Jean-François Vilar: Theatres Of Crime

Jean-François Vilar (1947-2014) was a leading exponent of political crime fiction in France in the 1980s and 1990s. Paris, Prague, art and 'anti-art' from surrealism to Jacques Monory, 19th and 20th century revolutionary politics and their cortege of ever-present pasts, from the French Revolution to the Algerian War - these are only some of the drivers of his highly original novels. Vilar deploys the unsettling tropes of trompe l'œil, repetition, reproduction and rehearsal, together with a knowing, self-reflexive textuality, to produce a subversive and sinister theatricality. In this first full-length study of his work, Margaret Atack surveys not only Vilar's novels but also his shorter fiction, journalism, photobooks, and contributions to art and exhibition catalogues. From the ludic, if entirely serious, assassinations of political art in his first prize-winning novel C'est toujours les autres qui meurent, to the devastating unreality of massacre and extermination, Vilar's work constitutes a distinctive and important commentary on the murderous twentieth century.

Margaret Atack is Professor of French at the University of Leeds.

Reviews:

‘Deeply knowledgeable, lucid and clearly written, ably teasing out narrative complexities, philosophical challenges and socio-political controversies, Atack’s study illuminates and explains the importance of Vilar’s writing not just for aficionados of noir fiction, but for anyone seeking insights into the history and culture of modern France.’ — David H. Walker, Journal of European Studies 51.3–4, November 2021, 368-69
‘A thoroughly researched and critically insightful assessment of Vilar’s noir fiction. Critics and theorists of crime literature will find much to mine in Atack’s interpretations, geared more for scholars than the generally curious... a superb, largely celebratory monograph on Vilar’s writings, reanimating him from the shadows and introducing him to an English reading audience.’ — Robin Walz, H-France 22.17, January 2022
‘In Jean-François Vilar: Theatres of Crime, Margaret Atack undertakes an exploration of Vilar’s crime novels, short stories, and non-fictional writings on cities with a view towards ‘elucidat[ing] the coherence of the political, thematic, generic, and textual dimensions’ of his writing and contributing towards larger debates about ‘fiction, politics and history; philosophy, narrative and art; text and image’... The monograph is beautifully written and, on the whole, achieves its aims. As Atack notes in the introduction, this is the first full-length study of Vilar’s work—an excellent contribution to literary scholarship, in its own right.’ — Julie M. Powell, Modern and Contemporary France published online, 2022 (full text online)

Contents:

1-8	Introduction Margaret Atack doi:10.2307/j.ctv1wsgr5f.5	Cite
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9-28	Chapter 1 Black Is Black Margaret Atack doi:10.2307/j.ctv1wsgr5f.6	Cite
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29-46	Chapter 2 Murder in the Art World Margaret Atack doi:10.2307/j.ctv1wsgr5f.7	Cite
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47-64	Chapter 3 Paris Crime Scenes I: the Imaginary City Margaret Atack doi:10.2307/j.ctv1wsgr5f.8	Cite
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65-78	Chapter 4 Paris Crime Scenes Ii: History and Memory Margaret Atack doi:10.2307/j.ctv1wsgr5f.9	Cite
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79-92	Chapter 5 Criminal Art Margaret Atack doi:10.2307/j.ctv1wsgr5f.10	Cite
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93-112	Chapter 6 All That Is Solid Melts Into Air Margaret Atack doi:10.2307/j.ctv1wsgr5f.11	Cite
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113-130	Chapter 7 Memento Mori Margaret Atack doi:10.2307/j.ctv1wsgr5f.12	Cite
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131-134	Conclusion Margaret Atack doi:10.2307/j.ctv1wsgr5f.13	Cite
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135-146	Bibliography Margaret Atack doi:10.2307/j.ctv1wsgr5f.14	Cite
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147-154	Index Margaret Atack doi:10.2307/j.ctv1wsgr5f.15	Cite
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Bibliography entry:

Atack, Margaret, Jean-François Vilar: Theatres Of Crime, Research Monographs in French Studies, 51 (Legenda, 2020)

First footnote reference: ³⁵ Margaret Atack, Jean-François Vilar: Theatres Of Crime, Research Monographs in French Studies, 51 (Legenda, 2020), p. 21.

Subsequent footnote reference: ³⁷ Atack, p. 47.

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Bibliography entry:

Atack, Margaret. 2020. Jean-François Vilar: Theatres Of Crime, Research Monographs in French Studies, 51 (Legenda)

Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Atack 2020: 21).

Example footnote reference: ³⁵ Atack 2020: 21.

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Jean-François VilarTheatres Of Crime

Margaret Atack

Jean-François Vilar
Theatres Of Crime