Georges Rodenbach, Bruges-la-Morte [The Dead City of Bruges]

Natasha Ryan (University of Oxford)

Ed. by Jennifer Yee, University of Oxford
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.5.2.05: French Writing and Culture: The Nineteenth-Century , 1800-1900.
Vol. editors: Edward Forman (University of Bristol), Nigel Harkness (University of Newcastle upon Tyne), Tim Unwin (University of Bristol), David Williams (University of Sheffield), Jennifer Yee (University of Oxford)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1892

Places

Belgium (Country of Origin)
France (Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

Bruges-la-Morte, the work for which the Belgian writer Georges Rodenbach is best known, is a short novel that was originally serialised in Le Figaro from 4 to 14 February 1892. It was published as a single text in May of the same year with Flammarion, and included two additional chapters (Chapters VI and XI). Bruges-la-Morte tells the story of a widower, Hugues Viane, who moves to Bruges to mourn his late wife. Installed there, he lives a calm and routine daily existence, surrounded by her clothes and personal effects. One evening he spots a dancer, Jane, in the street and believes her to be the double of his wife. Hugues pursues Jane, eventually developing a relationship with her, until the discrepancies …

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1937 words

Citation: Ryan, Natasha. "Bruges-la-Morte". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 04 April 2017 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35866, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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