A bibliography of literary theory, criticism and philology
http://www.unizar.es/departamentos/filologia_inglesa/garciala/bibliography.
The website, 'A Bibliography of Literary Theory, Criticism and Philology', comprises a vast collection of bibliographies listing over 200,000 items which relate to authors writing in English, and literary theory and criticism in English. The work and criticism of authors writing in French, German, Italian and Spanish are granted separate bibliographies: users will find an interesting range of materials which cover, for example: French psychoanalytic theory; Spanish poststructuralism; and German humanist criticism. The site's author also covers to a lesser extent the work of international writers and critics, and users will find bibliographies of Middle Eastern, Scandinavian and Asian writers, for example. The bibliographies are available as Microsoft Word documents. The collection is arranged by author, critics and schools, linguists and other intellectuals, but the collection may also be browsed alphabetically by author name. Further results (especially for other languages) can be obtained by searching the site with the search embedded tool. Compiled by José Ángel García Landa (Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain), this website is a valuable and comprehensive online resource for literary students and researchers. This resource can also be downloaded in plain text format from the Oxford Text Archive (OTA) website (formerly part of the Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS)).
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ABU: la bibliothèque universelle
http://abu.cnam.fr/
The 'ABU: la bibliothèque universelle' website offers free online access to over 250 French language texts written by more than 100 authors. To access this collection, ABU provides a simple catalogue searchable by author and title and, perhaps most usefully, also provides a word search facility which is capable of scanning all texts in the collection for a word or group of words. Works included are mainly literary and philosophical, although a few scientific works are included. Authors in the collection include: René Descartes; Darwin; Honoré de Balzac; Jean Racine; Jean-Jacques Rousseau; Stendhal; Jules Verne; Voltaire; Denis Diderot; Gustave Flaubert; Alfonse de Lamartine; Gottfried Leibniz; Guy de Maupassant; Moliére; Victor Hugo; and Emile Zola. A small index of links to lexicographical resources is also included by the site's authors.
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Africultures
http://www.africultures.com/
Africultures is an online magazine devoted to the literatures and cultures of African countries, with particular emphasis on Francophone Africa. The site is in French, with a substantial amount of its content in English also. It offers a wide selection of topical articles on all aspects of culture, including film, the plastic and performing arts, and the media. Dossiers of essays focusing on a particular theme are also available. Synopses and production details of contemporary African films are provided, as is information on relevant cultural events and where to purchase African music and literary works. African culture and literature on French television and radio is listed and there are various other sections of interest on the site, such as: a collection of proverbs (in French); letters and reviews from readers; and links to projects run by the site's authors to assist the dissemination of African arts. A useful means of keeping up-to-date with contemporary African culture and arts.
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Albert Camus (Radio 4 In our Time podcast)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/inourtime/inourtime_20080103.shtml
This podcast was recorded on the In Our Time programme on Radio 4 on 3 January 2008. In this 42 minute recording, the presenter Melvyn Bragg interviews three leading French academics about the work of the French Nobel Prize winning author Albert Camus. They are Peter Dunwoodie, David Walker and Christina Howells. First they discuss formative influences on his early life in Algeria, such as his working class roots, the death of his father and colonial life. They then consider his politics and his membership of the Communist Party. His major literary works including The Plague, The Stranger, The Myth of Sisyphus, The Rebel and The Fall are discussed in detail. Camus' concept of the absurd is debated. Other key events such as his move to France and work with the theatre are also analysed. Camus was of course a friend of Jean-Paul Sartre, another very famous French writer, and the interviewees talk about the differences in their outlook on politics and writing. This podcast could be useful for students preparing dissertations on Camus or Existentialism, giving fresh insights into his work and beliefs. Podcasting software is needed to listen to this podcast. Help pages about podcasting software are available on the BBC website.
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Albert Camus critical interpretation home page
http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/00/pwillen1/lit/indexa.htm
A website about the French-Algerian essayist, playwright, novelist, and existentialist, Albert Camus (1913-1960). The site includes a short biography of the author and reproduces the texts of five of his short essays. These include 'The Absurd Man', 'The Myth Of Sisyphus', and an excerpt from 'Between Yes and No'. The site also includes secondary essays by its creator Paul Willenberg, and critical articles by other hands. The essays address various subjects, but most are quite short and of undergraduate standard. The site provides enough material about Camus to make it worth a visit.
