Tropismes, a collection of brief sketches and memories, established the foundation for the literary career of Nathalie Sarraute upon its 1939 publication. Born in 1900 in Ivanovo, Russia, Sarraute navigated a life split between her birth country and France, eventually emerging as a central figure in the Nouveau Roman movement that dismantled traditional narrative structures of character and plot.
Early Life and Legal Career
Born Natalia Ilinichna Tcherniak, she moved to Paris with her father in 1909. Her education included studies at Lycée Fénelon and the Sorbonne, alongside periods at the University of Oxford and in Berlin. She qualified as a lawyer in 1926, practicing until 1941. During the Vichy regime, she was barred from the bar due to antisemitic laws and entered hiding. She married fellow lawyer Raymond Sarraute in 1925, and the couple had three daughters.
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Sarraute became a prominent voice in the Nouveau Roman movement, a trend seeking to transform the conventions of the novel. Her 1956 essay collection, The Age of Suspicion, served as a core manifesto for this movement. She collaborated with figures including Alain Robbe-Grillet, Marguerite Duras, and Michel Butor to challenge the traditional reliance on stable characters and linear progression, favoring the depiction of internal psychological phenomena.
Literary Contributions and Drama
Her prominence grew with the 1948 release of Portrait of a Man Unknown, which Jean-Paul Sartre described as an anti-novel. While initially noted only by literary insiders, her work gained broader reach after she received the 1963 Prix international de littérature for The Golden Fruits. Beyond prose, she authored six plays, including Le Silence, Le Mensonge, and Elle est là. Her memoir, Childhood, was published in the 1980s and later adapted for Broadway.
Later Years and Legacy
Throughout her career, Sarraute published numerous novels, including The Planetarium, Between Life and Death, and her final work, Here, published in 1995. Her writings have been translated into over 30 languages. She received the Grand prix national des Lettres in 1982. Sarraute passed away in 1999 in the 16th arrondissement of Paris and is buried in Chérence.
Fast facts
- Born: 1900, Ivanovo, Russia
- Died: 1999, 16th arrondissement of Paris
- Education: Lycée Fénelon, Sorbonne
- Notable Movement: Nouveau Roman
- First Book: Tropismes (1939)
- Languages: French and Russian
- Prix Formentor: 1964
- Grand prix national des Lettres: 1982
Questions readers ask
What was the Nouveau Roman movement?
It was a literary trend that sought to radically transform traditional narrative models by abandoning conventional character development and plot structures in favor of psychological interiority.
Did Sarraute only write novels?
No, while primarily known as a novelist and essayist, she also authored six plays between 1963 and 1993 and practiced as a lawyer for many years.
