Louis-Ferdinand Céline

Chris Shorley (Queen's University Belfast)

Ed. by Tim Unwin, University of Bristol
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.06: French Writing and Culture: Early Twentieth-century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Kate Averis (University of Western Australia), Hugo Azerad (University of Cambridge), Patrick ffrench (King's College London), Edward Forman (University of Bristol), Akane Kawakami (Birkbeck, University of London), Siobhán McIlvanney (King's College London), Sinan Richards (King's College London), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield)

Dates

Born 27 May 1894
Died 1 Jul 1961
Activity 1914-1961

Places

Born in France
Active in France

Activities

Primary

Novelist

Resources

Céline's Works

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A maverick, uncompromising and contradictory figure throughout his writing career, Céline found a wide readership with his first novel,

Voyage au bout de la nuit

[

Journey to the End of the Night

] (1932). Although his approach would steadily evolve over thirty years,

Voyage

contains many of Céline’s basic and recurring preoccupations, and remains the primary reference point in most discussions of his writing. This episodic narrative follows its protagonist, Ferdinand Bardamu, halfway around the world from his pre-war starting point in the place Clichy and then back, in the 1920s, to a France no longer engaged in military conflict but increasingly menaced by economic depression. It raises numerous questions central to modern experience, while constantly focusing on Céline’s key…

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3501 words

Citation: Shorley, Chris. "Louis-Ferdinand Céline". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 March 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=803, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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