French Culture Research Articles

‘We must have a sufficient level of profitability’: food industry submissions to the French parliamentary inquiry on industrial food

ABSTRACT In March 2018, the French parliament launched an inquiry into industrial food and its ‘nutritional quality, role in the emergence of chronic diseases, and the social and environmental impact of its origin’. Our aim was to analyse the food industry’s submissions to the inquiry, particularly discussions around the role that the food industry has played in the non-communicable disease (NCD) epidemic. We studied the submissions of 23 food industry actors. We generated three main themes from our analysis: i) a redefinition of the nature and activities of the food industry, where food industry actors, for example presented themselves as part of the French culture and as experts on the science of diet and health; ii) an industry framing of the problem, with, for example, a focus on other actors in the industry and on consumers; and iii) industry preferred solutions in response to the NCD epidemic, such as reformulation, education or personal responsibility. We conclude that food industry actors’ rhetoric in their submissions to the inquiry could have a potentially negative influence on the development of public health policies in France: it could slow the policy-making process and could lead to the adoption of ineffective solutions. Our findings could help policy makers, public health professionals and the public to better distinguish between the narratives that are of valid relevance for public health from those that merely serve the interests of food industry actors.

Teaching French civilization and culture through a multicultural perspective in the classrooms of French language students in Jordanian universities

With the advent of the communicative methodology, the goal of learning and teaching foreign languages is to acquire a communicative skill aimed at making students able to behave appropriately when communicating with speakers of these languages. This communicative skill is not limited to grammatical or linguistic aspects, but also includes cultural elements that seem to be of great importance. Through our experience, it seems to us that the practices of learning and teaching French as a foreign language, in the Jordanian university context, do not give an important place to cultural elements. This study aims to encourage teachers to focus more on the cultural aspects in the French as a foreign language class, and to think about the educational potential of this skill. To achieve this, we will first shed light on the relationship between the concept of social perceptions and the teaching and learning of French as a foreign language in the Jordanian university context, with a focus on cultural concepts. I will then present a number of educational proposals related to intercultural knowledge in learning and teaching French as a foreign language, in the Jordanian university context. Keywords: French as a foreign language, communication skills, classroom practices, social perceptions, intercultural studies, educational suggestions.

Reforming French Culture: Satire, Spiritual Alienation, and Connection to Strangers

Reforming French Culture: Satire, Spiritual Alienation, and Connection to Strangers

Historisitas Aliran Neo-Klasik Dalam Kesusastraan Arab

Arabic literature has undergone such a long journey from the time of the beginning of the time of Jahili, the period of Islam, the period of Muawiyah service, Abasiah, the Ottoman dynasty, and the modern period until now. In each period of this development, Arabic literature experienced innovations that differentiated it from other periods. In the modern phase in particular, it turns out that Arabic literature has a variety of literary schools that have appeared alternately, both because of the motivation of criticism of the literary models that emerged before and because of refining other streams that emerged in the same period of time.
 The emergence of this neoclassical school was initially a reaction to Napoleon's arrival in Egypt in 1798, which marked the entry of French culture into the Arab world. This school also maintains strong Arabic poetry rules, for example the necessity to use wazan, qāfiyah, the number of words is very large, the uslūb is very strong, the themes still follow the previous period, such as madah, ritsa (lamentations), ghazal, fakhr, and the movement from one topic to another in one qasidah (ode) 
 Problems raised in this study include: 1. What is the history of Arabic literature? 2. What are the factors that arouse Arabic literature? 3. Who are the pioneers of the neoclassical school? The results in this study are: 1. The history of Arabic literature has experienced such a long journey from the period beginning at the time of Jahili, the period of Islam, the period of Muawiyah's service, Abasiah, the Ottoman dynasty, and the modern period until now. During the Abbasid period there was a period of emotion in Arabic literature, and suffered a setback during the Ottoman period until the beginning of this phase since the reign of Muhammad Ali in Egypt after colonialization Francis ended in 1801. 2. The factors include: Al-Madaris (School -school), Al-Mathba'ah (Printing), Ash-Shuhuf / Al-Jaro'id (Newspaper), and Tarjamah.3. One of the pioneers of the neoclassical school of Arabic poetry or commonly called al-Muhāfizun is Mahmud Sami al Barudi
 Keywords: arabic literary history, factors, flow, neo classical figure

Cultural Diversity in Couples and Collective Performance: Using a Culture-Based Memory Game to Measure Transactive Memory.

