John Sturrock Books

Exploring the evolution of literary autobiography, this comprehensive study traces the genre from Augustine's introspective writings to Sartre's existential reflections. It delves into the personal and cultural contexts that shaped these works, highlighting how each author navigates themes of identity, memory, and self-exploration. By examining the interplay between individual experience and broader societal influences, the book offers insights into the development of self-representation in literature across centuries.

Exploring the landscape of twentieth-century French literature, the book provides insightful essays on influential writers and thinkers like Proust, Sartre, and Derrida. It delves into key intellectual movements such as Existentialism, Structuralism, and the New Novel, offering clarity on their significance. Sturrock's work serves as both an elegant guide and an initiation into the complexities of French literary and intellectual culture, highlighting both renowned and lesser-known texts that shaped the era.

In these inspiring essays about why people read, Proust explores all the pleasures and trials that readers take from books and the joys of losing oneself in literature.