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Albert Camus Society UK
http://www.camus-society.com/
The Albert Camus Society UK website aims to promote the work and thought of Albert Camus. Well-organized and clearly structured, this site is easy to navigate, visually appealing and accessible to those with little prior knowledge of the work and life of Camus. Divided into six main sections, the Albert Camus Society UK site includes pages on: Camus' biography; his thought; the society itself; Camus' writing; further links; and a blog. The biographical pages offer a detailed, accurate and digestible overview of Camus' life and background. The section dedicated to Camus' thought provides an introduction to central questions which preoccupied him, such as absurdism and existentialism. It also offers brief synopses of other key works, namely: 'The Stranger'; 'The Plague'; and 'Caligula'. There is a lack of balance in the attention given to some texts over others; 'The Stranger' receiving the most detailed treatment. There is then practical information given about joining the society, a chronological list of Camus's writing and links to student resources on some of Camus' principle works. Finally, the Camus Society blog provides a space to share news, reviews, opinions and other information related to Camus studies such as events, seminars and recent publications. The blog page includes monthly archives which detail past postings. The site presents Camus' thought and work in clear terms, providing an accessible introduction to his philosophical ideas. As such, these pages will be most useful for undergraduate students and teachers of French literature and philosophy.
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Alexandre Dumas père
http://www.cadytech.com/dumas/
The website 'The Alexandre Dumas père' is in French and English and focuses on the life and works of Alexandre Dumas père (1802-1870). The site has been produced by an enthusiastic amateur, who welcomes contributions. Of most use to A Level and undergraduate audiences, it is a simple and basic introduction to the author and can be used as a teaching aid. The site is divided into the following sections: biography; works; people; gallery; and links. The author helpfully presents a list of works on Dumas and an extensive list of people connected to the great playwright and novelist. The most useful part of the site is the list of links. However, there is also a discussion forum in which users can participate called 'The Club Dumas' which could provide useful additional information. It is a basic site, which is easy to navigate and probably best used as a collection of links.
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Alexandre Dumas. Deux siècles de littérature vivante.
http://www.dumaspere.com/
The website 'Alexandre Dumas. Deux siècles de littérature vivante' is in French and English and takes as its focus the life and work of Alexandre Dumas (père). Dumas (1802-1870) was the author of works such as: 'The Three Musketeers'; 'The Count of Monte-Cristo'; 'The Black Tulip'; the Valois trilogy; and 'A Year in Florence'. The English version is not as comprehensive as that in French, but the aim is to produce a comparable site. The site is published by the Société des Amis d'Alexandre Dumas and provides a full bibliography, chronology, and an anthology of selected extracts. As well as literary commentary, the site is enriched by information on Dumas's circle, which included luminaries such as Hugo, Balzac, Perec, and Robert-Louis Stevenson. The reception of films made on the basis of Dumas's works is explored, as are novels by modern authors whose work resonates with that of Dumas. In addition, details are provided of the Société's journals, conferences, and newsletters. An excellent site for A Level students, undergraduates and all those with an interest in French literature. It is also a good resource for teachers.
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Altre modernità
http://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/AMonline/
'Altre Modernità/Other Modernities' is an online journal by the Cultural Studies division of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Milan. It focuses on marginal and peripheral literary and cultural productions which subvert and overcome mainstream trends of modernity. It is interesting that the journal takes a transnational approach, as it covers Anglophone, Francophone, and Hispanophone languages, literatures and cultures. The journal publishes articles; interviews; and reviews, and the website provides free access to the full-contents of current and past issues. Their website also provides information about the organisation of the journal; submission guidelines; and announcements of conferences in Europe and other parts of the world. The site can be navigated in English, whereas contributions are accepted in English, French or Spanish.
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Amaltea : Contemporary Mythic Anthropology
http://www.ucm.es/info/amaltea/
'Amaltea' is an academic research team at the Universidad Complutense (Madrid) dedicated to the study of the impact of myths in contemporary European literatures. By this the directors of the team mean any mythical narrative, image and symbol which has been reformulated; translated; and re-developed in different manners since the end of the 19th century across the continent. Myths may include: themes of Greek and Roman mythologies; medieval and modern characters and symbols (such as Don Juan; Fausto; and the Holy Grail); as well as recurrent topics and images in European intellectual history and representations of social configurations. The main activity organised by Amaltea is a monthly meeting during which a particular myth is discussed. Details of the current and past programmes can be accessed on the site. Those not residing in Madrid can, nonetheless, download the full text of all interventions (in Spanish only). A very good links section will further interest those researching the significance of myths in European literatures.
