Machines à lire, the innovative book André Benhaim and I recently published in April 2025 and sponsored by Sewanee and Princeton, emerged from a decade of collaborative presentations at the 20th and 21st Century International French and Francophone Studies colloquia. We revolutionized the traditional academic panel by creating performances that blend rigorous scholarship with theatrical elements. Our guiding principle was to surprise audiences with conversation-like presentations that interweave our voices and texts into polyphonic readings of diverse creators—authors, filmmakers, and composers—united by common themes.

Our concept of "Machines" operates on dual levels: both as technological devices and theatrical "machinations." Translating these inherently oral, multimedia performances (which often incorporated audio clips, video projections, and physical props) into a written format presented a significant challenge. How could we capture on page the whimsical yet intellectually probing spirit that defined our live "machines"?

The solution emerged in the book's playfully subversive structure. Instead of following conventional academic organization with chapters in logical or critical sequence, we designed Machines à lire as a literary choose-your-own-adventure—deliberately evoking the gamebooks that captivated readers in the 1980s. This nostalgic yet innovative approach allowed us to create what we proudly call a "literary criticism gamebook"—perhaps the first of its kind.

As our back cover suggests, this book welcomes readers who appreciate playfulness, who love literature, and who dream of a more creative approach to literary criticism. Machines à lire creates unexpected dialogues between canonical authors (Flaubert, Maupassant, Proust, Camus) and contemporary figures like Pierre Michon and Eric Chevillard. More remarkably, it reveals surprising connections between these "high literary" works and popular culture—from beloved classics like The Little Prince to graphic novels (Lucky Luke, Gaston Lagaffe, Tintin, Asterix), iconic films (John Ford's Stagecoach), and diverse musical influences ranging from Georges Brassens and Jacques Brel to Debussy and lesser-known gems like Nino Ferrer.

The unconventional structure might initially seem disorienting—but as you navigate your own path through Machines à lire, the method behind our playful madness reveals itself, offering fresh perspectives on how cultural works converse across genres, periods, and traditions.