Transactive memory refers to the way people in close relationships use each other's memories as extensions of their own to improve their collaborative performance. Although pioneer research has been conducted among close couples, no studies have examined the effects of the cultural composition of couples on transactive memory. The goal of this study was to extend research about the positive impact of cultural diversity on team performance to mixed- (French-Moroccan) and same-culture couples (French-French, Moroccan-Moroccan). Thirty heterosexual couples aged from 22 to 55 years (M = 42.25 years and SD = 8.15) performed a culture-based memory game with cards depicting French and Moroccan culture. The order in which the pairs of cards was found is thought to reflect the efficiency of transactive memory. Results revealed that collective performance was better in mixed French-Moroccan couples than in same-culture couples but only for the French culture cards. These findings suggest that cultural diversity in couples has an impact on transactive memory and should be taken into consideration.

The hammer, the chisel and the roast: mass-marketing frozen food in France, 1965–1985

ABSTRACT In the decades following World War II, frozen-food professionals in France attempted to make sense of why their industry was slow to develop compared to other industrialised nations. Drawing on marketing flyers, print and television advertisements, instructional booklets, and articles appearing in the chief trade journal of the period, this paper explores the strategies some of these professionals proposed to promote frozen food in France. I show that what seems to have worked most effectively was counter-intuitively a turn towards French culture, which industry leaders defined as both traditional and modern. This observation, I suggest, not only invites us to reconsider the dichotomy between tradition and modernity, but it also helps to highlight the ways that dichotomy itself is discursively constructed.

Everyone deserves quiche: French school lunch programmes and national culture in a globalized world

Globalization poses many challenges for national cultural unity, especially in Europe. Some doubt whether national cultures will be able to survive, but there are many counter-trends pushing to maintain national cultural unity. I analyse the dual trends of global diversity and maintaining unity through an everyday manifestation of French culture: elementary school lunches. French school lunch programmes are part of the nation-building process because they are designed to teach students how to eat, which is especially important in France where the art of gastronomy is a key source of identity and pride. I analyse cultural influences on over 11,000 school lunch menu items from eight municipalities across two French regions. I also conduct in-depth face-to-face interviews with the people who design and approve school lunch menus. My inquiry is guided by three key questions. First, to what extent are foreign influences included? Second, does openness to foreign influences vary across different parts of France? Finally, how are foreign cultures represented? My results suggest that foreign cultures are deployed to nationalize difference. The limited foreign influences that appear in school lunches are strategically chosen to appeal to and to educate students, but in a way that reinforces the centrality of traditional French cultural norms. This article contributes to our understanding of the tension between national culture and a globalizing world.

Between Bilingualism and Intertextuality (Someone Else’s Word As a Subtext): From Bierdiaev to Gazdanov

The article presents a manifold function of bilingualism in the works of Russian emigration writers and thinkers in Paris. The phenomenon of bilingualism and the role of someone else’s word are considered contextually, in connection with the Russian intellectual elite’s orientation towards the dialogue with French culture as part of Le Studio Franco-Russe. Examples of the occurrence of someone else’s/foreign word (including aphorisms) as a semantic subtext activator are analysed and interpreted in philosophical texts (N. Bierdiaev, V. Lossky) and in literary ones of the Nobel prize winner I. Bunin and G. Gazdanov, connected with “existential tradition”. The subject of detailed investigation is the sense-generating function of a quote in French from Stendhal’s Le Rouge et le Noir in Gazdanov’s short story Счастье , which activates the overt or covert presence of the anthropological concept of happiness known in European culture (Pascal, Saint Augustine). Other intertextual traces are also found, making references to the European reflection on two types of cognition – on the value of feelings and emotions in cognizing the world and in interpersonal relations (Nietzsche, Jung).

Geographical Turns and Historical Returns in Narrating French Wine Culture

ABSTRACTThe narration of French wine culture in the twentieth century has been markedly influenced by the geographers Paul Vidal de la Blache, Roger Dion, and Jean-Robert Pitte. Their impact is notable in redefining terroir as not only a geological, climactic, and topographical phenomenon, but a space which is also dependent on human intervention and tradition, including social and economic infrastructure. In this article, I will trace the postwar construction and more recent deconstruction of the geographical discourse on French wine culture. It provides an overview of the context in which these geographers’ wine writing emerged, exposing the innovations and specificities of work by Vidal de la Blache, Dion and Pitte., This analysis is supplemented by contemporary reviews and subsequent referencing by historians and geographers. In conclusion, I will look at more recent criticism and engagement with Dion’s legacy and Pitte’s influence, to ascertain the pertinence and the status of their wine research today.

