The New Oxford Companion to Literature in French - Hardcover

The changed title reflects the most significant difference: coverage now extends beyond literature produced in France to encompass francophone writing from throughout the world. The NOCLF not only treats individual writers from many countries, but also provides broad survey articles on the literature of each area, for example, Africa (South of the Sahara), Belgian Literature in French, Haiti, Quebec. In addition, this new companion reflects the shifting perceptions of the literary canon by embracing more women writers and popular literature, and it gives greater emphasis to literature produced in the last half of this century. It also recognizes the increased influence of popular culture by including such entries as Chevalier, Maurice; Detective Fiction; and Tintin.

The approximately 3,000 alphabetically arranged entries were written by France or a member of an international team of 130 scholars. The majority are limited to a single paragraph, but major authors, such as Marguerite Duras, Victor Hugo, and Voltaire, receive more extensive treatment, as do topics of a more general nature, for instance, Feminism and Versification. The longer articles are generally accompanied by one or two bibliographic references.

The generous provision of see references greatly facilitates use, and a list near the front of the volume groups selected entries into broad topical categories such as Intellectual and Cultural Movements and Literary and Theatrical Genres. Other helpful features include a chronological chart linking specific authors with events in France and other French-speaking countries and a section of maps of France, its colonies, and Paris.

No other English-language compilation offers the breadth of coverage of the NOCLF. However, Anthony Levi's two-volume Guide to French Literature (St. James, 1992^-94) provides more in-depth treatment of 326 major French writers and literary movements, and Sandra W. Dolbow's Dictionary of Modern French Literature: From the Age of Reason through Realism (Greenwood, 1986) covers the period 1715^-1880 in greater detail.

This new Oxford companion is an important acquisition for public and academic libraries. However, even with its expanded scope, it has only half the number of entries of the OCFL. Because hundreds of minor authors, historical figures, geographic entities, titles, characters, and literary allusions have either been dropped or incorporated into more general articles, librarians may want to consider retaining one or both of this work's predecessors. ((Reviewed Sept. 1, 1995)