Nadja by André Breton (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

By Bright Summaries

Unlock the more straightforward side of Nadja with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of Nadja by André Breton, which tells the story of the author’s encounters with the titular character over a period of several days. The book stands out for its highly original style: it combines autobiographical and novelistic elements, incorporates a series of photographs and drawings alongside the text, and uses language in a highly unusual and inventive way. Nadja was first published in 1928 and is one of the most influential works of the French Surrealist movement, of which Breton was the leading figure. This movement flourished in the aftermath of the First World War, and sought to challenge conventions and conformism in literature, film, music and the visual arts. André Breton was a poet, novelist and essayist, and wrote dozens of books and essays, including The Surrealist Manifesto and The Magnetic Fields.

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This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

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• Language: English
• Publisher: BrightSummaries.com
• Release date: May 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9782806295897

Book preview

French Surrealist writer

Born in Tinchebray, France in 1896.

Died in Paris in 1966.

Notable works:

The Magnetic Fields (1920), book written with Philippe Soupault

Nadja (1928), novel

Mad Love (1937), novel

André Breton was born in Tinchebray, northwest France in 1896. He was a novelist, poet and essayist, and is best known for founding the Surrealist movement. In 1919, he created the review Littérature with his friends Philippe Soupault and Louis Aragon, in which he published the first ever Surrealist text, The Magnetic Fields. In 1924, he published the Surrealist Manifesto, which made him the de facto leader of the movement. Breton, who also wrote Nadja and Mad Love, was a member of the French Communist Party between 1927 and 1935. He died in Paris in 1966.

The Surrealist epic

Genre: novel

Reference edition: Breton, A. (1999) Nadja. Trans. Howard,