Degenerative Realism: Novel and Nation in Twenty-First-Century France

Degenerative Realism: Novel and Nation in Twenty-First-Century France (Columbia University Press) by French professor Christy Wampole examines a new trend in best-selling French novels that use the realist genre in a new style she calls “degenerative realism.” These novels represent a range fears— from immigration and demographic change to new technologies and globalization — that often provide the backdrop for the collapse of civilization.

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Three Princeton students stand outside East Pyne, modeling preppy clothing by JPress.
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June 2026

Ivy Style finds new life; University ‘pauses’ Trenton program; Princeton’s dating culture.