Urban Structures Crafted by Jean-François Chassay Outshine Natural Landscapes' Authenticity

Retiring professor Jean-François Chassay, age 66, penned a new book this spring, "The Form of a City, the Heart of a Literature," a personal exploration into Quebec's recent urban literature. His 30-year tenure teaching literature at UQAM has afforded him a front-row seat to the literary evolution of Quebec.

As he describes, "Our era deserves examination – a renewal in Quebec prose fiction stemming from the diversity and intelligence of well-informed, cultured authors. They're unbound by constraints, shattering the mold in their work."

Once a frequent visitor of urbanity in "Literary Walks in Montreal," Chassay reconnects with the city in his latest essay, traversing "the contours of the urban" in post-'70s Quebec literature, conversationally blending real metropolises like Montreal and Quebec City with imaginary or obscure cities within the pages.

This essay refrains from being a tourist's guide, for Chassay's purpose isn't to exploit literature for city exploration. Instead, he delves into recent fiction that uses cities as a vehicle for contemplating and imagining contemporary reality.

"The city has always been woven into Quebec literature," Chassay muses, "but in the past, it primarily served as a backdrop or setting. The action unfolded in Montreal or Quebec City, but cities seldom mattered as characters. What's evolved since Gabrielle Roy is that cities have begun to deeply impact characters' lives."

Just like Rastignac and Paris in Balzac's 'Père Goriot', Chassay sees a deep connection between the urban environment and the individuals inhabiting it. "It's a dance between the individual and the city, where they transform each other," he asserts.

Chassay's essay surveys 56 works of fiction by Quebec authors, ranging from Sophie Bienvenu's 'Chercher Sam' to Kev Lambert's 'Que notre joie demeure'. The book tenderly ties together themes like the labyrinthine city, monuments, the resurgent class struggle, animal presence, celebration, death, and more.

" The city is a magnet for people and cultures, brimming with history yet catalyzing events," Chassay explains, "a battleground for contrasting forces, a place of solitude, yet also a space promoting solidarity."

In his examination of monuments, Chassay singles out the Oratoire Saint-Joseph, especially in Alain Farah's 'Mille secrets mille dangers'. "Over the past few years, the Oratoire has never been more celebrated," he writes, underscoring its historic and contemporary significance.

Chassay's discourse weaves enlightening links between real-life scenarios and fiction, connecting past cities with their present to better envision possible futures – all while maintaining an approachable, non-academic tone. His wordsmithing deftly balances personal reminiscences and scholarly insights, leaving readers hungry for the books mentioned throughout.

In the book's closing pages, Chassay stirs a sense of sweet nostalgia, drawing inspiration from Georges Perec's 'Je me souviens' to reminisce about his formative years, from Expo '67 to the '80 referendum.

" I can still remember the joy of leaving my first apartment, a cozy 5 1/2 on rue Saint-Dominique, near Saint-Viateur, for $75 a month," he pens, capturing a bygone era of Montreal.

Potential Themes:

Urban Identity and Literature: Examining the relationship between urban landscapes and literary narratives, emphasizing how cityscapes shape literature and vice versa.
Architecture and Space: Analyzing representations of physical environments in literature, exploring the emotional and psychological impact of urban spaces on characters and writers.
Cultural and Social Dynamics: Investigating how cities serve as hubs of cultural and social diversity, impacting the cultural narratives found in literature and reflecting issues such as migration, identity, and community.
Historical Perspectives: Exploring the evolution of cities over time and their depiction in literature, showcasing how different eras have influenced urban narratives.
Symbolism and Metaphor: Unveiling the symbolic roles cities often play in literature, representing concepts like hope, decay, or transformation.

Potential Motifs:

The City as Character: Analyzing instances when cities are characterized as conscious entities shaping narratives and characters' emotional journeys.
Migration and Belonging: Investigating narratives of migration and belonging in urban settings, focusing on themes of identity and community.
Change and Transformation: Uncovering how literature portrays city changes, such as gentrification, decay, or renewal, and their impact on individuals and society.
Memory and Nostalgia: Discussing literary depictions of memories of cities past and present, evoking nostalgia for lost eras or places.
Jean-François Chassay's new book, "The Form of a City, the Heart of a Literature," delves into Quebec's urban identity and literature, showcasing how cityscapes shape contemporary Quebec literature.
In his latest essay, Chassay blends real metropolises like Montreal and Quebec City with imaginary or obscure cities within the pages, highlighting urban identity in literature and architecture.
Chassay emphasizes the emotional and psychological impact of urban spaces on characters and writers, refraining from presenting the essay as a tourist's guide, but instead focusing on literature's contemplation and imagination of contemporary reality.
Throughout his book, Chassay uses symbolism and metaphor, characterizing cities as conscious entities shaping narratives and characters' emotional journeys, demonstrating the city as a character motif in urban Quebec literature.