Patrick Modiano by John E. Flower

Abstract

MLR, 105.2, 2010 571 in a quotation fromArthur Adamov, who comments: 'La vie n'etait pas absurde, difficile, tres difficile seulement. Rien qui ne demandat des efforts immenses, dis proportion's' (p. 9). In general, the choice and application of quotation in this volume develop the potential for critical engagement with thematerial discussed in a particularly rewarding manner. Despite the fact that this study is framed as a testimony of, and testimonial to, the theatre under discussion, rather than as a sustained, analytical enquiry, some useful definitions of particular trends in the theatrical modes of the years 1950-68 are suggested. One such example is themapping of the transformation that gradually undermined public commitment to JeanVilar's vision of theatre as a venue from which the transmission of a cultural heritage was possible. His understanding of theatre as ameans of education, a space for reflection thatbrings citizens together, was eventually overtaken by amore explicitly political vision of a Brechtian model of theatre that deliberately set out to divide opinion and instigate action. The six chapters divide the theatre under discussion into categories broad enough to guide a reader without restricting individual lines of enquiry or interest. The survey begins with a discussion of pre-1950 influences, including the imposing figures ofHenri Montherlant and Paul Claudel and the glittering stars of Boulevard theatre, before moving on systematically and with constant attention to detail to outline the trajectory ofwell-known and lesser-known dramatists and producers alike; representatives of thepoetic, the grotesque, the prosaic, and, finally, the poli tical theatre. The author openly recognizes reliance on the testimony and comments of contemporary authors, actors, directors, spectators, and press clippings. This accumulative mode of gathering evidence facilitates the articulation of a democratic and inclusive understanding of theatre as a participatory process brought to fruition by means of a compact between dramatists, those theatre specialists that realize the text on stage, and the audiences that participate in its realization. Itmight seem disappointing that themagnanimity of this approach does not result in a more stimulating engagement with the theatrical event itself. On the other hand, perhaps thiswould be an unreasonable expectation in view of the primacy of information-gathering and documentation in this notable volume. Aberystwyth University Anwen Jones Patrick Modiano. Ed. by John E. Flower. Amsterdam and New York: Rodopi. 2007. 296 pp. 60. ISBN 978-90-420-2316-1. The essays collected in Patrick Modiano, edited by John E. Flower, are revised versions of papers delivered at a bilingual international conference held at the University of Kent, Canterbury, inMarch 2004, and bring together work by some of the best-known Modiano critics, such as Colin Nettelbeck and Alan Morris, as well as academics from across Europe and North America. The sixteen essays here published, ofwhich four are in English, are loosely grouped according to theme or subject, and follow an elastic chronological line from Les Boulevards de ceinture (1972) to La Petite Bijou (2001) and Accident nocturne (2003). John Flower's in 572 Reviews troduction provides a detailed overview ofModiano criticism inwhich to position these essays, while looking forward to new directions inModiano research. As is to be expected, the shadow of theOccupation looms large over each of the sixteen chapters, with Dora Bruder (1997) emerging as central to this collection and as a key reference-point ifnot, indeed, a turning-point inModiano's treatment of the recurrent themes ofmemory, lesannees noires, and his quest forhis father.The first half of the collection deals with this preoccupation with the past, concentrating on the period of theOccupation portrayed inLes Boulevards de ceinture and Dora Bruder, and thenmore generally with Modiano's obsession with origins, secrets, and biography. Colin Nettelbeck's introductory chapter argues for Patrick Modiano's unique position among writers of contemporary French fiction, and the diversity of ap proaches evident in the collected essays support his assertion. For theModiano detective, Alan Morris's scoop in revealing the source forLes Boulevards de ceinture makes for fascinating reading. Having convincingly detailed the links between the texts, Morris suggests a rereading of the novel in the light of these revelations and underlines Modiano's use of intertext as part of his postmodern project. In...