The Fiction of J. M. G. Le Clzio - Bronwen Martin

Since the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to J. M. G. Le Clzio in 2008, there has been a wave of new interest in his ouvre. This book traces the evolution of the writer's postcolonial thought from his early works to his groundbreaking autobiographical novel Rvolutions, arguably his most subversive text to date. The author shows how Le Clzio's critique of colonialism is rooted in an early denunciation of capitalism and philosophical dualism, and sheds new light on the crucial roles played by Jean-Paul Sartre, Aim Csaire and Frantz Fanon in his development.
The author's close reading of Rvolutions reveals a complex system of interconnections between the colonial conflicts from the 1700s to the 1900s, with recurrent patterns of violence, cultural repression and racism. The issue of neocolonialism is addressed and the persistence of the colonial mindset in contemporary Europe and Westernized countries is shown to echo the findings of Paul Gilroy, Max Silverman and tienne Balibar. The book concludes with an examination of the utopian elements underpinning Rvolutions, establishing close affinities with the work of douard Glissant and developing the notion of permanent revolution. Themes explored include those of storytelling, cultural memory, cultural identity, language, intertextuality and interculturality.