De la lettre au roman : sur l'entrée en littérature de Julie de Lespinasse

Jean-Noël Pascal : From letter to novel. Reflections on Mlle de Lespinasse's entry into literature. A comparison of the two versions of M"e de Lespinasse's Letters, the bowdlerized 1809 edition and the authentic 1906 edition. After having sketched the work's publication history, we attempt to show first of all how the 1809 edition's omission of Guibert's replies to his mistress creates a novel-like continuity and coherence and how the removal of a large part of her own text concentrates all the passion on Mlle de Lespinasse while reinforcing the negative image of her lover. Next, various mutilations and corrections of the text by the first editor are considered. The result — which transforms a true correspondence into a Portuguese-style novel in letter form — is arguably weaker and less romantic for the modern reader than the authentic letters between Mlle de Lespinasse and her lover.