Reading Groups

The Rise of Feeling in the Nineteenth-Century French Novel with Katherine Montwieler

6 Sessions Tuesdays, 6:00 pm EDT - 7:30 pm EDT October 1, 2024 to January 28, 2025

Online via Zoom

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The ‘With Books’ option includes the titles required for this group–with the exception of Paul and Virginia, which can be found at the link below–at a 10% discount from our Bookstore.

Meeting Dates:
10/1, 10/22, 11/12, 12/10, 1/7, 1/28
Held Online via Zoom

This fall, we’ll take a deep dive into the nineteenth-century French novel in translation, exploring particularly its representation of emotions, feelings, (or, to use an archaic term) sensibility—and how these concepts relate to genre and gender. The long nineteenth century saw the rise of the novel and the construction of modern femininities—and self-consciousness is a hallmark of both. At the same time that some writers began plumbing the depths of feminine emotions, the world around them was being rapidly industrialized and colonized, changing at an unprecedented speed. Perhaps to escape from the chaos and violence just beyond their doors, many of those with leisure time found themselves reading fiction, and focusing, we might initially think oddly, on the mental interiors of young women. In our time together, we’ll read four French novels, considering how the anxious, introspective heroine evolves, how her characterization illuminates the moment in which she appeared, and the implications of her perennial appeal.

What to read in advance of the first meeting: Please read Paul & Virginie ahead of our meeting.

What to expect from this reading group: The class will be conversational and participant-driven.

Book List:

Paul and Virginia by Bernadin de Saint-Pierre
Ourika by Claire de Duras
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Au Bonheur des Dames (The Ladies’ Delight) by Émile Zola

Capacity: 20

Please note: All virtual classes are recorded. Please click here for information about our recording policy.

Led by

Katherine Montwieler

Katherine Montwieler

Katherine Montwieler chairs the Theatre Department at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. A professor of English and Gender Studies, she previously led a reading group at The Center for Fiction on the work of Elizabeth Strout. She has published on nineteenth-century and contemporary fiction.

About this series

Reading Groups

Whether you’re looking to catch up on great novels or you’re interested in exploring a new writer or literary period, our reading groups offer high-level literary discussion led by experts in the field.

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