Includes bibliographic references (p. [222]-232) and index.
From the beginnings to the Renaissance -- From Sun King to Enlightenment (1630-1789) -- Between revolutions (1789-1830) -- Balzac and the birth of cultural studies (1830-1870) -- Republic, reaction and the murder of taste (1870-1913) -- Despair and optimism (1913-1944) -- Commitment and playfulness (1944-1968) -- After May 1968 -- 'Foreignness' early and modern -- Francophone literature : recent developments.
Offers a cultural history of French literature from its very beginnings, analysing the relationship between French literature and France's evolving power structures from the Middle Ages through to the present day. It shows the political connections between the elite literature of France and other aspects of its culture, from racism, misogyny, tolerance and liberal reform to song, street performance, advertising and cinema. --from publisher description