Abstract EN:

This study, of analytic and historical nature, deals with works entitled anecdotes. Some one hundred texts are explored. All the different forms representative of this literary genre are presented. The anecdote, a minor literary genre, is nevertheless worth consideration because of its immense popularity in its time. The great amount of the reading material available made a selection necessary; hence the choice of texts that deal more specifically with historical aspects. The "high-hearted" anecdote often assumes a historical character and then adapts it to the requirements of fiction-writing. This work points to its origins and defines the context in which it functions. At this very point, the anecdote's aesthetic qualities, long unformulated, appear in full light. History is for the most part used to decorate and is rearranged to fit the literary convention. The literary anecdote which closely resembles tragedy, shows us how drama gives impulses to history. Despite its convention and complexity the anecdote was meant to "plaire et instruire". In fact, the secret love stories, the portraits of princes and kings, the illustration of the court, are not historically valid but adapted to convey a satirical and moral message. Throughout the eighteenth century the anecdote became more and more like a moral tale. Because it drew on real-life experience, the literary anecdote of the eighteenth century temporarily restored to the novel its verisimilitude and moral values. An analysis of the public’s reception permits to formulate the following conclusions: the anecdote satisfied the reader’s curiosity as well as their taste for scandal; but it was criticized for its betrayal of historical facts. This explains why the anecdote was short-lived literary genre.