Game, set and match! - A literary anthology of tennis

Description

With Jeu, set et match ! A Literary Anthology of Tennis, Nicolas Grenier takes a fresh look at tennis. Since the 19th century, tennis has conquered the entire planet. A sport for the aristocracy, the bourgeoisie... and the common people: a ball game, a game of palms, and a land of conquests to win over young ladies! Bad loser, good player or winning serve? A ball slams against the net, or into your nose...
For the last point of a tie-break, we throw away the racket! This is an unprecedented work in the history of French literature, opening up a whole new continent on the relationship between tennis and literature, from the 19th century to the interwar period. Literature, essays, poetry... theater and the press all feature in this sports anthology, for a fifth set, on the fly.
In all, the thirty-six texts, grouped into six chapters, deal with tennis, through its glory, its practice and its competitions in particular. Many of the great writers of French literature have played with tennis: Guy de Maupassant, Alphonse Daudet, Paul Bourget... Great names in humor: Georges Feydeau, Tristan Bernard, Franc-Nohain... Sports figures: Pierre de Coubertin, Suzanne Lenglen...
Famous writers before the Great War: René Bazin, Paul Margueritte, Jules Claretie. Last but not least, it's a chance to rediscover some little-known, charming and amusing writers.