Exploring the intricate relationship between language and social interaction, this book delves into Marcel Proust's examination of communication in "In Search of Lost Time." Michael Lucey analyzes Proust's insights through the lenses of linguistic anthropology, speech act theory, and Pierre Bourdieu's sociology. Each chapter features interludes that contextualize Proust's novel-writing within a broader literary tradition, comparing him to authors like Balzac and Woolf. This approach offers fresh perspectives on language's role in literature and its implications for literary criticism.
Imagine trying to tell someone something about yourself and your desires for which there are no words. What if the mere attempt at expression was bound to misfire, to efface the truth of that ineluctable something? In Someone, Michael Lucey considers characters from twentieth-century French literary texts whose sexual forms prove difficult to conceptualize or represent. The characters expressing these “misfit” sexualities gravitate towards same-sex encounters. Yet they differ in subtle but crucial ways from mainstream gay or lesbian identities—whether because of a discordance between gender identity and sexuality, practices specific to a certain place and time, or the fleetingness or non-exclusivity of desire. Investigating works by Simone de Beauvoir, Colette, Jean Genet, and others, Lucey probes both the range of same-sex sexual forms in twentieth-century France and the innovative literary language authors have used to explore these evanescent forms. As a portrait of fragile sexualities that involve awkward and delicate maneuvers and modes of articulation, Someone reveals just how messy the ways in which we experience and perceive sexuality remain, even to ourselves.
Exploring the use of first-person narrative, this literary study delves into the works of early-20th-century French writers such as Gide, Colette, and Proust. It examines how these authors addressed themes of sexuality and group identity, revealing the complexities of personal and collective experiences in their storytelling. Through detailed analysis, the book highlights the innovative narrative techniques employed by these writers to challenge societal norms and express their unique perspectives.
