Roman à clef: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Key to Manley Atalantis 1713.png|thumb |
[[File:Key to Manley Atalantis 1713.png|thumb|Key to vol. 2 of [[Delarivier Manley]]'s ''[[The New Atalantis]]'' (1709)]] |
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'''''Roman à clef''''' ({{IPA |
'''''Roman à clef''''' ({{IPA|fr|ʁɔmɑ̃n‿a kle}}, <small>[[anglicisation#anglicisation of loan words|anglicised]] as</small> {{IPAc-en|r|oU|,|m|Q|n|_|@|_|'|k|l|eI}}),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roman+%C3%A0+clef|title=Definition of ROMAN À CLEF|website=www.merriam-webster.com}}</ref> French for ''novel with a key'', is a novel about real-life events that is overlaid with a façade of fiction.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Serafin |first1=Steven R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OVRHUusi38kC&dq=roman+%25C3%25A0+clef+faction&pg=PA525 |
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| page = 525 |
| page = 525 |
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|title=The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature |last2=Bendixen |first2=Alfred |date=1 September 2005 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-0-8264-1777-0 |language=en}}</ref> The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the non-fiction and the fiction.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ousby |first=Ian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=43oBE1nJXaMC& |
|title=The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature |last2=Bendixen |first2=Alfred |date=1 September 2005 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-0-8264-1777-0 |language=en}}</ref> The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the non-fiction and the fiction.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ousby |first=Ian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=43oBE1nJXaMC&q=roman+a+clef+literature |
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|title=The Cambridge Paperback Guide to Literature in English |date=23 February 1996 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-43627-4 |language=en}}</ref> This metaphorical key may be produced separately—typically as an explicit guide to the text by the author—or implied, through the use of [[epigraph (literature)|epigraphs]] or other [[literary technique]]s.<ref name="ro.uow.edu.au">{{Cite journal |last=Boyde |first=Melissa |date=2009-11-01 |title=The Modernist *roman à clef* and Cultural Secrets, or, I Know that You Know that I Know that You Know |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.20314/als.dfae519805 |journal=Australian Literary Studies |doi=10.20314/als.dfae519805 |issn=0004-9697}}</ref> |
|title=The Cambridge Paperback Guide to Literature in English |date=23 February 1996 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-43627-4 |language=en}}</ref> This metaphorical key may be produced separately—typically as an explicit guide to the text by the author—or implied, through the use of [[epigraph (literature)|epigraphs]] or other [[literary technique]]s.<ref name="ro.uow.edu.au">{{Cite journal |last=Boyde |first=Melissa |date=2009-11-01 |title=The Modernist *roman à clef* and Cultural Secrets, or, I Know that You Know that I Know that You Know |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.20314/als.dfae519805 |journal=Australian Literary Studies |doi=10.20314/als.dfae519805 |issn=0004-9697}}</ref> |
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[[Madeleine de Scudéry]] created the ''roman à clef'' in the 17th century to provide a forum for her thinly veiled fiction featuring political and public figures.<ref name="ro.uow.edu.au" /> |
[[Madeleine de Scudéry]] created the ''roman à clef'' in the 17th century to provide a forum for her thinly veiled fiction featuring political and public figures.<ref name="ro.uow.edu.au" /> |
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The reasons an author might choose the ''roman à clef'' format include satire; writing about controversial topics |
The reasons an author might choose the ''roman à clef'' format include satire; writing about controversial topics; reporting inside information on [[scandal]]s without giving rise to charges of [[libel]]; the opportunity to turn the tale the way the author would like it to have gone; the opportunity to portray personal, autobiographical experiences without having to expose the author as the subject; avoiding [[self-incrimination]] or incrimination of others that could be used as evidence in civil, criminal, or disciplinary proceedings; the ability to change the background and personalities of key participants; and the settling of scores.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}} |
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Biographically inspired works have also appeared in other literary genres and art forms, notably the {{Lang|fr|[[film à clef]]}}. |
Biographically inspired works have also appeared in other literary genres and art forms, notably the {{Lang|fr|[[film à clef]]}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Films à clef - LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies {{!}} Library of Congress, from LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies (Library of Congress) |url=https://id.loc.gov/authorities/genreForms/gf2016026012.html |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=id.loc.gov}}</ref> |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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{{Portal|Novels}} |
{{Portal|Novels}} |
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* [[Allegory]] |
* [[Allegory]] |
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* [[Autobiografiction]] |
* [[Autobiografiction]] |
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* [[Creative nonfiction]] |
* [[Creative nonfiction]] |
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* [[Defamation]] |
* [[Defamation]] |
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* [[Gonzo journalism]] |
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* [[List of narrative techniques]] |
* [[List of narrative techniques]] |
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* [[Nomen à clef]] |
* [[Nomen à clef]] |
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* [[Semi-fiction]] |
* [[Semi-fiction]] |
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* [[Small penis rule]] |
* [[Small penis rule]] |
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* [[Self-insertion]] |
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* [[Author surrogate]] |
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* [[Tuckerization]] |
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{{div col end}} |
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== Notes == |
== Notes == |
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Latest revision as of 16:26, 26 November 2024
Roman à clef (French pronunciation: [ʁɔmɑ̃n‿a kle], anglicised as /roʊˌmɒn ə ˈkleɪ/),[1] French for novel with a key, is a novel about real-life events that is overlaid with a façade of fiction.[2] The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the non-fiction and the fiction.[3] This metaphorical key may be produced separately—typically as an explicit guide to the text by the author—or implied, through the use of epigraphs or other literary techniques.[4]
Madeleine de Scudéry created the roman à clef in the 17th century to provide a forum for her thinly veiled fiction featuring political and public figures.[4]
The reasons an author might choose the roman à clef format include satire; writing about controversial topics; reporting inside information on scandals without giving rise to charges of libel; the opportunity to turn the tale the way the author would like it to have gone; the opportunity to portray personal, autobiographical experiences without having to expose the author as the subject; avoiding self-incrimination or incrimination of others that could be used as evidence in civil, criminal, or disciplinary proceedings; the ability to change the background and personalities of key participants; and the settling of scores.[citation needed]
Biographically inspired works have also appeared in other literary genres and art forms, notably the film à clef.[5]
See also
[edit]
Notes
[edit]- ^ "Definition of ROMAN À CLEF". www.merriam-webster.com.
- ^ Serafin, Steven R.; Bendixen, Alfred (1 September 2005). The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature. A&C Black. p. 525. ISBN 978-0-8264-1777-0.
- ^ Ousby, Ian (23 February 1996). The Cambridge Paperback Guide to Literature in English. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-43627-4.
- ^ a b Boyde, Melissa (1 November 2009). "The Modernist *roman à clef* and Cultural Secrets, or, I Know that You Know that I Know that You Know". Australian Literary Studies. doi:10.20314/als.dfae519805. ISSN 0004-9697.
- ^ "Films à clef - LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies | Library of Congress, from LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies (Library of Congress)". id.loc.gov. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
References
[edit]- Amos, William (1985). The Originals: Who's Really Who in Fiction. London: Cape. ISBN 0-7221-1069-3.
- Busby, Brian (2003). Character Parts: Who's Really Who in CanLit. Toronto: Knopf Canada. ISBN 0-676-97579-8.
- Rintoul, M.C. (2014). Dictionary of Real People and Places in Fiction
