Harlequinade Grotesque in Raymond Queneau’s Novel “My Friend Pierrot” (1942)

This article explores some of the most enigmatic aspects of Raymond Queneau’s novel “My Friend Pierrot” (1942), focusing on the unnamed crime that shapes the narrative structure as a detective story; the essence of the “Golden Age,” which serves as an object of nostalgia for the characters; the reason why Pierrot emerges as the protagonist; and the significance of the novel’s title. It is established that the “crime” refers to the arson of the Uni-Park — a metaphorical parallel to the Occupation of France from 1940 to 1944—while the “Golden Age” encompasses both the Belle Époque that preceded the First and Second World Wars and Queneau’s historical-philosophical concept of a “Golden Age.” The reason Pierrot becomes the main character lies in his archetypal and symbolic resonance within French culture and art during the Belle Époque: a favored figure among modernists, he epitomizes the artist of the New Era and embodies the French creative elite. The title of the novel alludes to a well-known French folk song that transformed into a lullaby in the 20th century: “my friend Pierrot,” where the lyrical protagonist requests a pen and candle in the name of God’s love — symbols of hope and inspiration during the Occupation. The authors also identify characteristics of Harlequin grotesque within the novel, representing a blend of sorrow and joy, high and low, creation and destruction.

Raymond Queneau, Harlequin, Pierrot, French novel, Belle Époque, Golden Age, grotesque, mask comedy