Historical Interplay in French Music and Culture, 1860–1960. Ed. by Deborah Mawer

Historical Interplay in French Music and Culture, 1860–1960. Ed. by Deborah Mawer

‘마그레브-사하라’ 지역의 지속가능한 안보와 평화를 위한 프랑스의 노력에 관한 연구

The Maghreb-Sahara region is the place where many nations make up borders. It is also a region where the humanity is grappling with various problems, such as trafficking, terror, environmental issues, gender inequality and dispute over natural resources. We examine the situation of the Maghreb-Sahara where the problems of globalization face with. In this article, we show the general characteristics of the Maghreb-Sahara, its French colonization and the surviving elements of French culture after its independence. In particular, we highlight two aspects compared to the French elements. The first is about the effects and influence of French culture. We examine how influence of French soft power still exists in this region, and how France live up to Sustainable Development Goals, SDG); supported by the United Nations. The second is to notice that the terrorist group and the hostage as well as the increase of illegal traffic in this region. In order to take action against them, France is increasing their power on the military. These are intended to strengthen their influence in this region but at the same time a strategy to achieve SDG. These two elements that are examined in this article, are those of what can be verified the French influence in the conflict world like Maghreb-Sahara. This will help us better understand what the Korean government is doing ODA in this region.

Culture to France on demolition XIX and XX century in formation of the concepts to piano concerto of C.Sаint-Saëns

The purpose of the article is a realization of naturalness to lyrical concept of a piano concerto in French culture end XIX - begin XX century, presented piano Concerto of C.Saint-Saёns, actual intonation which is determined (on E.Markova) of post-vanguard last decennial event. The methodology of the work is the intonation approach of the school B.Asafiev in Ukraine. The base place occupies the method of the genre-style comparative analysis, hеrmеneutics method, as well as positions performance analysis, as this is presented in works of V.Medushevskiy, E.Markova, as well as in work of S.Skrebkov and others. Scientific novelty of the work is determined that that for the first time in musicology of Ukraine matches up the intonation formation is proto-symbolism, symbolism and nеоsymbolism begin XXI centuries in concreteness of the interpretation of the genre of the concerto in creative activity of C.Saint-Saёns, is for the first time presented naturalness of relationship to аdrаmаtic trend of the thinking Saint-Saёns with pro-religious tone of the culture of the symbolism and his manifestations in nеоsymbolism of contemporaneity. Conclusions. Works of C.Saint-Saёns forms style-semantic parallel to the manifestation of the concert genre besides Russian, Ukrainian composer, for which typology of the concerto also excluded the tragedian-dramatic filling, was directed to ecstatic-glad ringing of bells of the play-off, culling from climate of confidence to religious ecstatic quality, confirmed by symbolism. Beside Saint-Saёns independent sense filling get invoiced acceptance, forming strictly thematic factors, leading to concepts of distracted themes XX ct. Quality of playing unity art-reality in post-modern, in post-posvanguard is carried out in pathos presenting life validity in unity with strictly artistic text. According, in performance repertoire, has got the special confession a music concert-natty, which correlate with joy-cоmpеnsаtion tone recreational - and spiritual art, capacious presented concert type of the music C.Saint-Saёns.

French Revolutionary Transformations of Diplomatic Practice: The Case of Franco–Ottoman Relations, 1792–17971

This article focuses on questions of rupture and continuity in European international relations around 1800, taking French revolutionary diplomatic practice in the Ottoman Empire as a case in point. Historians who have studied the conduct of French revolutionary diplomacy tend to emphasize the ruptures in revolutionary diplomatic practice. The analysis of Franco-Ottoman alliance negotiations (1792–1797) does not fully match with this assessment. Although it is certainly true that the Revolution led to great alterations in French diplomatic culture, French diplomats were often far from discarding all diplomatic conventions. The article gives a short overview over the diplomatic agents working for the French embassy and their reactions to the Revolution in France. It then presents the Ottoman reaction to the regime change in France, in particular with regards to the transition from monarchy to republic. The main focus is on the question of innovation and continuity in diplomatic practice and on the self-representation of the new French state.

