Publication details
L argot et le roman policier / noir français
| Title in English | Argot in French Crime Fiction and Novel Noir. |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Which literary genre could make better use of argot than crime novels? The crime novel concept was born in the early 19th century and, as a portrayal of the lower classes, immediately attracted the attention of bourgeoisie readers. Even great authors such as Balzac, Hugo or Sue were inspired by the famous 'Memories of the Police Prefect Vidocq', from both its thematic and language viewpoints. However, is argot a fixed feature of crime novels or does it just occur occasionally? This article follows the development of the crime genre from the 1950s (when the use of argot in crime fiction was highly fashionable) to today. Apart from historical comparisons, there is also the issue of thematic comparisons. Is argot used by the same social groups as it was fifty years ago? Isn't argot, as used in today's fiction, simply slang as used by young people in the suburbs rather than the argot of the criminal classes? |