French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Meyer, Le spectacle du secret.
Novel and Narrative Prose

Bibliographic reference: A. Meyer, Le spectacle du secret., , 2018.

A. Meyer, Le spectacle du secret, Droz 2003, 261 p.

Paradoxically, in literature, secrecy generates a spectacle. Indeed, it proves to be a remarkably effective dramatic device. Better yet, in order to conceal a truth, certain novels consistently lean on the motif of theatrical play, or even employ the distinctive formal techniques of the theater.
Using the dramatic works of Marivaux as a starting point, Arielle Meyer outlines the operational model of secrecy to determine what binds it to the spectacular. She then examines how this model is transposed across a corpus of 19th-century novels, identifying and comparing the formal impacts that the varying treatment of a common theme produces within the narrative: Mademoiselle de Maupin, Les Diaboliques, as well as Armance and The Rougon-Macquart, all of which are texts built around the story of a character whose secret is intertwined with desire and sexuality.

Read a review on Acta Fabula, "Le récit du secret", by J-P. Engélibert.

By tracing the mechanics of secrecy from the 18th-century comedies of Marivaux to the 19th-century novel, Arielle Meyer highlights a fascinating bridge between theatricality and narrative prose. In the works of Pierre de Marivaux, secrecy is a playful, performative engine of self-discovery and romantic intrigue. When transposed to the 19th-century novel, this dramatic structure undergoes a profound transformation. In works by Théophile Gautier, Stendhal, Émile Zola, and Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly, the hidden truth is no longer just a plot device but a complex site of psychological tension, social critique, and forbidden desire.

This comparative study helps readers understand how narrative texts incorporate the formal techniques of drama, such as dramatic irony, masking, and scenic construction. By focusing on secrets linked to sexuality and desire, the book addresses crucial questions about censorship, transgression, and the representation of the unspeakable in post-revolutionary French literature. It is an invaluable resource for students and scholars of the French novel, narrative theory, and the historical intersections between theater and prose fiction.