André Gide and the Art of Autobiography. A Study of Si le grain ne meurt by C.D.E. Tolton (review)

448 LETTERS IN CANADA 1976 nine more obvious works that form her corpus. Incidentally, she capitalizes Recit when referring to the genre in order to differentiate it from the less specialized recit, as in the 'recit' or 'tale' told by a character in one of the works. Within the framework of the discourslhistoire opposition, MaisaniLeonard groups and regroups her eleven texts according to the presence or absence of various narrative/linguistic/stylistic attributes. Her use of modern terminology and schematic charts assumes at least a little knowledge of structuralism on the part of the reader; but a reader more interested in her methodology - clearly explained and ripe for imitation than in Andre Gide should be forewarned that a prior close reading of the Recits is absolutely obligatory in order to profit from this book. Maisani-Leonard's methodology leads her into a convincing, detailed analysis of such structural and stylistic elements as the texts' preambles, the function of the passe simple and the passe compose, the present tense, direct and indirect reported speech, and temporal adverbs. Each one of these sections can serve as an impressive complement to Stephen Ullmann's study of Gide's imagery in The Image in the Modern French Novel, but the organization of Maisani-Leonard's book according to the various narrative problems disperses the treatment of each text throughout the whole book and, in spite of the index, diminishes its usefulness as a tool for readers interested in only one or two of the Recits discussed. Uke the author of L'Immoraiiste, Maisani-Leonard modestly claims that she describes problems rather than attempting to reach their definitive solution. Nevertheless, she does find interesting and reasonable explanations for such thorny cases as an unexpected passe simple in a work or passage written primarily in the passe compose. There is little to criticize in this astute and systematic study. But may I point out that the word ironie in the title is somewhat misleading especially for those who have been awaiting for some time a full-length treatment of irony in Gide's works. Les complexiles or Ia subtilite de l' ecriture would seem more appropriate here. And a certain carelessness in referring to some Gidean scholars is unworthy of this work. Correct names are Ernst (not F.) Bendz, Elaine Davis Cancalon (not CancalonDavies ) and Pierre (not L.) Lafille. (c. D.E. TaLTON) C.D.E. Tolton. Andre Gide and the Art of Autobiography. A Study of Si Ie grain ne meurt. Macmillan of Canada 1975. 122. $7.95 Ainsi que Ie souligne CD.E. Talton dans son avant-propos, Si Ie grain ne meurt d'Andre Gide n'a, somme toute, que fort peu retenu l'attention des chercheurs, encore que rares sont les etudes de quelque envergure consacft !es a l'reuvre Oll a la vie d'Andre Gide qui n'en font point mention. La plupart du temps, cependant, tout en n'hesitant nullement a en HUMANITIES 449 souligner !'importance dans I'ceuvre d'Andre Gide, on s'est contente de renvoyer a eet ouvrage et d'y puiser des renseignements sans par ailleurs chercher a I'analyser et a en raconter toute I'histoire. Or, voici que, coup sur coup, temoignages additionnels du renouveau des etudes gidiennes auquel nous assistons depuis quelques annees deja, ont paru deux livres sur Si Ie grain ne meurt, qui se completent }'un et l'autre: celui de Tolton, dont it sera principalement question ici, ainsi que I'ouvrage de Philippe Lejeune, Exereices d'ambiguite. Lectures deSi Ie grain ne meurt d'Andre Gide (Paris: Minard, 'Lettres modernes' 1974). Apres s'etre penche, dans Ie chapitre initial, sur I'autobiographie en tant que genre litteraire distinct et avoir distingue ce dernier des confessions , souvenirs, memoires, etc., Talton ecrit l'histoire de Si Ie grain ne meurt depuis la conception premiere de ce livre et sa periode de gestation jusqu'a la publication de I'edition privee et hors commerce de douze exemplaires, en '920-', voire jusqu'a celie de la premiere edition mise dans Ie commerce, en 1926 seulement. 11 termine Ie second chapitre en rendant brievement compte de l'accueit que la critique reserva a Si...