Représentation des relations franco-maghrébines dans le roman Apocalypse bébé : apprendre la culture française-maghrébine à travers des textes littéraires

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:0in">Learning a foreign language cannot
 be separated from literature and culture. One of the definitions of literature
 is a reflection of society; so through literature we can know the real image of
 society as well as the culture. Moreover, by knowing the foreign cultures of
 the countries from which we learn the language, we can not only read, but also
 understand the problems that appear in the texts studied. Similarly, French
 culture cannot be separated from Maghreb culture. The two cultures complement
 each other, later becoming the content of various literary, French literary and
 Francophone literary. The relationship between the two cultures is also part of
 the content of Virginie Despentes' novel <i>Apocalypse
 bébé</i>. Through this novel, we can see an image of the relationship between
 France and the Maghreb people in their social life. Thus, as a learner of
 French, we could know not only French culture through the textbooks published
 by French publishers, but also recognize the French culture associated with
 France both directly and indirectly. Therefore, the literary text entitled <i>Apocalypse bébé</i> can be an alternative
 source of learning French, not only in terms of language attached to vocabulary
 and grammar, but also to know French and Francophone culture so that students
 know the relationship for understanding and analyzing literary works.</p>

Le rôle des réseaux culturels officiels au sein de la diplomatie culturelle française à Banyumas

Since the 12th century, French culture has been important to the world because of its excellence, particularly with its influence on language, literature, philosophy and streams of thought. It represents an art of living, marked by traditional values, among which is the highly appreciated gastronomy, and a constant recognition of its haute couture. It plays a role only in French diplomacy that involves political, economic, and cultural action. This action is historically started by the Dutch colonial regime and is fundamentally reinforced today through official cultural networks. In this case, the problematic focus of their functions and their actions in the face of the Banyumas community as a new relationship that is confronted with geographical, social, and cultural conditions. Referring to French cultural diplomacy in this region, this research focuses on the qualitative descriptive method of describing and analyzing data with the objective of explaining diplomatic action through the French culture.

The Woman Question in France, 1400–1870 by Karen Offen

Reviewed by: The Woman Question in France, 1400–1870 by Karen Offen Sharon L. Fairchild Offen, Karen. The Woman Question in France, 1400–1870. Cambridge UP, 2017. ISBN 978-1-107-18808-2. Pp. 302. This work and its companion volume, Debating the Woman Question in the French Third Republic, 1870–1920, are the result of years of research devoted to the history of the "woman question" in France. Taking a completely new view of the history of French beliefs concerning woman's position and role in society, it is a revelatory study reflecting extraordinary depth of scholarship and analysis. While investigating the subject, Karen Offen found that no aspect of the debates on the woman question began with the Third Republic, motivating her to undertake a longue durée approach and to analyze the history of these debates prior to that period. The central, and original, premise of the book is that there are particular elements specific to French culture that influenced attitudes concerning women's rights. The chapters of the book are organized around an analysis of each of these elements. The first element peculiar to French society is the fact that, over the centuries, men attributed enormous cultural [End Page 238] power and influence to women, despite their having few legal or political rights. Offen cites writers, philosophers, and political theorists from early centuries who perceived women as being superior in morals and exercising considerable empire over men in various ways. This phenomenon explains why men felt compelled to control and counter feminine influence. According to Offen, this circumstance is essential for understanding the politics of French culture. The elements that Offen treats in the subsequent chapters include the exclusion of women from political authority, the increase of biomedical thinking that relegated women to biological inferiority, the sexual politics of education, and the division of labor. This last chapter is particularly fascinating as it takes the "long view" on women's work and examines several economic issues, such as the rise of the work ethic, the history of work guilds, salaries, the norms of work, the concept of the male breadwinner, and others. The chapter deals with the complicated conflicts that occurred during the Industrial Revolution, when technological changes shifted the borders between traditionally masculine and feminine trades. In each chapter we find a broad range of opinions and attitudes on various sides of the debates. These include quotations from male writers, politicians, and philosophers, as well as writings of famous and less well-known women who boldly participated in the debates. The volume opens with a section entitled Reconnaissance, which lists a series of quotations that represent differing sides of the question from the sixteenth century through the first half of the nineteenth century. These remarks set the stage for the study that follows. In addition, the appendix at the end of the volume provides important dates for the woman question during this period. This revelatory study offers new insight into the history of these controversies and represents an invaluable contribution to the history of women. The sometimes shocking and baffling beliefs and policies that Offen reveals bring to the fore how long and complicated this struggle was. Sharon L. Fairchild Texas Christian University, emerita Copyright © 2019 American Association of Teachers of French

