L’enquête dans le récit contemporain, une représentation esthétique du labyrinthe

Abstract

Contemporary narrative features a number of investigative authors who are part of a dynamic of inquiry : investigations in archives, both genealogical and judicial, field research, testimony gathering, trial chronicles. The labyrinth motif not only blurs the lines of enquiry, demonstrating how difficult it is to grasp reality, but also renews the territories of fiction and non-fiction. In this article, we show how contemporary authors engaged in a quest for missing persons or the unveiling of a truth, use the labyrinth motif in their investigative narratives. The labyrinth motif expresses the complexity of the investigations carried out by the authors in their role as investigators. In this way, the labyrinth becomes a metaphor for the authors' creative work, in contact with past and present time.