Larisa Botnari
Université catholique de Louvain, Belgique

Abstract

For young Bulgarian Tzvetan Todorov, arrived in Paris in the 1960s, literature constitutes the main subject of interest leading to an undeniable contribution to the development of structuralism in literary studies in France. Yet, the literary critic’s further evolution is marked by a very clear separation from his young age work. This break is often interpreted in terms of incoherence and contradiction, since Todorov sharply expresses his criticism, especially in his 2007 essay, La littérature en péril, against the same methods of analysis of literary texts that he had himself strongly promoted. Our reflection, as part of a broader investigation into the tensions within the French intellectual field on this subject, puts in perspective the statements of La littérature en péril, in order to better understand the gesture and the scope of this essay in Todorov’s intellectual career as a whole, as well as to draw useful lessons for understanding the idea of “crisis of literature” which is strongly affirmed in his essay.

Keywords

Théorie Littéraire – Histoire Intellectuelle – Crise de la Littérature – Structuralisme – Formalisme

DOI: 10.13131/2611-9757.SUITEFRANCAISE.N1.6