Commune (re-examined)

See also: Common

Commune was a weekly magazine cultural and more specifically literary which, in France, started to be published starting from July 12th, 1933 until August 1939.

Official body of AEAR (Association of the Writers and Revolutionary Artists), the review - near also to the French Communist party - tried to define what could be, in France, proletarian culture and literature. Primarily publishing extracts of novels or news, Commune also stuck to introduce in France the Soviet criticism, which worked out, under the aegis of UIER (International union of the Revolutionary Writers), stakes of a truly revolutionary Soviet literature, preceding the later definitions of the socialist Réalisme.

In these times of seduction with regard to the fellow travellers, the review nevertheless had integrated André Gide (almost of authority) in his Steering committee, which had however not adhered to the AEAR.

As from 1934, Commune undertook - generally under the feather of Russian criticisms - a systematic attack of the culture known as middle-class. However, the need for making face in front of the rise of the Fascisme led its leaders to adopt, about 1936, of the increasingly flexible positions with regard to contemporary authors rather little engaged such as Montherlant or Giraudoux and it to very lisiblement mean lisiblement their good will in the fight against Fascism.

Bibliographical resources

Bonnaud-Lamotte (D.) and Palayret (G.), " A new stage of Commune" ,
Bernard (J. - P.), the French Communist party and the literary question (1921-1939) , university Presses of Grenoble, 1972.

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