French Literature Reviews - 2026
V. Frigerio, Nous nous reverrons aux barricades. Les feuilletons des journaux de Proudhon (1848-1850)
History, Politics and Society
Review published in Acta Fabula (Aug.-Sept. 2021, vol. 22, no. 7): Isabelle-Rachel Casta, “« At four o’clock we shall be dead...» : anarchism, fiction & History”
*
Nous nous reverrons aux barricades. Les feuilletons des journaux de Proudhon (1848-1850)
Vittorio Frigerio
UGA Éditions, 2021
*
ISBN: 978-2-37747-232-1
Pages: 127
Price: 22 €
*
Abstract:
Usually regarded as the "father" of French anarchism, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon maintained an ambivalent relationship with literary creation. This essay traces Proudhon's relationship to literature as it emerges from his works, and subsequently analyzes the discourse held in his four newspapers regarding the triumphs of the serial novel (*roman-feuilleton*). It outlines a theory of progressive, revolutionary serial literature capable of spreading ideas and theories through fiction to help emancipate the working-class readership. A presentation of the serial novels published in the newspaper *Le Peuple* is followed by an in-depth study of one of them, the novel *Le Mont Saint-Michel*, which recounts the adventures of a group of republicans during the famous episode of the Cloître Saint-Merry barricade, the tragic climax of the aborted 1832 insurrection. Bringing together numerous well-known authors (Michelet, Stendhal, Victor Hugo, and Alexandre Dumas père) alongside forgotten ones, this analysis offers a reflection on the nature of the historical novel and historiographical writing during a pivotal period in their development.
*
Table of Contents
Introduction
Proudhon and Literature
The Reception of the Serial Novel in Le Peuple
The Theory of the Serial Novel in Le Peuple
The Serial Novels of Le Peuple
A Little-Known Historical Episode and its Literary Vicissitudes
Fortunes and Misfortunes of an "Occasional Work"
An Exemplary Historical Novel: Le Mont Saint-Michel
The Private Before the Public: Le Mont Saint-Michel as Popular Fiction
The History of the Novel
Detail as the Building Block of Historical Narration
The Multiple Lives of the Saint-Merry Barricade
- General Lamarque
- The Man in Black
- The Flags
- The Last Words
Extension of Historical Narration
Conclusion
- Explanatory Postscript That Could Just As Easily Have Served as a Preface
Appendices — Excerpts from the novel Le Mont Saint-Michel
- Chapter XV. Combat Preparations
- Chapter XVII. General Lamarque’s Funeral Procession
- Chapter XVIII. Building a Barricade
- Chapter XIX. Jean Finds Himself
- Chapter XX. The Saint-Merry Barricade
Bibliography.
*
During the nineteenth century, the intersection of political journalism and popular fiction became a significant space for debating social change and working-class emancipation in France. Thinkers and political actors frequently engaged with literary forms to reach broader audiences and disseminate their ideas. Within this dynamic intellectual environment, newspapers often featured serialized narratives alongside political commentary, creating a unique hybrid medium. This period saw intense discussions regarding the role of narrative art in shaping public consciousness, as intellectuals and editors sought ways to make political philosophy accessible to readers beyond traditional academic circles.
Vittorio Frigerio explores Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's relationship with literature by analyzing the discourse found in his newspapers between 1848 and 1850. The volume examines a theory of progressive, revolutionary serial literature intended to help emancipate working-class readers through fiction, while also presenting a detailed study of the novel Le Mont Saint-Michel. Readers interested in nineteenth-century French journalism, political thought and the history of the serial novel may find this study relevant.
This book has a dedicated page on the publisher's website...