A concise account of literature in French (including francophone literatures and recent French thought) from the Middle Ages to the 1990s, this text begins with a commentary of key developments in history, culture and thought. It offers an overview of the relationship between drama and social criticism, the birth of the novel, and feminist debates. The book also includes a discussion of major writers, setting them in their broader historical and literary context. Lesser-known writers are also introduced as a comparison, indicating instances where texts are ripe for critical attention. This particularly concerns women's writings, which are investigated in detail.