La Nouvelle Revue Française

Nouvelle Revue Française, La. The initials NRF on the cover of this famous French review have come to symbolize contemporary trends in literature, thought, and art. From its beginnings it has always been anxious to keep up the high standard of its contributions, maintaining its independence of any particular literary fashion, artistic school, or political slants, and jealously—though not always successfully—trying to guard its intellectual freedom. The NRF soon became a fundamental reference-point in the cultural scene, leading Otto Abetz, German ambassador in Paris, to state that: ‘Il y a trois forces en France: le communisme, la grande banque, et la NRF.’

The journal began seriously in 1909. The driving force behind the venture was Gide, who thought it was imperative that the new writing which was replacing Symbolism should have a mouthpiece, after the closure of the review L'Ermitage in 1908. The founder members were Schlumberger, Copeau, Marcel Drouin, André Ruyters, Ghéon, and Gide. They sought to encourage a new form of classical writing, sober, restrained, intelligent, rational, free from any constraints of ideology. The NRF encouraged new writers, and proved a magnet to those seeking acceptance into Parisian cultural life. It published extracts from new fiction, critical articles on art, music, ballet, and opera, and launched the careers of a whole host of writers, among whom were Romains, Giraudoux, Duhamel, Saint-John Perse, Thibaudet, Alain, and Ponge—to name but a few from an endless list. It failed to recognize the genius of Proust, however, and would have lost him but for Rivière. One of its important features was the Notes, where well-known critics and thinkers kept readers up to date with all that was new and fashionable on the cultural scene.

The blackest and most controversial period in its existence was during the Occupation, when the Germans wanted it to continue for propaganda purposes. Under the direction of Drieu la Rochelle, it became an instrument for collaborationist writing from 1940 to 1943, thus compromising its cherished ideal of freedom from ideology. Its contributors during this period included Giono, Jouhandeau, Fabre-Luce, Aymé, Montherlant, Gide himself, and Ramon Fernandez.

Having been associated with cultural collaboration, the famous review disappeared for a time, to rise again in 1953 with a new title, La Nouvelle Nouvelle Revue Française, once more directed by Paulhan aided by Marcel Arland. It has now reverted to its original title. It has tried to remain faithful to its original ideals. What has changed are the names of the contributors: Le Clezio, Lainé, Tournier, Sarraute …

[Ethel Tolansky]