L’aube des light novels en France

The purpose of this article is to determine the ins and outs of the first wave of translations of light novels in France. This Japanese category of fictional works has become an important part of contemporary Japanese popular culture, particularly in the early 2000s. However, up until now, French editors have not been successful in introducing this new genre. The study intends to discover the reasons why, through an examination of undertaken editorial choices as well as through the representative case of the translation of Suzumiya Haruhi no yūutsu. We will show the inherent difficulties involved in the import of light novels into a French cultural context – where literature remains institutionalized.