Fruits of Perseverance: The French Presence in the Detroit River Region, 1701-1815 by Guillaume Teasdale

166 The Michigan Historical Review shapes these discussions. But a more critical look at how African Americans were systematically excluded from so many of the opportunities that arose from these musical dialogues is essential in understanding how the city’s changing culture could still reproduce old prejudices and hierarchies. Beth Fowler Wayne State University Guillaume Teasdale. Fruits of Perseverance: The French Presence in the Detroit River Region, 1701-1815. Montreal and Kingston, ON: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2018. Pp. 220. Bibliography. Illustrations. Index. Notes. Paper: $29.95. Teasdale’s book focuses on the occupation of French land in the Detroit River region. His objective is to explain “how a society similar to the rural settlements of the Saint Lawrence valley (land grants, land organization, legal system of the Custom of Paris used for land transactions, marriage contracts, and inheritances), developed in such an isolated place, and survived well beyond the fall of New France” (p. 4). To the residents of the Detroit River region, there was but one community with no ‘border to cross, [and] no duties to pay; instead, the area was but a single French community, whether on the north shore (Michigan) or south shore (Ontario), where agricultural communities were the main, and fur trade a secondary economic focus.” Demographically dispersed, the agrarian French populations sought the refuge of Fort Pontchartrain (subsequently, Fort Detroit), only when necessary. The French way of life persisted as the dominant residence form on the south side of the Detroit River (Canada) “well into the second half of the nineteenth century” (p. 3). The initial chapters provide an introduction to French culture in the St. Lawrence Valley and Detroit regions during the eighteenth century. Inspired by reading Jean-Baptiste Trudeau’s Voyage sur le Haut-Missouri 1794-1796, published in 2006, Teasdale “began to grasp the scope of the French imprint on North America [and] I knew I wanted to channel my interest in the history of French-speaking communities outside of Quebec into an academic career” (p. ix). Teasdale then began his PhD studies at York University in Toronto. He now is an assistant professor of history and director of the Detroit River Border Region Digital History Project at the University of Windsor. Book Reviews 167 I enjoyed reading about the early “land problems” and power struggles that began initially when Cadillac, who had founded Fort Pontchartrain on the Michigan (north) shore of the Detroit River on July 24, 1701, assumed certain “duties” that had not been authorized him by the King of France—including the power to issue land! Thereafter, land, and taxation, disputes throughout the Detroit River region continued until an agreement was made that defined Cadillac’s approved duties by Cadillac’s superiors. Ironically, following 1763 and the British takeover of Canada and the western Great Lakes region, land ownership and disputes rekindled, creating a new set of problems for the new political powers “controlling” the area. Teasdale’s book consists of seven chapters and a conclusion (Early Land Occupation; Seigneurial Tenure and Landholders; Trespassers, Aboriginal Deeds, and Taxation; Contested Public Property Right; Private Landowners; French Orchards; and Divided by the Border). In addition, the reader will find an additional forty-nine pages of “notes” and a bibliography section that reads like a who’s-who of the most significant New World French histories written. In short, Teasdale’s depth of understanding about his subject matter is a gift of major proportion to anyone studying eighteenth century French culture in the New World—not just in the Detroit River region—but throughout French colonial America. Kenneth C. Carstens Murray State University ...

