French Literature Reviews - 2026
Éric Méchoulan, Intermediality: A Research Proposal
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics
Described by Emmanuel Alloa as a work of "playful erudition," this book is as intellectually rigorous in its arguments as it is accessible in its choice of subjects, offering a concrete methodology for intermedial analysis. To achieve this, it first clarifies the categories of medium and media from both a theoretical and historical perspective. It then explores how to develop a theory of supports—ranging from the most material and technical to the most ideal and institutional, while accounting for the knowledge and power apparatuses that shape them. Finally, through a carefully selected and varied range of objects, the book establishes a series of case studies and analytical grounds. To demonstrate how to conduct an intermedial investigation, the author discusses works as diverse as Balzac's Lost Illusions, a Gucci dress, soundscapes—such as John Cage's famous 4’33’’—and Basinski's Disintegration Loops. Through the comparative study of these disparate objects, readers will discover unexpected yet highly instructive connections.
This is a truly interdisciplinary work that draws on literary criticism and theory, philosophy, history, anthropology, media studies, art history, and film studies, and will be of great interest to students and researchers in the humanities and social sciences.
Éric Méchoulan has taught at the University of Montreal and the International College of Philosophy. He founded the journal Intermédialités and co-founded and directed the Centre for Intermedial Research on Arts, Letters and Techniques (CRIalt).
The study of intermediality emerged within the humanities to address how different artistic and cultural forms interact, borrow from, and transform one another. By examining the technical, institutional, and material supports that underpin cultural production, this work engages with broader debates in media studies and aesthetics regarding how knowledge and power are mediated. The author situates his inquiry at the intersection of various disciplines, including philosophy, art history, and literary theory, reflecting a long-standing academic interest in how the physical properties of a medium influence the reception and meaning of the works it carries.
By applying a framework to objects such as Lost Illusions, fashion, and soundscapes like 4’33’’, the text illustrates how comparative analysis can reveal connections between cultural phenomena. This approach aligns with efforts in the humanities to move beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries by focusing on the shared material and structural conditions of diverse media. Readers interested in the evolution of media theory and the application of interdisciplinary research methods to literature, music, and material culture may find the methodology and case studies relevant.