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Amis d'André Gide: Gidiana
http://www.gidiana.net/
The website, 'Amis d'André Gide: Gidiana', derives from the André Gide Editions Project at the University of Sheffield and is devoted to the life and works of Nobel Prize winning French writer, André Gide (1869-1951). As well as providing a detailed biography of Gide, the site acts as a useful research tool in that it makes available a substantial selection of notable critical studies of Gide's work (in French). In addition, the site offers two extensive bibliographies: the first is of Gide's work and includes translations of his work and correspondence. The second bibliography comprises secondary studies of Gide and includes: biographies; comparative studies of Gide and his relationships with other writers; general studies; and studies of particular works. A miscellaneous section features: a list of audiovisual material related to Gide; a chronology of his journeys; places associated with Gide; and quotations. The site is well-maintained, and a news section informs on forthcoming conferences, seminars and general events related to the writer. This site is an invaluable tool for researchers and students of Gide's work. Clearly laid-out, easy-to-navigate, and containing considerable content, this is a highly recommended resource.
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Amitiés Internationales André Malraux
http://www.andremalraux.com/
This website is devoted to André Malraux, the French writer, statesman, promoter of the arts, Spanish Civil War and French Resistance fighter. Its stance is apolitical and cultural, with the aim of publicising his work. A large amount of information is available here. There is material on his life, including his studies in archaelogy, travels to Cambodia, novels, his combat on the Republican side in the spanish Civil War, his work as Minister of Culture under De Gaulle and his 'Maisons de Culture'. A full list of his publications is given. Amitiés Internationales does more than this however: it also supports exhibitions and events around France, and has a large membership of academics and people interested in Malraux. The website is mainly in French but some content is in English.
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André Gide editions project
http://www.shef.ac.uk/french/research/projects/gide.html
The website of the André Gide Editions Project at the University of Sheffield provides a brief description of the project and an interesting gallery of photographs of Gide and images of his book covers. The project looks at the Nobel Prize winner's novels and aims to produce CD-ROM versions of his major works, such as "Les Caves du Vatican" and "Les Faux-Monnayeurs". Staff on the project are also preparing editions of Gide's correspondence. The project will employ advanced IT-based text-handling methods to provide multi-dimensional readings of the author's many reworkings of his texts. The CD-ROM edition of "Caves du Vatican" is already available and contains over 650 digitized images of manuscript, transcriptions, and hyperlinks to enable the reader to navigate Gide's creative processes as far as possible. The project received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB) within the Resource Enhancement scheme.
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Anglo-Norman online hub
http://www.anglo-norman.net/
The Anglo-Norman Online Hub website provides information about the ongoing revision and expansion of the Anglo-Norman Dictionary (AND). It also provides online access to the dictionary. The project website enables searches to be made of the English translations and glosses in the dictionary. Full bibliographic details are provided for each of the texts used in its compilation. A section of the site has been put aside to host the concordance of entries. Additional features of the site include several articles relating to Anglo-Norman topics, and a number of primary texts. These source texts include: the Oxford Psalter; Thomas Rymer's edition of Foedera; and 'La Vie de Saint Thomas Becket' amongst others. This is an essential resource for Anglo-Norman scholars.
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Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
http://www.saint-exupery.org/
This website is devoted to the French aviator and writer, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), famous for his novel, 'Le Petit Prince'. The site offers a good biography/chronology of Saint-Exupéry's life, structured as a timeline whereby biographical and global/historical events are presented side by side. Saint-Exupéry's family and friends are granted greater detail; an entire section explores the writer's relationships with the various important people in his life, illustrated with original photographs. All of Saint-Exupéry's written work, including novels, correspondence, articles, essays, as well as his involvement with the cinema, is documented here. Information is also provided about his experiences as an aviator. Details of the Projet de Fondation de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, whose aim it is to preserve the memory of this man's work and thought are available through this site, as is an online exhibition of documentation related to Saint-Exupéry, as well as the work of related artists (including, for example, paintings by Carmen Artigas inspired by Le Petit Prince). This is a rich and informative resource which offers users an insight into this man's philosophy and imagination.
