French Literature Reviews - 2026
Y. Lavandier, La Dramaturgie. L'Art du récit
Literary Theory, Linguistics and Stylistics
Yves Lavandier,
La Dramaturgie. L'art du récit
Les Impressions Nouvelles, "Réflexions faites" series, 2019
EAN13 : 9782874496585
OVERVIEW
During the Second World War, in the Stutthof concentration camp, a woman named Flora ran a bread theater. Using a portion of her meager rations, she sculpted small figurines. At night, hiding in the latrines, she and a few other prisoners brought these crumb actors to life for an audience of starving inmates destined for execution. No matter the place or the era, human beings are surrounded by stories and have a fundamental need for them. Stories are as vital to us as oxygen.
For over twenty years, a book has existed that speaks to this very need: Yves Lavandier's La Dramaturgie. It has become a cult classic among professionals.
La Dramaturgie stands as the modern-day counterpart to Aristotle's Poetics. It is a comprehensive treatise on the mechanics of narrative, their purpose, and their meaning. Yet whereas the ancient philosopher had only Greek plays to illustrate his work, Yves Lavandier draws upon a vastly richer repertoire, pulling numerous examples from theater, cinema, television, fairy tales, and comic books.
La Dramaturgie is now available in a new edition from Les Impressions Nouvelles, fully revised by the author for the occasion. Primarily addressed to playwrights and screenwriters—both beginners and professionals—it will captivate anyone involved in the narrative arts, including actors, producers, directors, comic book artists, and even curious spectators eager to gain a deeper understanding of theater, film, or comics, and the profound connection these arts share with life itself.
The study of narrative structure has long been a central concern of Western aesthetics, tracing its roots back to the classical tradition of dramatic theory. By analyzing the fundamental mechanics that govern storytelling, authors in this field seek to understand how plots are constructed to engage an audience. La Dramaturgie by Yves Lavandier is a treatise on the mechanics of narrative, their purpose, and their meaning, which draws upon examples from theater, cinema, television, fairy tales, and comic books.
This volume examines the technical aspects of writing for various media, including theater, television, and comic books. The text discusses the relationship between storytelling techniques and the human experience, reflecting on the role of stories in social and personal life. Readers interested in the mechanics of storytelling and the evolution of dramatic form may find this work relevant.