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An Examination of Etho-Poetic Reading Scenes in the Works of Jorge Luis Borges and Pascal Quignard

Received: 2 August 2024     Accepted: 2 September 2024     Published: 20 September 2024
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Abstract

This paper examines reading scenes in the works of Jorge Luis Borges and Pascal Quignard with the objective of studying the thematization and presentation of the etho-poetic aspects of reading in contemporary literature. An introductory chapter presents an overview of recent reading theories and the concept of the ‘reading scene’, which originated in writing studies (Campe, Barthes, Stingelin et al.) as well as the notion of ‘etho-poetics’ (Barthes, Foucault). Thereafter, the analysis turn to two works by Jorge Luis Borges, La biblioteca de Babel and El libro de arena, and then to Pascal Quignard’s Lectio and his novella Le lecteur. The objective of this paper is to define the different ways in which reading and life are intertwined, examining this relationship at three distinct levels: Firstly, at the level of creating literature out of reading, which represents a crucial element of the poetics of both Borges and Quignard. As will be demonstrated, both authors make extensive reference to Proust’s Sur la lecture. Secondly, the relationship between reading experiences and life will be examined in the context of the diegetic world. Thirdly, at the level of the reception, metalepsis functions as a means of inciting the concrete reader to consider reading from an etho-poetic perspective. In addition to these parallels, it can be assumed that in the texts of Borges, the transformative potential of the reading act is depicted as commensurate with the social life of the readers. In contrast, Quignard’s work illustrates the etho-poetic dimension of reading as an asocial practice, dissociating the reader from the social context.

Published in International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 12, Issue 5)

This article belongs to the Special Issue Reading Scenes in Modern and Contemporary Literature and Arts

DOI 10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.11
Page(s) 116-126
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

‘Reading Scene’, ‘Etho-Poetics’, ‘lire en levant la tête’, Writing

References
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[2] Hron-Öberg, Irina/Kita-Huber, Jadwiga/Schulte, Sanna (eds.): Leseszenen. Poetologie – Geschichte – Medialität. Heidelberg: Winter 2020 (Beiträge zur neueren Literaturgeschichte 407).
[3] Hron-Öberg, Irina/Benne, Christian (eds.) Lesegebärden. Heidelberg: Winter 2024 (Leseszenen 1).
[4] Borges, Jorge Luis: Del culto de los libros. In: Jorge Luis Borges: Obras completas II (1952-1973). Barcelona: Emecé 1989, pp. 91-94.
[5] Quignard, Pascal: L’Homme aux trois lettres. Paris: Gallimard 2022 (Folio, 7097).
[6] Proust, Marcel: Sur la lecture. Arles: Actes Sud 1988.
[7] Barthes, Roland: Sur la lecture. In: Roland Barthes: Le Bruissement de la langue. Essais critiques IV. Paris: Éd du Seuil 1993 (Points / Série essais, 258), pp. 37-48.
[8] Bertschik, Julia: Kulturwissenschaftliches Lesen. In: Rolf Parr and Alexander Honold (eds.): Grundthemen der Literaturwissenschaft: Lesen. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter 2018 (Reference), pp. 570-587.
[9] Barthes, Roland: Écrire, verbe intransitif. In: Roland Barthes: Le Bruissement de la langue. Essais critiques IV. Paris: Éd. du Seuil 1993 (Points / Série essais, 258), pp. 21-32.
[10] Campe Rüdiger: Die Schreibszene, Schreiben. In: Sandro Zanetti (ed.): Schreiben als Kulturtechnik. Grundlagentexte. Berlin: Suhrkamp 2012 (Suhrkamp Taschenbuch Wissenschaft, 2037), pp. 269-282.
[11] Pethes, Nicolas: Leseszenen. Zur Praxeologie intransitiver Lektüren in der Literatur der Epoche des Buches. In: Irina Hron-Öberg/Jadwiga Kita-Huber and Sanna Schulte (eds.): Leseszenen. Poetologie – Geschichte – Medialität. Heidelberg: Winter 2020 (Beiträge zur neueren Literaturgeschichte, 407), pp. 101-132.
[12] Giuriato, Davide/Stingelin, Martin/Zanetti, Sandro: Einleitung. In: Davide Giuriato, Martin Stingelin and Sandro Zanetti (eds.): “Schreiben heißt: sich selber lesen“. Schreibszenen als Selbstlektüren. München: Wilhelm Fink 2008 (Zur Genealogie des Schreibens 9), pp. 9-17.
[13] Jahraus, Oliver: Literaturwissenschaftliche Theorien des Lesens. In: Rolf Parr and Alexander Honold (eds.): Grundthemen der Literaturwissenschaft: Lesen. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter 2018 (Reference), pp. 123-139.
[14] Macé, Marielle: Façons de lire, manière d’être. Second ed. Paris: Gallimard 2022.
[15] Barthes, Roland: Ecrire la lecture. In: Roland Barthes: Œuvres complètes. Tome II. 1966-1973. ed. by Éric Marty. Paris: Éd. du Seuil 1994, pp. 961-963.
[16] Quignard, Pascal: Le lecteur. Paris: Gallimard 2017 (Folio, 5855).
[17] Foucault, Michel: L’écriture de soi. In: Michel Foucault: Dits et écrits. 1954-1988, vol IV: 1980-1988, ed. by Daniel Defert and François Ewald with the collaboration of Jacques Lagrange. Paris: Gallimard 1994, pp. 397-422.
[18] Riendeau, Pascal: Les Petits traités de Pascal Quignard: une nouvelle éthique du lecteur et de la lecture. In: Dalhousie French Studies, Fall 2003, (64, Littérature et éthique), pp. 101-110.
[19] Riendeau, Pascal: Regards sur le monde. Conflits éthiques et pensées romanesques dans la littérature française contemporaine. Québec: Presses de l’Université Laval 2023 (Littérature et imaginaire contemporain).
[20] Bogoya, Camilo: Borges y Quignard: lectura y tradición. In: Variaciones Borges 2008, 26, pp. 27-43.
[21] Acuña-Zumbado, Eduardo: Trazos proto-hipertextuales en la narrativa moderna latinoamericana: “La biblioteca de Babel”. In: Hispania 94, 2012, (4), pp. 640-649.
[22] Borges, Jorge Luis: La biblioteca de Babel. In: Jorge Luis Borges. Obras completas I (1923-1949). Barcelona: Emecé 1989, pp. 465-471.
[23] Schmitz-Emans, Monika: Metaphern des Lesens. In: Rolf Parr/Alexander Honold (eds.): Grundthemen der Literaturwissenschaft: Lesen. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter 2018 (Reference), pp. 588-613.
[24] Rodriquez Navas, Ana B.: Interpelación y ruptura en La biblioteca de Babel y El Aleph de Jorge Luis Borges. In: Variaciones Borges 2006, 22, pp. 201-216.
[25] Borges, Jorge Luis: Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis tertius. In: Jorge Luis Borges. Obras completas I (1923-1949). Barcelona: Emecé 1989, pp. 431-443.
[26] Borges, Jorge Luis: El libro de arena. In: Jorge Luis Borges: Obras completas III (1975-1985). Barcelona: Emecé 1989, pp. 68-71.
[27] Pautrot-Jean-Louis: Pascal Quignard, ou le fonds du monde. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi 2007 (Collection monographique Rodopi en littérature française contemporaine, 46).
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[30] Borges, Jorge Luis: Fervor de Buenos Aires. In: Jorge Luis Borges. Obras completas I (1923-1949). Barcelona: Emecé 1989, pp. 11-52.
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    Rieger, R. (2024). An Examination of Etho-Poetic Reading Scenes in the Works of Jorge Luis Borges and Pascal Quignard. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 12(5), 116-126. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.11

