FRNCH-212 From Vidocq to Vargas: Crime in French Culture and Fiction
From the 19th-century serial novel to today’s the Netflix success of “Lupin,” dramas of life play out in French crime narrative that track transgressions, from affairs of the heart to atrocities committed by the government. This course examines works by figures ranging from convict turned policeman Vidocq, the real-life inspiration for Hugo’s Jean Valjean of Les Misérables, to Fred Vargas and Elsa Marpeau, two women revising the genre today. As we study the evolution of crime fiction since the early 19th century, we shall also consider the rise and manner of crime reporting in the French media and today’s cultural fascination with “true crime.”
Proseminar (16)
Credits
1
Prerequisite
French 200, appropriate score on placement exam, or consent of instructor