roman à clef

Definitions

A piece of fiction, especially a novel, describing real-life people or events.

Equivalents

Examples

“I want⟳ to emphasize that in this respect⟳ my account of romance differs substantially from both Annabel Patterson's argument that the primary purpose of roman à clef in early modern England was to avoid⟳ censorship and Michael McKeon's […]”

“In the end⟳, the fragmentary nature of the text and Dora's abrupt decision to terminate her treatment indicate⟳ that as a narrative technology, the roman à clef fails. This owes less to the particulars of the individual case, however, than to Freud's […]”

“However, I would argue⟳ that this feature of the roman à clef need⟳ not be characterized as an impediment to interpretation. If the layered address contained in novels that encrypt references to the 'real' is acknowledged as itself a characteristic […]”

CEFR level