French Literature Reviews - 2026

The Book and the Image in Fantastic Literature and Works of Fiction
Other Literary Studies

The Book and the Image in Fantastic Literature and Fiction

Abstract
Drawing on research conducted within the Center for the Study and Research on Literatures of the Imaginary, in cooperation with the University of Paris-Créteil, this volume examines two symbolic icons of the dialogue between the real and the imaginary: the book and the image. It focuses on each of them in turn. The book, as a repository of knowledge and an archive of the real, finds its counterpart in the Borges-esque library-world; it is a fantastic locus. As for the image, it lies at the heart of a visible/invisible dialectic in every possible way—whether within a painting, a photograph, or when the book features self-portraits and numerous illustrations that bring the text to visual life.

Biography
Françoise Dupeyron-Lafay, professor at the University of Paris XII, is a specialist in 19th-century English literature

(information provided by the publisher)

The study of the fantastic often centers on the tension between the tangible world and the supernatural, a theme frequently mediated by objects that bridge these realms. Within the tradition of fantastic literature, the library and the illustrated page serve as recurring motifs that challenge the boundaries of representation. This volume examines the book as a repository of knowledge and an archive of the real, alongside the image as a feature of a visible/invisible dialectic. Readers interested in the intersection of visual arts and narrative structures may find this volume relevant.

The fantastic genre has long utilized the image—whether through ekphrasis or literal illustration—to destabilize the reader's perception of the text. This volume reflects on how paintings, photographs, and self-portraits function within a narrative framework. It focuses on the interplay between the written word and visual representation, examining how the book serves as a fantastic locus. This approach aligns with academic discussions regarding the semiotics of the book and the ways in which visual culture informs the development of imaginary worlds in literature.