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    Rieger, R. An Examination of Etho-Poetic Reading Scenes in the Works of Jorge Luis Borges and Pascal Quignard. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2024, 12(5), 116-126. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.11

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    AMA Style

    Rieger R. An Examination of Etho-Poetic Reading Scenes in the Works of Jorge Luis Borges and Pascal Quignard. Int J Lit Arts. 2024;12(5):116-126. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.11,
      author = {Rita Rieger},
      title = {An Examination of Etho-Poetic Reading Scenes in the Works of Jorge Luis Borges and Pascal Quignard
    },
      journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
      volume = {12},
      number = {5},
      pages = {116-126},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20241205.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20241205.11},
      abstract = {This paper examines reading scenes in the works of Jorge Luis Borges and Pascal Quignard with the objective of studying the thematization and presentation of the etho-poetic aspects of reading in contemporary literature. An introductory chapter presents an overview of recent reading theories and the concept of the ‘reading scene’, which originated in writing studies (Campe, Barthes, Stingelin et al.) as well as the notion of ‘etho-poetics’ (Barthes, Foucault). Thereafter, the analysis turn to two works by Jorge Luis Borges, La biblioteca de Babel and El libro de arena, and then to Pascal Quignard’s Lectio and his novella Le lecteur. The objective of this paper is to define the different ways in which reading and life are intertwined, examining this relationship at three distinct levels: Firstly, at the level of creating literature out of reading, which represents a crucial element of the poetics of both Borges and Quignard. As will be demonstrated, both authors make extensive reference to Proust’s Sur la lecture. Secondly, the relationship between reading experiences and life will be examined in the context of the diegetic world. Thirdly, at the level of the reception, metalepsis functions as a means of inciting the concrete reader to consider reading from an etho-poetic perspective. In addition to these parallels, it can be assumed that in the texts of Borges, the transformative potential of the reading act is depicted as commensurate with the social life of the readers. In contrast, Quignard’s work illustrates the etho-poetic dimension of reading as an asocial practice, dissociating the reader from the social context.
    },
     year = {2024}
    }
    

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    AB  - This paper examines reading scenes in the works of Jorge Luis Borges and Pascal Quignard with the objective of studying the thematization and presentation of the etho-poetic aspects of reading in contemporary literature. An introductory chapter presents an overview of recent reading theories and the concept of the ‘reading scene’, which originated in writing studies (Campe, Barthes, Stingelin et al.) as well as the notion of ‘etho-poetics’ (Barthes, Foucault). Thereafter, the analysis turn to two works by Jorge Luis Borges, La biblioteca de Babel and El libro de arena, and then to Pascal Quignard’s Lectio and his novella Le lecteur. The objective of this paper is to define the different ways in which reading and life are intertwined, examining this relationship at three distinct levels: Firstly, at the level of creating literature out of reading, which represents a crucial element of the poetics of both Borges and Quignard. As will be demonstrated, both authors make extensive reference to Proust’s Sur la lecture. Secondly, the relationship between reading experiences and life will be examined in the context of the diegetic world. Thirdly, at the level of the reception, metalepsis functions as a means of inciting the concrete reader to consider reading from an etho-poetic perspective. In addition to these parallels, it can be assumed that in the texts of Borges, the transformative potential of the reading act is depicted as commensurate with the social life of the readers. In contrast, Quignard’s work illustrates the etho-poetic dimension of reading as an asocial practice, dissociating the reader from the social context.
    
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