Michel Butor Biography

Michel Butor was a pioneering experimental novelist, often associated with the nouveau roman, though he long resisted the label. His works are characterized by innovative techniques, such as writing entirely in the second person in his most celebrated novel. Butor explored the relationship between language and reality, viewing even literal quotations as a form of parody due to their "trans-contextualization." Beyond novels, he engaged with essays, poetry, and artist's books, often blending rigorous structural symmetries with a lyrical sensibility, establishing himself as a significant figure in literary experimentation.