ABSTRACT
Monsieur resembles the traditional novel more closely, which means that its quirky departures from classical form are more intriguing and artful. If the manner and method of such writers stand in stark contrast to the light touch and thematic légéreté d'étre of Jean-Philippe Toussaint's writing, be assured that these stylistic traits are deceptive. The philosophical perspectives are constantly opened up by his original blend of punning, precise observation, and cool detachment. In French, "Monsieur" is a common way of addressing someone in the third person. In Monsieur, Toussaint often employs what in contemporary French rhetoric is called an épiphrase. As in all of Toussaint's novels, Monsieur is sprinkled with allusions to scientific theories obliquely pertinent to the author's style and overall approach. Love-making, for example, imperceptibly turns into sexual intercourse, as the man and woman's affection for each other diminishes.
