The Crimes of Marguerite Duras : Literature and the Media in Twentieth-Century France

This readable book combines innovative analysis of Marguerite Duras's works with an investigation of their relation to mass media, especially criminal faits divers. Considering Duras's enduring fame and literature's abiding value to the public sphere, it carries broad appeal for scholars and students of French literary, cultural and media history.

One of the most celebrated authors of twentieth-century France, Marguerite Duras loved crime. Indeed, criminal faits divers from the newspaper represented a key element in her literary project. Sensational news stories made their way into her novels, plays and screenplays, inspired numerous journalistic pieces and media interventions, and even informed the way that she discussed her life and work in the press. The Crimes of Marguerite Duras offers an innovative framework for analyzing Duras''s literary works and journalism as they relate to the mass media and broader cultural debates. Anne Brancky reveals how Duras''s predilection for provocatively blurring the line between truth and fiction on various media platforms helped make her a best-selling author and a public intellectual ahead of her time. Exploring the movement between serious literature and public scandal, this readable book affirms literature''s abiding role in political debate and the public sphere.