French Literature Reviews - 2026

V. Segalen, Correspondance
Writers: Biography, Letters and Memoirs

Victor Segalen,

Correspondance (3-volume box set):

Volume 1, 1893–1912; Volume 2, 1912–1919; Chronology & Notes

Paris, Fayard, 2004, 2,850 p., 120
(first edition in 2 vols.: Fayard, L'Herne, Feb. 2004)

Publisher's Overview:

This correspondence first traces Segalen's formative years at the Naval Health School in Bordeaux, followed by his voyage to Polynesia in 1903, which marked his true literary debut. Thanks to Huysmans, Remy de Gourmont, and Saint-Pol Roux, the young physician began contributing to the leading periodical of the era, Le Mercure de France. It was also during this period that he developed a profound fascination with Gauguin, laying the groundwork for his novel The Immemorials (Les Immémoriaux). Finally, after returning to France and briefly staying in London, Segalen set off for China in 1909 to explore the country. He was joined in 1910 by his wife, Yvonne, and his son, Yvon—a journey extensively detailed in the letters compiled in the second volume.

The letters subsequently chronicle the author's final trajectory, his creative zenith, and his untimely death. Beginning in 1910, Victor Segalen developed a deep passion for Chinese archaeology, visiting the Ming tombs, traveling along the Yangtze River, and settling in Beijing. This period planted the seeds for his entire Chinese-inspired oeuvre (Stelae, published in Beijing in 1912; Painting; The Son of Heaven). Haunted by the sense that ancient China was vanishing before his eyes, Segalen organized an archaeological expedition to study the country's monumental sculpture. Undertaken in 1914 with G. de Voisins and J. Lartigue, the expedition was ultimately cut short by the outbreak of war. Nevertheless, Segalen successfully mapped the location of the tomb of Qin Shi Huang and discovered the stone horse of Huo Qubing (still recognized today as China's oldest monumental stone sculpture).

This correspondence sheds light on several lingering questions regarding Victor Segalen's life: What are we to make of the sexual ambivalence of this happily married husband and devoted father, who was rumored to have had an affair with Gilbert de Voisins? And what truly happened on May 23, 1919, the day he disappeared? Published in co-edition with the Cahiers de l'Herne, each volume is enhanced by three comprehensive indexes—proper names, places, and literary titles—as well as a complete bibliography.

Victor Segalen occupies a unique place in modern French literature as a writer whose creative output was deeply intertwined with long-distance travel and cross-cultural encounter. His engagement with Polynesia and China informed major works such as Les Immémoriaux and Stelae, while his connections to figures associated with the Mercure de France placed him within broader turn-of-the-century aesthetic currents. Epistolary collections from this period often serve as vital archives for understanding the intersection of personal life, scholarly pursuits, and artistic creation among writers of the early twentieth century. The published letters trace Segalen's trajectory from his early training in Bordeaux through his travels abroad, providing documentation of his archaeological expeditions and his final years. Readers interested in the history of French travel writing and the intellectual networks of the early 1900s may find this three-volume edition relevant. The correspondence highlights the development of his Chinese-inspired oeuvre and touches upon biographical questions concerning his life, travels, and untimely death.