Creole Italian: Sicilian Immigrants and the Shaping of New Orleans Food Culture by Justin A. Nystrom

Reviewed by: Creole Italian: Sicilian Immigrants and the Shaping of New Orleans Food Cultureby Justin A. Nystrom Diane C. Vecchio Creole Italian: Sicilian Immigrants and the Shaping of New Orleans Food Culture. By Justin A. Nystrom. Southern Foodways Alliance Studies in Culture, People, and Place. ( Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2018. Pp. xii, 234. Paper, $26.95, ISBN 978-0-8203-5355-5; cloth, $79.95, ISBN 978-0-8203-5356-2.) Each year, thousands of visitors travel to New Orleans to listen to jazz, to marvel at the French-inspired architecture, and to sample the city's celebrated food, from beignets to crawfish étouffée. As the former capital of French Louisiana, New Orleans retains a strong identification with French culture, French place-names, and French-Creole food. However, in Creole Italian: Sicilian Immigrants and the Shaping of New Orleans Food Culture, Justin A. Nystrom makes a compelling case for the influence of Sicilian immigrants on the shaping of food culture in New Orleans. Food culture in the Crescent City has ranged from Sicilian corner grocery stores and restaurants to a transoceanic shipping business of Sicilian lemons that placed Sicilian immigrants at the center of a dynamic international commerce. Nystrom maintains that Italian influence on a nascent restaurant culture in New Orleans happened so long ago that it is now almost forgotten, and he makes an important corrective to that perception with a convincing analysis that demonstrates how Sicilian immigrants and their descendants were responsible for making New Orleans a destination for food tourism. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, Sicilian immigrants opened oyster saloons and gradually moved into larger-scale Italian restaurants. Several of these early Italian restaurants were the predecessors of the city's renowned dining establishments that today attract the discerning food patron. Oyster saloons drew some of the first Sicilians into the restaurant business, many of whom were from Ustica, a small island north of Palermo. John Astredo's restaurant and leisure empire began in 1870, when his establishments featured fried, broiled, roasted, and scalloped oysters. The Tranchina family started out with a fruit stand, graduated to an oyster saloon, and eventually became proprietors of restaurants and hotels. Emile Commander opened the Palace Saloon and Restaurant in 1893, while other Sicilians operated increasingly sophisticated restaurants, making them the most highly patronized in the city. Italian eateries such as LaNasa fused the fresh bounty of the Gulf of Mexico, including pompano and oysters, with traditional Italian dishes to create a creole Italian fare that soon dominated New Orleans restaurant culture. The early restaurant business owners in the city constituted a segment of the Sicilian elite, joining the early importers and merchants who contributed to the culinary reputation of the city. The chapter on the Sicilian trade of Mediterranean citrus is one of the finest. Nystrom provides a sophisticated analysis of an earlier migration of Sicily's merchant class to the Gulf South starting in the 1830s, when Sicily lemons began to be sold on the Mississippi River levee. A circular global trade originating in Sicily brought the founding generation of Sicilian lemon traders to New Orleans. Nystrom does not neglect the more familiar and celebrated issues associated with Sicilians in New Orleans, such as the Italians who worked on the sugar plantations and the existence of the Black Hand and Sicilian [End Page 683]criminality. But these issues do not take center stage in his analysis of Sicilians in New Orleans. While the author's analysis of the Sicilian restaurant and food business in New Orleans is broad and detailed, the book would benefit from a more thoughtful analysis of women's roles in these business endeavors. To his credit, Nystrom examines Lucy Ventura Von der Haar's grocery emporium in great detail, but Italian women often played significant behind-the-scenes roles in the restaurant and grocery business in America. Nystrom should also take into account another cultural tradition that demonstrates Sicilian food influence in New Orleans, the St. Joseph's Day Table, celebrated every March 19 to honor St. Joseph, who provided relief to the starving peasants during a Sicilian famine. Nystrom has written an important book that examines the migration, Americanization, and...

