Aeneas Takes the Metro: The Presence of Virgil in Twentieth-century French Literature

This study traces Virgil's journey through twentieth century France by examining his profile in the works of Gide, Aragon, Valery, Pagnol, Klossowski, Butor, Simon, and Pinget, and by looking at how their Virgilian appropriations complement and modify current readings of the Aeneid and other works. This provides insights not only into modern French culture but into the Virgilian oeuvre itself. The process of mutual illumination is highlighted in Cox's argument by theories of intertextuality and dialogism. Although Virgil's presence in French literature is characterized by its focus on exile and uncertainty, Cox's study reaffirms the multivalency of this great European poetand his continuing relevance at the turn of the millennium.