Claire Gorrara Knihy

Focusing on the interplay between crime fiction and historical memory, this book examines how French crime novels reflect and shape perceptions of the Second World War. By analyzing works from the late 1940s to the 2000s, it reveals how this popular literary genre serves as a lens for understanding the complexities of France's wartime experiences and the cultural memories surrounding the Occupation. The study highlights the dynamic relationship between official narratives and popular interpretations of this contested period in French history.

By investigating representations of the war years in a selection of French crime novels from the mid-1940s to the present day, this book argues for the importance of crime fiction, and popular culture more generally, as active agents of memory in the ongoing debates over the legacies of the war years in contemporary France. -- .