Claude Simon

Alastair Duncan (University of Stirling)
Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error

The French novelist Claude Simon was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1985. His novels span the second half of the twentieth century from 

Le Tricheur 

[

The Cheat

] published in 1945 to 

Le Tramway 

[translated as 

The Trolley

] in 2001. Taken together, Simon’s novels can be seen as a vast autobiographical fiction, returning again and again to the same motifs and themes from his own and his family’s life: war, memory, and loss. They are shot through with his keen attachment to the life of the senses, especially sight; enlivened by irony and humour; remarkable for their constantly changing forms.

Simon’s early life was marked by the great events of twentieth-century European history. He was born on 10 October 1913 in Tananarive, Madagascar, where his father was stationed as an officer in a

3175 words

Citation: Duncan, Alastair. "Claude Simon". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 May 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12879, accessed 31 October 2024.]

12879 Claude Simon 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.