Imiter Dickens ? L’autre face du réalisme anglais dans Les Nuits d’octobre

This article is an attempt to reread how Nerval’s reference to Dickens works: Nerval’s narrator suggests that reading a paper by Dickens gives the impetus to his exploration of the Parisian slums, but indeed he discards rather quickly this so-called “realistic” frame to take on a digressive journey where the power of dream is opposed to objective examination. This dynamic is often interpreted as a criticisme. However, it contributes to the narrator’s attempt to mix reality and dream.