About the book
A slim but powerful work of metafiction by a Nobel Prize-winning French writer and intellectual.
André Gide is the inventor of modern metafiction and of autofiction, and his short novel Marshlands shows him handling both forms with a deft and delightful touch. The protagonist of Marshlands is a writer who is writing a book called Marshlands, which is about a reclusive character who lives all alone in a stone tower. The narrator, by contrast, is anything but a recluse: He is an indefatigable social butterfly, flitting about the Paris literary world and always talking about, what else, the wonderful book he is writing, Marshlands. He tells his friends about the book, and they tell him what they think, which is not exactly flattering, and of course those responses become part of the book in the reader’s hand. Marshlands is both a poised satire of literary pretension and a superb literary invention, and Damion Searls’s new translation of this early masterwork by one of the key figures of twentieth-century literature brings out all the sparkle of the original.
Editions of Marshlands
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781681374727
- EBook
- ISBN 9781681374734
Read an Excerpt
A slim but powerful work of metafiction by a Nobel Prize-winning French writer and intellectual.
André Gide is the inventor of modern metafiction and of autofiction, and his short novel Marshlands shows him handling both forms with a deft and delightful touch. The protagonist of Marshlands is a writer who is writing a book called Marshlands, which is about a reclusive character who lives all alone in a stone tower. The narrator, by contrast, is anything but a recluse: He is an indefatigable social butterfly, flitting about the Paris literary world and always talking about, what else, the wonderful book he is writing, Marshlands. He tells his friends about the book, and they tell him what they think, which is not exactly flattering, and of course those responses become part of the book in the reader’s hand. Marshlands is both a poised satire of literary pretension and a superb literary invention, and Damion Searls’s new translation of this early masterwork by one of the key figures of twentieth-century literature brings out all the sparkle of the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Marshlands about?
A slim but powerful work of metafiction by a Nobel Prize-winning French writer and intellectual.
André Gide is the inventor of modern metafiction and of autofiction, and his short novel Marshlands shows him handling both forms with a deft and delightful touch. The protagonist of Marshlands is a writer who is writing a book called Marshlands, which is about a reclusive character who lives all alone in a stone tower. The narrator, by contrast, is anything but a recluse: He is an indefatigable social butterfly, flitting about the Paris literary world and always talking about, what else, the wonderful book he is writing, Marshlands. He tells his friends about the book, and they tell him what they think, which is not exactly flattering, and of course those responses become part of the book in the reader’s hand. Marshlands is both a poised satire of literary pretension and a superb literary invention, and Damion Searls’s new translation of this early masterwork by one of the key figures of twentieth-century literature brings out all the sparkle of the original.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Marshlands?
Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre
Where can I read a sample of Marshlands?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781681374727
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Marshlands?
Andre Gide
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Marshlands is available as paperback(ISBN 9781681374727) and ebook(ISBN 9781681374734)
Where can I buy Marshlands online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Marshlands from below
Where can I buy Marshlands?