic innovation. Readers interested in eighteenth-century literature, the history of the novel, and the evolution of narrative freedom may find this study relevant.