SOURCE: Hoffman, Edward J. “Prose.” In Alain Chartier: His Work and Reputation, pp. 138-98. New York: Wittes Press, 1942.

In the following essay, Hoffman offers a critical overview of Chartier's prose works, providing an analysis of his reputation among critics, comparisons to other writers, and an assessment of his influence.

Chartier's reputation as a prose writer did not fluctuate as much as his reputation as a poet. While his stately and eloquent prose once elicited the most unbridled enthusiasm, today, when it is still highly esteemed, one sees that enthusiasm tempered somewhat by a critical analysis of its style and an examination of its qualities in the light of literary history. It is found to sin on the side of over-emphasis, of declamation and of pedantry. On the other hand, Chartier's contribution to the development of French prose as a medium of serious expression is universally recognized and there...