Draft:Christopher Warwick Thompson
Professor Christopher W. Thompson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christopher Warwick Thompson (born 31 December 1938) is an English academic and writer. He holds the positions of Emeritus Professor of French at the University of Warwick[1], and since 1996, the high rank of Officier in the Ordre des Palmes Académiques.
 | Review waiting, please be patient.
This may take 2 months or more, since drafts are reviewed in no specific order. There are 3,488 pending submissions waiting for review.
Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
Reviewer tools
|
Thompson was was born in Stockholm, Sweden but registered as British at the consulate (his mother was Swedish). He has now lives in London. Thompson studied for his Doctor of Philosophy degree at Clare College, Cambridge. His research focuses on the French Romantics; the works of the French writer, Stendhal; and French cinema, which he was able to pursue at the University of Warwick from 1971, and consequently, the unusual birth of French ethnographic film. From 1996 to 2002 he frequently chaired festivals of the Comité du Film Ethnographique at the Musée de l’Homme in Paris. Thompson is also a founding member of the Fondation Jean Rouch, which works to preserve and promote the legacy of the pioneering French filmmaker and ethnologist Jean Rouch.
Thompson's book French Romantic Travel Writing : Chateaubriand to Nerval (Oxford University Press, 2011) was shortlisted for the 2012 R. H. Gapper Book Prize [2].
Key Publications
French Romantic Travel Writing: Chateaubriand to Nerval (2011)
Nineteenth century French Romantic authors wrote many travel books. French Romantic Travel Writing: Chateaubriand to Nerval is the first study devoted to surveying the travelogues they produced and the reasons for, and significance of, this trend.
The book is cited 29 times in other published books and articles [3].
N. Christine Brookes (Professor of French in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Central Michigan University) wrote that "Thompson’s remarkable work is a must read for experienced scholars and for those who seek a solid introduction to the field." [4]
Peter Cogman in the Times Literary Supplement highlighted the book's "extensive bibliography" and described it as a "wide-ranging and rewarding exploration" of the genre's key works.
W. Edwards of Choice wrote: "It is difficult to imagine a more impressively researched volume. The author goes to great lengths to distinguish his analysis from previous studies on travel and writing ... Highly recommended."
Le Jeu de l’ordre et de la liberté dans La Chartreuse de Parme (1982)
This is a comprehensive study of Stendhal's masterpiece, La Chartreuse de Parme. The work was received as a significant contribution to Stendhalian studies, particularly for its nuanced structural and thematic analysis. It is particularly notable for the following:
- Challenging the "Improvisation" Myth: Thompson is credited with debunking the long-held prejudice that the novel's fast-paced, improvisational origins (Stendhal famously dictated it in 52 days) resulted in a lack of coherence.
- Influential Framework: His "order vs. liberty" framework became a cornerstone for modern academic readings. Prominent scholars like Michel Crouzet have referenced Thompson’s work when discussing the "arbitrariness of the Stendhalian narrator" and how characters navigate a world of political surveillance.
- Defining the "Game": Critics praised how Thompson identified the "jeu" (game) as the intersection between rigid social structures (order) and individual spontaneity (liberty), providing a new way to understand the psychological complexity of characters like Fabrice del Dongo and the Duchess of Sanseverina.
- Enduring Academic Relevance: The book remains a staple on university reading lists and is frequently cited in French literature concours (competitive exams) and scholarly journals.
L'Autre et le sacré: surréalisme, cinéma, ethnologie (1985)
This is a collection of texts, edited by Thompson, that explores the complex connections between surrealist art, ethnographic film practices (particularly those of Jean Rouch), and the broader field of anthropology.
Researchers have referred to this volume as a critical resource for understanding figures like Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch. It is praised for its exploration of the "cinéma de la cruauté" and its impact on how "the other" is represented in visual media.[5]
Livres sur le Cinéma categorises the work as an essential study in sociology and experimental avant-garde cinema, highlighting its focus on how surrealism anticipated postmodern ethnology.[6]
Books
- Le jeu de l'ordre et de la liberté dans la Chartreuse de Parme (1982, reprinted 2011), Aran, Éditions du Grand-Chêne, 1982 ; Slatkine Reprints, 2011 ISBN 978-2051021760.
- L’Autre et le sacré : surréalisme, cinéma, ethnologie (1985), L’Harmattan ISBN 978-2738434258.
- Lamiel fille du feu : essai sur Stendhal et l’énergie (1997), L’Harmattan ISBN 978-2738451040.
- Walking and the French Romantics: Rousseau to Sand and Hugo: 13 (French Studies of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries) (2003), Peter Lang Publishing ISBN 978-0820468945.
- French Romantic Travel Writing : Chateaubriand to Nerval (2011), Oxford University Press ISBN 978-0199233540.
- Explorations stendhaliennes : d’Armance à la Fraternité des arts (2013), Hermann ISBN 978-2705687175.
Co-edited Publications
- Stendhal et l’Angeleterre (with K.G. McWatters) (1987), Liverpool University Press ISBN 978-0853230458.
- Stendhal, Écrits sur l’art sous l’Empire et la Restauration (with Elaine Williamson and Hélène de Jacquelot) (2026), Classiques-Garnier ISBN 978-2406130833.