French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Schmitt, Je réel / Je fictif. Au delà d'une confusion postmoderne
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics

Bibliographic reference: A. Schmitt, Je réel / Je fictif. Au delà d'une confusion postmoderne, Presses universitaires du Mirail, collection "Cribles", 2011. EAN13: 9782810701179.

Arnaud Schmitt, Je réel / Je fictif. Au delà d'une confusion postmoderne

Toulouse: Presses universitaires du Mirail, coll. "Cribles", 2010.

EAN 9782810701179.

203 p.

Price EUR

Publisher's overview:

Literary news constantly demonstrates, through various "scandals", that many contemporary authors operate in a blurred zone where fiction frequently collides with reality. Indeed, drawing a clear boundary between the real and the fictional is no easy task. Numerous texts closely or distantly related to postmodernism—autobiographical novels, autofiction, deceptive autobiographies, investigative reports, or novelized biographies—deliberately blur the lines by enriching themselves with more or less explicit references to reality or by injecting a dose of fiction into referential narratives. Furthermore, some autobiographers do not hesitate to disregard the autobiographical pact established by Philippe Lejeune, which entails maintaining ties to a certain form of truth. This book examines the theories developed around the genre of autofiction and the question of the author's persona. Without underestimating the challenge, the author suggests several pragmatic approaches, partly inspired by reception theory, in an attempt to restore a functional demarcation between the real "I" and the fictional "I".

The confusion between factual truth and imaginative invention frequently characterizes contemporary literary discourse, as various textual forms deliberately challenge traditional genre boundaries. Works such as autofiction, novelized biographies, and deceptive autobiographies often complicate the relationship between the author and the narrated persona by playing with referential pacts. This volume engages with these developments by examining existing theories surrounding autofiction and the persona of the author. In doing so, it addresses the persistent difficulty of establishing a clear demarcation between documentary accounts and imaginative narratives within modern publishing landscapes.

Drawing upon reception theory alongside other pragmatic frameworks, the study proposes several methodological approaches designed to navigate these hybrid textual spaces. Rather than dismissing the inherent complexities of contemporary narrative practices, the author considers how readers and critics might better distinguish between the real and the fictional I. Readers interested in contemporary narrative theory and the evolving conventions of autobiographical writing may find this volume relevant to their inquiries.