French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Arzoumanov, A. Réach-Ngô & T. Tran (eds.), Le Discours du livre. Mise en scène du texte et fabrique de l’oeuvre sous l’Ancien Régime
Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Anna Arzoumanov, Anne Réach-Ngô, and Trung Tran (eds.),Le Discours du livre. Mise en scène du texte et fabrique de l’oeuvre sous l’Ancien Régime
Classiques Garnier, "Études et essais sur la Renaissance" series, 2011, 329 p.

• EAN13: 9782812403095
• Price: 38 €

Publisher's description:

At the intersection of literary history and the history of the book, the contributions collected in this volume examine the material incarnations of a text and the metamorphoses of its medium, from its first publication to its various later editions. They thus aim to highlight what literary studies stand to gain by no longer restricting their focus to the discourse of the text, but rather expanding it to that of the book.

By bridging the gap between literary analysis and the history of the book, this collection of essays aligns with the material turn in bibliography and early modern studies. Under the Ancien Régime, the transition from manuscript culture to print culture fundamentally altered how authors, publishers, and readers interacted with written works. The volume explores how typographical choices, paratextual elements, and successive editions are not merely neutral vessels for a text, but active participants in shaping its meaning and reception. This approach challenges traditional literary history by treating the physical book as an essential component of textual interpretation.

This work is particularly valuable for researchers and students of early modern French literature, bibliography, and print culture. It addresses crucial questions about the authority of the text, the role of editors and printers in the creative process, and the evolution of reading practices from the Renaissance through the eighteenth century. Readers interested in how material constraints and publishing strategies influenced the canonization of French authors will find this interdisciplinary study to be an indispensable resource for understanding the complex lifecycle of the printed word.