is a collection of

poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

by French author

Boris Vian Boris Vian (; 10 March 1920 – 23 June 1959) was a French polymath who is primarily remembered for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan were bizarre parodies of criminal fiction, highly controversial at the time of th ...

, published posthumously in

1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...

Background

The set of 23 poems was first published by the famed publisher Jean-Jacques Pauvert, three years after the death of Vian in

1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...

and at a time when his literary stock was rising on the heels of the publication of ''Romans et Nouvelles'' and the re-publication of '' L'Écume des jours''. The collection is named for the title of the first poem; the manuscript has no title. The poems, many of which deal with tragedy and death, were written in 1951-51, when Vian was undergoing marital, financial, and creative difficulties. They are often discussed as if they are autobiographical. In the edition edited by

Noël Arnaud Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places * Noel, Missouri, United States, a city *Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community * Noel Park, a suburb in Greater London, Engl ...

(first published in 1972 and republished in 1989), the poems are followed by four letters (written between 1953 and 1959) to the College of

'Pataphysics 'Pataphysics () is a sardonic "philosophy of science" invented by French writer Alfred Jarry (1873–1907) intended to be a parody of science. Difficult to be simply defined or pinned down, it has been described as the "science of imaginary solut ...

, the

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

ian philosophical group of artists and writers dedicated to the study of what lies beyond

metaphysics Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is traditionally seen as the study of mind-independent features of the world, but some theorists view it as an inquiry into the conceptual framework of ...

. Also included are two brief texts by Vian on literature and the role of the writer.

The influence of ''Je voudrais pas crever''

The book has proven inspirational for many French artists, especially singers.

Serge Reggiani Serge Reggiani (born Sergio Reggiani; 2 May 1922 – 23 July 2004) was an Italian-French actor and singer. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and moved to France with his parents at the age of eight. After studying acting at the Conservato ...

, one of the most influential French

chanson A (, ; , ) is generally any Lyrics, lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval music, medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of ...

niers of the 1960s, sang

songs and also recorded ''Je voudrais pas crever''. In 2001, for instance, ''

Libération (), popularly known as ''Libé'' (), is a daily newspaper in France, founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968 in France, May 1968. Initially positioned on the far left of Fr ...

'' published a full-length article on the French band

Eiffel Eiffel may refer to: Places * Eiffel Tower, in Paris, France, designed by Gustave Eiffel *:* Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel station, Metro station serving the Eiffel Tower * Eiffel Bridge, Ungheni, Moldova, designed by Gustave Eiffel * Eiffel Bri ...

, whose leader, Romain Humeau, claims Vian's book was the inspiration for their 2000 album ''Abricotine''.

''Je voudrais pas crever'' in 2009

In 2009, fifty years after Vian's death, a wave of books about him and his work as well as re-issues of his books (including no fewer than thirty-three

Le Livre de Poche Le Livre de Poche (literally "The Pocket Book") is the name of a collection of publications which first appeared on 9 February 1953 under the leadership of and published by the , a subsidiary of Hachette. In terms of its influence on the mains ...

editions) proved that Vian is more popular than ever, as the French magazine ''

Le Point ''Le Point'' () is a French weekly political and conservative news magazine published in Paris. It is one of the three major French news magazines. ''Le Point'' was founded in 1972 by former journalists of ''L'Express'' and quickly rose to be ...

'' stated; one of the new books is a reissue of ''Je voudrais pas crever'', illustrated by Jacques de Loustal and others. The book is dedicated to the French illustrator Martin Matje, and was accompanied by an exhibition in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Editions

* * Reprinted 1989. * *

Secondary literature

*Alistair Rolls, "Boris Vian's ''Je voudrais pas crever'': The Breaking of the Spine," in

References

{{Boris Vian 1962 poetry books French poetry collections Works by Boris Vian