Throughout the world, there has been much scholarly and general interest in French popular culture, but very little has been written on the subject in English. The authors of this book address that lack in a series of highly readable and well-documented essays describing French life styles, attitudes, and entertainments as well as the writers and performers currently favored by the French public. Several chapters explore French tastes in popular literature and other reading matter, including comics, cartoons, mystery and spy fiction, newspapers and magazines, and science fiction. Film, popular music, radio, and television are also discussed in detail, and influences from other cultures--particularly American "imports"--are assessed. The remaining essays examine French sports, the use of leisure time, the French style of eating and drinking, and relations between men and women and their attitudes toward romantic love. Each chapter provides up-to-date historical and bibliographic information that will enable the reader to pursue subjects of particular interest. Written by an international group of specialists, this handbook offers the benefits of broad coverage, a variety of viewpoints, and solid scholarship.
Throughout the world, there has been much scholarly and general interest in French popular culture, but very little has been written on the subject in English. The authors of this book address that lack in a series of highly readable and well-documented essays describing French life styles, attitudes, and entertainments as well as the writers and performers currently favored by the French public. Several chapters explore French tastes in popular literature and other reading matter, including comics, cartoons, mystery and spy fiction, newspapers and magazines, and science fiction. Film, popular music, radio, and television are also discussed in detail, and influences from other cultures--particularly American "imports"--are assessed. The remaining essays examine French sports, the use of leisure time, the French style of eating and drinking, and relations between men and women and their attitudes toward romantic love. Each chapter provides up-to-date historical and bibliographic information that will enable the reader to pursue subjects of particular interest. Written by an international group of specialists, this handbook offers the benefits of broad coverage, a variety of viewpoints, and solid scholarship.
Preface
Advertising by Claudia Dobkin
Comics by Maurice Horn
Detective/Mystery/Spy Fiction by Franz G. Blaha
Editorial/Political/Gag Cartoons by Jean-Claude Faur
Film by Sybil DelGaudio
Food and Wine by Pierre L. Horn
Leisure by Roger Sue
Love, Men, and Women by Edith J. Benkov
Newspapers, Magazines, Feminine Press by Joseph Marthan
Popular Music by André Prévos
Radio and Television by Jean-Pierre Piriou
Science Fiction by Arthur B. Evans
Sports by Richard C. Williamson
General Sources
Index
This book presents a series of highly readable essays describing French life styles, attitudes, and entertainments, as well as the writers and performers currently favored by the French public.
PIERRE L. HORN is Professor of French at Wright State University. He has published studies on Marguerite Yourcenar, Louis XIV, and Lafayette, as well as articles in French and English language journals.
?A collection of essays on the following aspects of mass popular
(rather than high or elitist) culture in France: advertising;
comics; detective/mystery/spy fiction; editorial/political/gag
cartoons; film; food and wine; leisure; love, men, and women;
newspapers, magazines, feminine press; popular music; radio and
television; science fiction; sports. The 13 chapter topics are
listed because any group of subjects purporting to describe mass
culture is both noncomprehensive and subjective by nature. The
essays are good introductions to the topics: all describe both the
historical development and current importance of the topic; all
have extensive bibliographies, citing mostly works in French; most
list research resources, such as specialized bibliographies and
research centers. This work would be quite valuable for all general
collections, given the paucity of materials in English. Its
usefulness as a reference work is diminished, however, both by its
lack of comprehensiveness and by the lack of subject entries in the
index (nearly all entries are either names of individuals or
titles). Recommended for all universities and for larger
undergraduate reference departments.?-Choice
?An ideal starting point for studies of French film, popular music,
sports, etc. Recommended for academic libraries and popular culture
collections.?-Popular Culture in Libraries
"An ideal starting point for studies of French film, popular music,
sports, etc. Recommended for academic libraries and popular culture
collections."-Popular Culture in Libraries
"A collection of essays on the following aspects of mass popular
(rather than high or elitist) culture in France: advertising;
comics; detective/mystery/spy fiction; editorial/political/gag
cartoons; film; food and wine; leisure; love, men, and women;
newspapers, magazines, feminine press; popular music; radio and
television; science fiction; sports. The 13 chapter topics are
listed because any group of subjects purporting to describe mass
culture is both noncomprehensive and subjective by nature. The
essays are good introductions to the topics: all describe both the
historical development and current importance of the topic; all
have extensive bibliographies, citing mostly works in French; most
list research resources, such as specialized bibliographies and
research centers. This work would be quite valuable for all general
collections, given the paucity of materials in English. Its
usefulness as a reference work is diminished, however, both by its
lack of comprehensiveness and by the lack of subject entries in the
index (nearly all entries are either names of individuals or
titles). Recommended for all universities and for larger
undergraduate reference departments."-Choice
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