History of Literature

Content : A comprehensive, reliable, and visually appealing work for all lovers of reading and literature.

A sweeping panorama of French literary history.
This book offers a lively and comprehensive overview of the history of French literature, tracing its evolution through works, writers, and literary movements, from its origins to the present day.
The narrative opens in 881–882 with the Sequence of Saint Eulalia, the first known text translated from Latin, and concludes in 2025 with a special feature on how contemporary authors are engaging with today’s social, ecological, and feminist struggles.
French literary history unfolds here in a thoroughly documented yet accessible way, through more than 150 key dates that highlight its major authors and foundational works.

A clear structure and dynamic layout.
At the start of each period, a concise account of the main developments is paired with a large, detailed chronological timeline.
Across the double-page spreads, each work is presented through both text and images, with sidebars shedding light on the broader cultural context.
At regular intervals, in-depth features explore the most significant literary movements.

The authorship team.
Under the editorial direction of Johan Faerber, this volume has been written by a team of teachers and researchers in literature and literary history: Alain Couprie, Johan Faerber, Nancy Oddo, and Laurence Rauline.

About the “Chronology” series:
Well-documented, attractive books to make culture accessible to everyone. Richly illustrated, this series tell the story of France, the world, literature, the arts, religions and more. They are comprehensive, reliable and attractive works for anyone interested in culture.