French Literature Reviews - 2026

The Battle of Memories
Novel and Narrative Prose

Hamel, Yan,

La Bataille des mémoires. La Seconde Guerre mondiale et le roman français

Montréal, Presses de l'Université de Montréal, coll. « Socius », 2006,

406 p. ISBN : 2-7606-2011-5; 978-2-7606-2011-7. ($34.95 / €31)

Detailed description :

This scholarly study examines how mid-twentieth-century French literature engages with the historical trauma and ideological fractures of the Second World War. By analyzing a corpus of narrative prose from the period, the research highlights the complex ways fiction constructs collective memory and negotiates national identity. Readers interested in the intersections of history, politics, and narrative prose in twentieth-century literature may find this work a relevant contribution to the field.

http://www.mapageweb.umontreal.ca/melancon/socius.html#hamel