From Surrealism to Less-Exquisite Cadavers - Leo Malet and the Evolution of the French Roman Noir

Michelle Emanuel’s groundbreaking study is particularly insightful in its treatment of Malet as a pioneer within the literary genre of the French roman noir while making sure to also focus on his surrealist roots.
Against the archetypes of Simenon’s Maigret and Christie’s Poirot, Burma is brash and streetwise, peppering his speech with colorful and evocative slang. As the reader’s tour guide, Burma highlights Paris’s forgotten past while providing insight to the Paris of (his) present, referencing both popular culture and contemporary issues. Malet’s innovation of setting a noir narrative in France serves as a catalyst for further change in the policier genre in France, including his contemporary Jean Amila, the néo-polar of Jean-Patrick Manchette, and the historical roman noir of Didier Daeninckx.