Félix Fénéon

Luc Sante's introduction to his translation of Félix Fénéon's Novels in Three Lines includes some examples of these three-line "novels" or faits-divers. Here are a few:

Responding to a call at night, M. Sirvent, café owner of Caissargues, Gard, opened his window; a rifle shot destroyed his face.

The schoolchildren of Niort were being crowned. The chandelier fell, and the laurels of three among them were spotted with a little blood.

At five o'clock in the morning, M.P. Bouget was accosted by two men on Rue Fondary. One put out his right eye, the other his left. In Necker.

A dishwasher from Nancy, Vital Frérotte, who had just come back from Lourdes cured forever of tuberculosis, died Sunday by mistake.

Finding his daughter, 19, insufficiently austere, Jallat, watchmaker of Saint-Étienne, killed her. It is true that he has eleven children left.

These brief striking and grotesque pieces are comparable and bear a strong resemblance to the song summaries that Harry Smith created for each song he included in his Anthology of American Folk Music. A few examples:


For "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O" (a version of "Froggie Went A-Courtin'") - Zoologic miscegeny achieved in mouse frog nuptuals, relatives approve.


For "Ommie Wise" - Greedy girl goes to Adams Spring with liar; lives just long enough to regret it.

For "Kassie Jones" - Crack engineer Jones in fatal collision. Knew Alice Fry. Wife recalls symbolic dream, later consoles children.


For "Old Shoes and Leggins" - Mother hospitable, but girls find shoddy oldster's actions perverse.


Works by both of these writers show a flair for the newspaper headline, but also demonstrate how these one-liners can convey the universe working through self-imposed restrictions.