French Literature Reviews - 2026
B. Marcotte, Les Cahiers d'Ésope
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
Bernard Marcotte, Les Cahiers d'Ésope.
Publibook, 2013, Paris,
ISBN 9782342005400
170 p., 19 euros
Les Cahiers d'Ésope are a collection of philosophical texts written by Bernard Marcotte, an author from the Ardennes born in 1887, during the final years of his life while hospitalized following a WWI injury, which would ultimately lead to his death in 1927. A dreamer and a whimsical spirit, he was both a poet and a storyteller (his works have been in the process of publication or republication since 2011, including a volume of Theatre previously highlighted by Fabula). However, he had always maintained a lifelong passion for philosophy—a thread running through much of his writing—earning a bachelor's and a master's degree in philosophy and forming a close bond with Jean Wahl.
Les Cahiers d'Ésope represent the culmination of his reflections, addressing the attitude of the philosopher, who is forever in search of inquiry; death, which he knew all too well would soon claim him; the creation of worlds; and human freedom, but also laughter, the significance of which he strongly championed...
Despite the limitations and constraints of human life, Bernard Marcotte rejected all forms of suffering, advocating instead for liberation and joy: "This small share, so swiftly consumed, so fragile and adventurous—at the very least, we know we shall never despise our narrow life" (p. 81), and elsewhere: "O my soul, sing of the light world and the magical adventure. There is no Creator, there is no Judge. Wildly free, 'like a singing swarm of traveling players,' we rush down the short slope. A fairytale intoxication, a Shakespearean grace makes our hearts leap and shines in our eyes. [...] We live, and this life is but a detail of a vast, unknown dream. [...] We are not of the real within the Real, but of the real within the Unreal: the links cling to one another, yet the chain floats freely. A thought of lightening and liberation! The cheerfulness of daybreak upon the first stage!" (p. 49-50)
Contents
Preface, by Henri Cambon (p. 9)
Les Cahiers d'Ésope, by Paul Tuffrau (p. 13)
I. The Narrow Life (Variations on a Philosophical Theme) (p. 27)
Preliminary Remark
I. Wonder: The Philosophical Gift
II. Existence. Being. Creation
On Relations: The Tragic Sense of the Narrow Life
II. The Conversations of Tantalus (p. 83)
Prologue
1st Conversation: On the Interval
2nd Conversation: On Love (missing from the manuscript)
3rd Conversation: On Being (end of the conversation)
4th Conversation: On Death
III. The Vigils of Diomedes (p. 127)
Pandora's Box (Dialogue on Laughter)
A. The Evocation of the Devil
B. The Discourse on Laughter
C. The Conjuring of the Devil
Second Vigil: Curiosity
IV. The Hours of Amymone (p. 157)
Marine Music
Song of the Islands
Bernard Marcotte composed Les Cahiers d'Ésope during his final years while hospitalized following a World War I injury. An author from the Ardennes born in 1887, Marcotte was known as a dreamer, poet, and storyteller who maintained a lifelong passion for philosophy, earning advanced degrees in the discipline and forming a close bond with Jean Wahl. The volume brings together various philosophical reflections, including a preface by Henri Cambon and an introductory text by Paul Tuffrau, alongside several thematic sections structured around the narrow life, conversations, vigils, and hours.
The texts address the attitude of the inquiring philosopher, the contemplation of mortality, the creation of worlds, and the significance of human freedom and laughter. Throughout these writings, Marcotte rejects suffering and advocates for liberation and joy despite the constraints of human existence. Readers interested in early twentieth-century French philosophical literature and the writings of lesser-known figures connected to the period may find this publication relevant to their pursuits.