French Writers of the 20th Century

Content of Course

1. Introduction

2. Henri Barbusse - Under Fire 1

3. Henri Barbusse - Under Fire 2

4. Georges Simenon - The Snow Was Dirty 1

5. Georges Simenon - The Snow Was Dirty 2

6. Simone de Beauvoir - The Woman Destroyed 1

7. Simone de Beauvoir - The Woman Destroyed 2

8. Patrick Modiano - Missing Person

9. Michel Houellebecq – Submission 1

10. Michel Houellebecq – Submission 2

Teaching method(s)

Discussion-based classes, with a short introductory lecture in every session.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Engage critically with fictional texts;

• Describe and analyse themes and techniques;

• Demonstrate a good general understanding of the development of French literature in the 20th Century;

• Describe the social, political and cultural context in which the texts were created;

• Understand the main literary currents and schools of the period.

Sources

Core Readings

• Barbusse, Henri. 2014. Under Fire. London: Penguin Modern Classics

• Simenon, Georges 2016. The Snow Was Dirty. London: Penguin Modern Classics

• Beauvoir, Simone de. 2009. The Woman Destroyed. London: Harper Perennial Modern Classics

• Modiano, Patrick. 2019. Missing Person. London: Penguin Modern Classics

• Houellebecq, Michel. 2016. Submission. London:  Vintage

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.