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. His presence in these works provides insights not only into modern French culture but into the Virgilian oeuvre itself. This 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 poet and his continuing relevance at the turn of the millennium.