Aphorism in the Francophone Novel of the Twentieth Century

Mark Bell addresses the problems inherent in the term aphorism, the narrative and discourse function of aphorism within the genre of the novel, the interrelation between the structure of aphorism and the epistemological and hermeneutical functions this sub-genre may perform as a component part of the narrative fabric, the "national" character of aphoristics, and the problems that arise from "anthologizing" a novel's aphorisms.

The importance of aphoristic formulation in the French literary tradition and its undeniable presence in the modern novel make this a particularly significant and fruitful study.