French Literature Reviews - 2026

The Possible Work of Alfred Jarry
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics

THE POSSIBLE WORK OF ALFRED JARRY

Jean-Louis CORNILLE

It has become customary to reduce Alfred Jarry's oeuvre to the Ubu cycle. Yet, behind these texts unfolds an entire nocturnal, subterranean side of his work, which scarcely seems to project beyond its manuscript form. However, if there is one book Jarry appears to have dreamed of throughout his life, without ever managing to complete it, it must be that ghostly collection he announced as early as 1894, Elements of Pataphysics. A sort of pseudo-book, an imaginary work, these Elements only ever existed in a fragmented form: their essentials are found in Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, Pataphysician, Days and Nights, The Green Candle, and above all in The Dragoness, which, although unfinished, truly stands as that "unique work made of all possible works" to the formulation of which Jarry had devoted himself body and soul.

106pp. 15x23 cm.
ISBN 0-920615-50-3
24.95$

http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/french/paratexte/#CORNILLE

Alfred Jarry occupies a singular position within late nineteenth-century French literature, bridging the gap between symbolism, the avant-garde, and the precursors of surrealism and absurdity. His creation of pataphysics and the iconic figure of Ubu have long dominated critical reception, often overshadowing his broader artistic trajectory.

Readers interested in nineteenth-century French avant-garde literature, experimental prose, and the intellectual history of pataphysics may find this volume a relevant addition to their critical studies of the period.