Aphorism in the Francophone Novel of the Twentieth Century

Marguerite Andersen is a professor of French studies at the University
of Guelph.

Mark Bell, who teaches French at Brigham Young University, regards
aphorism as a traditional part of prose writing, especially in France
(known for such moralistes as La Rochefoucault) and Germany. In this
book, he shows how seven novels published in various communities of the
francophone world would use aphorism as a component of literary
narrative. An appendix presents the full text of the aphorisms for each
of the seven works. In the author’s words “an overview of this kind
can ... help to reveal, in concise form, the ‘stamp and style’ of an
author and of his or her work.”

Bell is a scholar who obviously enjoys his research and is able to
communicate its theoretical foundations and methods in a jargon-free
language any cultivated reader will understand. This very intelligent
book is a delight.