Butor, Michel

Related Category: French Literature: Biographies

(mēshĕl´ bütôr´), 1926–, French novelist and critic. As one of the chief exponents of the nouveau roman [new novel] (see French literature), Butor is less interested in the outcome of action in his novels than he is in the action itself. His technique involves the use of shifting time sequences, strong visual images, and the interior monologue. He often focuses on one small area of experience to reveal the larger complexity of life. His novels include Passage de Milan (1954), L'Emploi du Temps (1956; tr. Passing Time, 1960), La Modification (1957; tr. Second Thoughts, 1958), Degrés (1960, tr. 1962), Mobile (1962; tr. Mobile: Study for a Representation of the U.S., 1963), Niagara: A Stereophonic Novel (tr. 1969), and Boomerang (1978). He has also written numerous critical pieces.