Henri Vever: champion de l'Art nouveau by Willa Z. Silverman

Reviewed by: Henri Vever: champion de l'Art nouveau by Willa Z. Silverman Catherine Gaughan Silverman, Willa Z. Henri Vever: champion de l'Art nouveau. Armand Colin, 2018. ISBN 978-2-200-61941-1. Pp. 377. Through her refreshing look into the world of precious stones and jewelry at the turn of the twentieth century, Willa Silverman delves into exciting new territory of Art nouveau jeweler and collector Henri Vever. The book, both the 60-page preface and the journal entries written in French, spans the gamut of Vever's interests from his passion for Japanese art to his work as a promoter of the modern style. The preface along with the family tree expertly set up Vever's journal entries from 1898, a significant [End Page 244] political turning point in European history. Moreover, the journals reveal that, as a craftsman, Vever contributed to the emergence of modern jewelry, often inspired by nature, and show how his work played a key role in the development of Art nouveau in Paris. Full of insight into the demands of his work as a collector, the cahiers provide a rare peek into the social, political, cultural, and daily life of Vever, who, at the turn of the twentieth century, sought a careful balance between business and social prestige. Original in its content and insightful in its analysis, the book chronicles Vever's triumphs and struggles as a jeweler and collector and paints a very colorful picture of his life. The impressive range of photos of artwork and of Vever himself, particularly the 8-page color spread showcasing Vever's own creations, offer a vivid picture of early twentieth-century jewelry and its burgeoning modern style. A delightful read, Vever's detailed journal entries often relate detailed accounts of Parisian life, his bicycle rides and frequent excursions to the French countryside involving witty anecdotes full of twists and turns like the Art nouveau style itself. Overall, the book highlights some fascinating elements of Vever's career as an amateur painter, art lover, and modern art collector citing his affiliations with various figures in the field, most notably his contemporary René Lalique, at a critical moment in European history. The extensive bibliography including books, museums, and websites provides a wealth of information for further study into the world of precious stones and art collecting that still have merit today. This book will not only tempt the palate of readers who appreciate Art nouveau and the influence this style had on other art forms, but will also appeal to those readers with a keen interest in modernist art history and French culture. Catherine Gaughan University of Toronto Copyright © 2019 American Association of Teachers of French

Origins and Legacies of Marcel Duhamel's Série noire by Alistair Rolls, Clara Sitbon, and Marie-Laure Vuaille-Barcan

Reviewed by: Origins and Legacies of Marcel Duhamel's Série noire by Alistair Rolls, Clara Sitbon, and Marie-Laure Vuaille-Barcan Mark Wolff Rolls, Alistair, Clara Sitbon, and Marie-Laure Vuaille-Barcan. Origins and Legacies of Marcel Duhamel's Série noire. Brill, 2018. ISBN 978-90-04-35897-3. Pp. 198. Contrary to the idea that the Série noire, the immensely successful crime fiction collection launched by Gallimard immediately after the Second World War, was a vehicle for importing American popular culture in France, the authors offer alternative explanations of the editorial strategy for producing almost 3,000 titles from 1945 until the present. First, Marcel Duhamel's translations of the initial works in the collection, especially La môme vert-de-gris (Poison Ivy) by Peter Cheyney and Pas d'orchidées pour Miss Blandish (No Orchids for Miss Blandish) by James Hadley Chase, domesticate (or [End Page 210] "Frenchify") these texts and perform an allegorical function for a French readership who, after living through the violence of German occupation and the importation of American culture that followed Liberation, could recognize their recent past and appropriate American hardboiled fiction as distinctly French. Second, Duhamel's "unfaithful" translations stand apart from the originals and raise questions of influence and legacy: did Duhamel find inspiration in works by English authors pretending to be American, or did Anglophone writers anticipate what Duhamel would produce as translations (where "traduit de l'américain" signifies an expropriation of the translated text into French culture)? Baudelaire's translations of Poe set a precedent for Duhamel's translation practice. Just as Baudelaire recognized in Poe's work a potentiality for expressing both himself and an Other, Duhamel recognized the potential for Anglophone crime fiction to represent France's recent past and its uncertain future. The choice of the first novels in the Série noire was imporant. Cheyney's novel inaugurated the collection, and as an Englishman writing American crime fiction, he offered texts that were already caricatures of the United States and lent themselves to a revisionist history of the war for a French readership. In La môme vert-de-gris, the female protagonist plays a role similar to that of a Marianne who effects her own liberation. Chase's novel set the tone for the collection, and Duhamel's translation is more faithful than what he had done with Cheyney. But the success of Chase's novel in France may have led the English author to rewrite the text in response to its reception in France. The immediate success of the Série noire prompted Boris Vian to write under the pseudonym "Vernon Sullivan" and produce four texts, including J'irai cracher sur vos tombes (1946), which for a while outsold other crime novels in France. Vian eventually translated works for the Série noire, including Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep (Le grand sommeil, 1948). The success in France of the contemporary American writer Douglas Kennedy demonstrates that the Série noire can launch an author's career. Once gaining recognition as part of the series, however, Kennedy had his work retranslated in order to define a more distinct voice. The authors of this monograph combine textual studies with translation studies to show that the Série noire itself is a literary phenomenon that merits further scholarly attention. Mark Wolff Hartwick College (NY) Copyright © 2019 American Association of Teachers of French