Poétique des ballades de Christine de Pizan (1363–1430) by Danielle Roch

contraste également avec l’optimisme visionnaire de Michelet, qui faisait du peuple le moteur de l’histoire. Western Washington University Edward Ousselin Roch, Danielle. Poétique des ballades de Christine de Pizan (1363–1430). Paris: Champion, 2013. ISBN 978-2-7453-2574-7. Pp. 232. 25 a. This study offers a stylistic examination of Pizan’s ballades, but one that eschews a systematic analysis of techniques, privileging instead the interpretation of whole collections, which are in turn situated within the wider context of the poet’s entire work. Roch defines the ballade corpus broadly, considering those inserted in other works (the Dit de la Pastoure, the Livre du Duc des vrais amants, the Livre de la Rose and the Advision Christine) alongside the separate collections (Les Cent ballades, Les Ballades de divers propos or Aultre Balades, Les Cent balades d’amant et de dame, the Balades d’estrange façon, and Encore aultres balades) and the group of poems appended to the Livre du Duc des vrais amants. Since some of the inserted poems are taken from collections, she considers these in both contexts.After a“préambule”reviewing earlier criticism that (in the author’s view) has under-appreciated Pizan’s lyric poetry, and a brief introduction, the first chapter insists on the importance of the poet’s formal choices. Chapters 2, 3, and 6 examine the inserted lyrics and the various collections. Roch’s emphasis in these chapters is on the structure of the collection rather than on the interpretation of individual poems,although sections devoted to thematic structure (e.g., 95–105) contain perceptive readings. Chapter 3 contains a digression on number theory (110–15), which Roch uses to identify a unifying structure in the Aultres balades (120–25) that has escaped other critics.Although ingenious, the arguments presented here seemed unconvincing to this reader, relying as they do on abstruse number theories. In chapter 4, Roch takes issue with the punctuation of Pizan’s poetry in the standard editions, and argues that the rhythm of the ballades is more readily perceptible when read (unpunctuated) as in the so-called “Queen’s manuscript” (British Library,Harley 4431).This rather drastic proposal is convincingly supported by prosodic analyses. Chapter 5 proposes an interesting reading of the longer ballade collections according to their placement at the beginning, middle, and end of the Harley manuscript . A printed list of the contents of the manuscript would have clarified this discussion; the plate (33) of fol. 1v of the manuscript is unfortunately illegible. There are a few relatively minor flaws. The placement of chapter 6 (on the structure of the Cent Balades d’amant et de dame) is somewhat eccentric: it would more logically follow the discussion of the structure of the other collections (chapters 2 and 3). There are a number of small errors: for “Davis” (67), read Davies; in the “Annexe” (205–06), the equivalent of Roy’s XIXX (sic; read XXIX) should read XVIII (not VIII); and the equivalent of Roy’s XXXV should read XXXIII (not XXXII). Roch makes a valuable 226 FRENCH REVIEW 88.3 Reviews 227 contribution to the understanding of Pizan’s lyric poetry and must be read by anyone interested in this author, late medieval poetry, or medieval French literature. University of Notre Dame Maureen Boulton Roldan, Sébastien. La pyramide des souffrances dans La joie de vivre d’Émile Zola: une structure schopenhauerienne. Québec: PU du Québec, 2012. ISBN 978-2-76053338 -7. Pp. 206. $20 Can. Cette analyse approfondie du douzième roman du cycle des Rougon-Macquart illustre, avec beaucoup d’ingéniosité mais aussi de rigueur critique, l’importance d’aborder l’œuvre de Zola dégagée des références au discours médical et positiviste de l’époque, si nombreuses dans la critique zolienne contemporaine. Roldan lance son analyse à partir de la question fondamentale que le roman pose aux lecteurs: vaut-il la peine de vivre au prix des souffrances, des nécessités et des limitations auxquelles on est soumis jusqu’à la mort? Question plus que philosophique à laquelle Zola s’apprête à répondre après un examen consciencieux de la philosophie schopenhauerienne qui...

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