DIDEROT – UN ESPRIT OULIPIEN AVANT LE MOT
DIDEROT – OULIPIAN SPIRIT BEFORE THE WORD

Summary/Abstract: An emblematic figure of the Lumières, Diderot experimented with numerous literary genres and forms. Philosopher of sensitive subject matter, mastermind of the large – scale project of the Encyclopédie, lucid critic of painters of his epoch, researcher of new ways in dramatic poetry, fervent epistolary writer, Diderot was also an unclassifiable and innovative story-teller. This brother Platon – a nickname given by Voltaire – has left us a rich intellectual heritage, subject to equally rich interpretations. Re-reading Diderot's short stories implies linking them with the concept "oulipo" by identifying certain common reference points. First, Diderot manifested an inclination, unprecedented in the encyclopeadist context, for formal experimentation. Second, his novelist proceeds reveal an acutely refined feeling for a literary play and multi-form technical variations. Finally, his artistic intention arises from careful and constant contemplation focused on the exploration of new literary expression beyond his time.

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