The Novel of Worldliness

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Exploring the works of Crébillon, Marivaux, Laclos, and Stendahl, Peter Brooks argues that the quest for "realism" misrepresents their narratives. He focuses on how characters assess their value and navigate personal relationships within socially cultivated circles. The analysis highlights the dramatic interplay of individual styles and social codes, while also tracing influences from seventeenth-century moralistes and the literary environments that shaped these authors. Detailed readings illuminate the complexities of social existence in their fictional worlds.