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Arachnofiles: journal of European languages and cultures
http://www.selc.ed.ac.uk/arachnofiles/
'Arachnofiles' is a refereed electronic journal hosted by the Division of European Languages and Cultures at the University of Edinburgh. Its purpose is to make available a range of articles on aspects of literature and linguistics. Three issues are accessible online, with the most recent, Issue 3, comprising of papers given at the Society for Italian Studies' Postgraduate Colloquium 2003. Articles cover authors such as: Grazia Deledda; Primo Levi; Antonio Tabucchi; Tomasi di Lampedusa; Luigi Pulci; Ignazio Silone; Vitaliano Brancati; and Paolo Volponi. There are essays on Italo Calvino as translator and the rewriting of Dante's Inferno by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Other topics considered are Fascist Physical Education Academies; Italian television; Sicily; and linguistics. Issue 2 is a selection of papers from the Autumn 2000 Burn Conference and Issue 1 deals with the European detective novel. Articles are freely available for consultation, however copyright remains with the authors. There is no search facility and articles are selected from an index page. Not all articles are presented with references to sources used. Guidelines and contact details are provided for those wishing to submit articles to the journal, but since the last issue added to the site is that of 2004, an email in advance of submission might be advisable. This site is useful to anyone interested in European and Italian literature and linguistics, as a source of secondary material and criticism.
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Artamène ou le grand Cyrus
http://www.artamene.org/
This website makes freely available the full-text of the the longest novel in the French language, "Artamène ou le grand Cyrus", published between 1649 and 1653. Often derided by critics as being overly-long and unreadable, this site aims to make accessible to a wider audience what may be considered a literary classic from the Baroque era. While it remains a contested point, Madeleine de Scudéry is generally accepted as the work's author. All ten parts of the novel may be downloaded from the site in a variety of formats - html, PDF, Word and e-book - and a powerful search function allows users to quickly locate particular words or pages in the novel. A book-by-book synopsis is provided, together with a complementary encyclopedic resource by the site's editors, "Le monde d'Artamène". Here, users will find articles on such themes relating to the novel as jealousy, the representation of the feminine, and the allegorical frontispieces. In addition, the site provides links to online versions of source texts used in the novel; a full bibliography relating to Artamène; a map highlighting places represented in the novel; and an index of characters. All in all, this is a very well-presented, user-friendly electronic text that will be of great value to scholars of 17th century French literature.
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Arthur Rimbaud
http://www.mag4.net/Rimbaud/
This website is dedicated to the life and works of the 19th century French poet, Arthur Rimbaud, and offers the student and researcher useful primary material and information that will assist with the contextualization and interpretation of his work. A detailed biography, illustrated with paintings and sketches of and by the poet, is provided, together with a good online anthology of his work. For many of these poems, the user may view a facsimile of an original hand-written manuscript as well as a transcription of the text. Of interest also is the online collection of correspondence between Rimbaud and his fellow poet and erstwhile lover, Paul Verlaine, and between Rimbaud and his family. A biography of Verlaine and a selection of his poetry are also available on this site. Various sketches of Rimbaud drawn by his contemporaries may be viewed in an online gallery, and information on film adaptations of Rimbaud's life and references to him in music are provided, all of which offers an insight into the impact of this poet. Together with a small bibliography, a discussion forum, a calendar of Rimbaud-related cultural events, and further web links, this is a decent web resource for those beginning work on the poet.
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Association des Écrivains Bretons (AEB)
http://www.ecrivainsbretons.org/
This association is for anyone who is Breton, writes in Breton or lives in Brittany and supports Breton literature. Founded in 1978 by Yann Brekilien the Breton author, it encourages the study and further production of literature in Breton or literature about Brittany but in French. The website has a list of authors who belong to the association, with brief details about their literary genres. Various projects are underway with the aim of publicising the association further. AEB gives constructive but informal advice to aspiring authors about their works, and this is published online. It holds a number of literary 'salons' or meetings around Brittany; details are available on the website. A catalogue of works by AEB members is held at the public library in the city of Brest. There is a link to this.
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Balzac peintre
http://lettres.ac-rouen.fr/louvre/balzac/uneset1.html
The website "Balzac peintre" is in French and focuses on the relationship between the celebrated French author Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) and art. Balzac is most famous for his series of positivist novels known as the Comédie Humaine. Featured on the site is an academic essay produced by Michel Tichit and Martine Lombaerde. The site is divided into a number of sections, including the following: the portrait; dramatic scenes; landscapes; and extracts from letters to both his family and to Madame Hanska. There are a few links listed, but the real value for the A Level or undergraduate student lies in the contents of the essay.
