Roman a clef

Roman à clef is a term used for a genre of novels that portray real-life events under a veneer of fiction. These kinds of novels have been of particular interest due to the reality of their subject, often relating to the author themselves.

Let's find out more about roman à clef!

Roman à clef: definition

We must first consider the definition:

Characteristics

The term was first used by French author Madeleine De Scudéry to create a way in which she could include public figures, mainly members of Louis XIV's court, in her writings. These political figures became disguised in her narratives with altered attributes and pseudonyms (fictitious names), crucial characteristics of roman à clef novels.

Another important feature of the genre is the 'key', which is the relationship between the fictional and non-fictional aspects of the novel. Authors sometimes include an explicit guide, but in an effort to remain subtle, a metaphorical key can be implied, perhaps using an epigraph or other narrative techniques.

Roman à clef in literature

In literature, the genre creates a space for authors to speak freely through their writing whilst maintaining a level of anonymity where the line between fact and fiction can be blurred.

Types of roman à clef novels

Authors may choose to write a roman à clef for a plethora of reasons, due to the genre's adaptable form and its unique ability to provide a forum for sensitive, sometimes private, information without revealing the whole truth.

One of the most popular ways the genre has been used is in satire.

Satirical romans à clef often involve real-life people, particularly those in powerful positions, depicting actual events as well as sensitive information.

Using the roman à clef may help to protect an author from potentially dangerous consequences that could come from writing about powerful people, especially if the novel portrays them in a negative light or reveals certain details that were meant to remain hidden. Legally, authors can also use the genre to protect themselves from being prosecuted for libel by claiming their works to be fictionalised accounts, inspired by some aspects of real life rather than a non-fiction depiction.

Roman à clef also allows for artistic freedom. In adopting the form, authors may choose to adapt facts and meld them with fiction, creating a narrative that is more interesting and compelling to readers.

Writers can invoke creative licence by taking certain events, people or subjects from real life and adding some embellishments or bending them to fit into the narrative. Roman à clef novels create a façade of fiction that is more interesting for a writer to play around with rather than to transcribe a non-fiction account of what happened in reality.

In both of these cases, the roman à clef genre can protect authors by lending a level of protective ambiguity. In fictionalised accounts of real life, such as romans à clef, writers need not reveal which aspects of their works are fact and which are fiction.

Roman à clef: novel examples

Some of the most important and most celebrated novels of the 20th century are romans à clef. Let's consider some examples:

• Animal Farm (1945) by George Orwell. This famous novella is an allegorical narrative that depicts the 1917 Russian Revolution. Orwell transposes events from real life into the setting of a barnyard with animal characters resembling important figures, including Stalin, who Orwell particularly criticises.

• The Sun Also Rises (1926) by Ernest Hemingway. Like in much of his work, Hemingway draws from his personal experiences to create the narrative of this novel. His account of aimless American expats in Europe is somewhat based upon his own travels and observations about the Lost Generation and post-World War I society.

• The Bell Jar (1963) by Sylvia Plath. Initially published under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas, Plath's novel is said to be semi-autobiographical. The narrative's portrayal of the main character's struggles with depression and mental illness as a woman in 1960s America is based on Plath's own experiences.

• The Devil Wears Prada (2003) by Lauren Weisberger. This novel, now known most famously for its 2006 film adaptation, is based on Weisberger's own experiences with the elite members of the fashion industry in Manhattan, New York City. The titular 'devil' is based upon Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue, to whom Weisberger served as an assistant.