MarcelThiebaultnotedthatTristesTropiqueswasoneofthemost 'passionate'bookstoappearinalongtime;7JeanDuvignaudargued

thatTristesTropiquesfulfilledaliteraryfunctionbyprovidingthe

periodwithitsmyths;8andMichelLeirisnoteditsformalliterary

qualities,commentingthat'Written,apparentlyinfitsandstartsand withoutregardtospatialortemporalunity...thisworkhas,infact,a strictarchitecture.' 9Butitwas,perhaps,GeorgesBataillewhomost

clearlycapturedtheliteraryaspectsofTristesTropiques.Levi-Strauss,

hewrote,'expresseshereallofhisemotions,and,ifhesometimesgives

factualobservations...itislesstoexposetheresultsofamethodologicalworkthantoexpressemotions,whichinhismindareassociated withthem.>IO

ThisnotionthatTristesTropiqueswasaliteraryworkwasappa-

rentlysharedbythe1955juryforthePrixGoncourt,whichissaidto haveopenlyregrettedthatthebook'sofficialnonfictiondesignation preventedthemfromgivingittheirprestigiousaward.11Levi-Strauss, himself,hasadmittedthatheconstructedtheworkfromtheashesof anunfinishednovel,whichhehadattemptedtowriteuponhisreturn

fromBrazilinFebruary1939.Allthatremainsoftheoriginalisthe

titleandalyricaldescriptionofasunset,12buthehasclaimedthatin

writingtheworkheoperatedlikeanoperaticcomposerandthat variousaspectsofTristesTropiquesmaybecomparedtorecitatives,

arias,andorchestralinterludes. 13Ina1945interviewhewentquite

farinadmittingtheliteraryqualitiesofthework:

Thisbook?Avacationfromscience?Yes,inasense,butnotexactly

turningmybackonscience.Ratheradaptingforonceaperspective whichiscomplementarytothatwhichitimposesonus.Theethno-

grapherislikeaphotographercondemnedtouseatelephotolens;

heonlyseesthenatives,andheseesthemintheminutestdetail.