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Balzac's Paris: a guided tour
http://www.balzacsparis.ucr.edu/
This is a virtual tour of the Paris which existed at the time of Balzac the great French novelist. It was produced using online maps, engravings and other visual materials from the Vernon Duke Collection, University of California Riverside. The compilers explain that the Paris Balzac knew (1799-1850) has largely disappeared. However, it helps enormously to understand his novels, many set there, if we can know something of the early nineteenth century capital city. The tour is divided into 4 parts; Locating Balzacs Paris, Balzacs Paris, Visiting Balzacs Paris and the Epilogue. The Table of Contents has background information, and then links to maps and images for each of these sections, plus explanations, showing what Paris looked like. In addition, there are quotations from his novels slotted in by relevant landmarks. A beautifully presented resource, which provides a new slant on Balzac's novels. The two curators, Danièle Chatelain and George Slusser, are both academics at universities in the USA. The website is in English.
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Barcelona review
http://www.barcelonareview.com/
The Barcelona Review is an electronic magazine dedicated to contemporary fiction and poetry written in English, Spanish, French and Catalan. It is produced by a Barcelona-based international collective of individuals who work either in publishing or education. The user should note that each language has a different dedicated version of the site, although the principle remains the same: to review the best of new, cutting-edge writing. The Review also publishes new short stories, poetry, essays, literary quizzes, and interviews with notable authors in each of the languages mentioned. A useful index of all the authors featured throughout back issues of the Review allows the user to quickly locate material of interest. A new issue of the Review is published online every two months, and the user may subscribe for free to be notified of its availability. This is an entertaining and informative site, which encourages contributions from its readers and will certainly appeal to anyone interested in contemporary European literature.
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Beckett International Foundation
http://www.beckettfoundation.org.uk/
The Beckett International Foundation website provides information on the foundation and its work. The foundation, based at the School of English and American Literature at the University of Reading, is a charitable trust and owns the largest collection of Beckett-related materials in the world (the Beckett Archive). The trust exists to further interdisciplinary study of Beckett's works, and encompasses the: French; Philosophy; and Film, Theatre and Television departments at Reading. As well as details on the Beckett Archive and ongoing research at the University, the site also provides: links to Beckett-related websites; news on the foundation's annual Beckett Seminars and other events; and details of relevant publications by the foundation. This site would be of interest to Beckett scholars and researchers from various fields.
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Belphégor
http://etc.dal.ca/belphegor/
Belphégor (ISSN 1499-7185) is a peer reviewed scholarly electronic journal devoted to the study of international popular literature and media culture. Its scope is broad, welcoming all theoretical approaches and articles of an interdisciplinary and comparative nature. Articles may be written in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese, and the core features of this website are equally navigable in all these languages. However, most articles are written in French. Users will find a range of interesting articles dating back to 2001, book reviews, calls for papers and announcements of conferences and other related events, which are particularly useful for those wishing to keep abreast of the field across Europe and North America. Articles have addressed such themes as: the figure of the vampire in popular literature; the notion of adventure in popular novels and film; science fiction and fantasy (in relation to authors as diverse as HP Lovecraft and Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer); and romantic/sentimental fiction. Abstracts for all articles are available in a variety of languages, and some issues include collections of online resources for the writers studied. Although the site lacks a search facility, browsing should yield interesting results for those working on popular literature and culture particularly in relation to English, French, German, Italian and Hispanic studies. Two issues a year are published. Submission details are given.
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Bibliothèque nationale de France
http://www.bnf.fr/
The website of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (National Library of France) is a veritable treasure trove of resources for A Level students, undergraduates, postgraduates, academics, and teachers of French and History. The site is in French and English, although the English version is not as extensive as its French counterpart. It contains numerous resources, of which Gallica is probably one of the most useful. Gallica consists of an extensive collection of digitalised and downloadable texts in French, including: illuminated manuscripts of both the West and the East; portraits of musicians; Gallica Utopie (containing a canon of French literature); Gallica Proust; African Voyages; and Voyages in France. The Gallica Classique section contains over 1,000 volumes, among which are a complete set of Balzac's La Comédie Humaine; Diderot; Montaigne; Corneille; and Laclos. In addition to Gallica there are online exhibitions on China; Napoleon; Renaissance Drawings; Zola; Gustave LeGray; and Victor Hugo. Details of the collections' catalogues and departments, cultural programmes, and teaching resources enhance this site and it is, as expected, lavishly illustrated.
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