Pascal Quignard’s work belongs in a no-mans-land between what is long since past and what is still to come, reeling on the edges between literature, antiquarianism and philosophy. Texts like The Roving Shadows and Abysses seem so fresh yet also inevitable in terrain carved by writers like Calasso, Sebald, John Berger and Cixous. To find Quignard’s precursors you could go further back to Montaigne, Bacon, even Erasmus.
I have such hunger for these works that find new ways of questioning and expressing knowledge. Quignard’s work demands and refuses easy interpretation in the way that older essayists used the form to test ideas, where cognition proceeds through flashes and rereading (I read The Roving Shadows once before). Structured as a mixture of fragments and lengthier, more structured essays Quignard reflects on the philosophers of Greece and Rome (mostly but not exclusively) interwoven with touches of autobiography and outrage.
I also read Sex and Terror which uses visual arts to explore the edges where Greek civilisation and Roman civilisation overlapped with seismic reverberations that are still being felt in the present day. It is less demanding than the other two, but equally enlightening.
Chris Turner’s translation of all three books (once again from the wonderful Seagull Books) is so beautiful that I intend to collect a couple in the original French to see what I am missing. Quignard’s work is important, moving and powerful in equal measure and deserves to leave a significant trace. He is one of those writers who will divide my life (not just reading) into a before discovery and after.
Time's Flow Stemmed 
Isn’t he the author of the excellent All the World’s Mornings which has also been made into a movie? I somehow wasn’t aware that he was also an essayist. Very interesting.
The same though I’ve never seen the film and it isn’t too easy to track down at a reasonable price.
Oh, Quignard has written over 40 books, novels and essays, which are now being published by Seagull Books. They have 5 out and another 8 in translation. There are odd ones about by other publishers. I’ll track down what I can and then tackle the rest in French.
I read him in French and have found a cheap copy of the movie in a Depardieu collection. No subtitles.
There’s a version with subtitles on YouTube. Not the best quality.
Thank you, Caroline. I’ll check it out later.
Thanks also for the inspiration to look for a Depardieu collection instead. I found a four film set in the Screen Icons series that includes the film with subtitles. Good call.
If the YouTube – link bothers you (it takes up a lot of space), don’t hesitate to remove the comment.
it’s a very beautiful film, the one caroline linked to.
I look forward to watching it.
This is not an author I had on my radar so far, but what you write about him sounds very appealing to me. But with which book to start?
The Roving Shadows is the first in the Lost Kingdom series so as good a place as any and a remarkable book.
Thanks, Anthony, I will keep that in mind when I will start to read Quignard.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, Thomas!