2022-23 Academic Catalog

Mysteries and detective novels are tied to the French-speaking world: Poe's foundational tales take place in Paris and are translated by Baudelaire; murder and suspense run through the French fantastic; even Agatha Christie felt compelled to make her favorite detective a Belgian. Through the tradition of suspense in film and literature, we'll study how themes and techniques intersect with social anxieties to produce white-knuckle narratives. Readings include such authors as Poe, Baudelaire, Mérimée, Simenon, Daeninckx, Jonquet, Khadra, Vargas, Haneke. Conducted in French.  Prerequisite: French 204 or equivalent