Resumen La metáfora “al borde del acantilado” fue utilizada por Roger Chartier en varias oportunidades para describir ya sea la crisis de la epistemología histórica, las obras de Michel Foucault o la relación entre la historia y la literatura. Tomando este último uso, el artículo invierte la mirada desde “el pie del acantilado” para mostrar de qué modo, tomando en cuenta una historia sociocultural, Chartier ha indagado ciertos textos literarios con un objetivo manifiesto: el proceso a través del cual lectores, espectadores u oyentes dan sentido a los textos que apropian. Ahora bien, ¿qué tipo de escala utiliza para medir “lo literario” en las diferentes obras que discute? El artículo expone los patrones de pensamiento, representación y materialidad que Chartier intersecciona al extraer una especificidad para lo que podría denominarse un “hecho literario” compuesto, esencialmente, de prácticas de producción, de difusión y recepción de textos.

Abstract The metaphor “at the edge of the cliff” has been used by Roger Chartier on several occasions to describe either the crisis of historical epistemology, the works of Michel Foucault or the relationship between history and literature. Taking this last use, the article reverses the gaze from “the foot of the cliff” to show how, taking into account a sociocultural history, Chartier has investigated certain literary texts with a clear objective: the process through which readers, spectators or listeners give meaning to the texts they appropriate. Now, what kind of scale does he use to measure “the literary” in the different works he discusses? The article exposes the patterns of thought, representation and materiality that Chartier intersects in extracting specificity for what could be called a “literary fact” composed, essentially, of practices of production, dissemination and reception of texts.

Resumo "L'espèce de journal" deixado por Marie Du Bois (1601-1679) parece se situar na categoria “escritos do foro íntimo”, mas é utilizado neste artigo para questionar o fundamento dessa categoria. Partindo da pergunta sobre as perspectivas de transmissão presentes neste texto, trata-se de medir sua capacidade de assegurar a presença distanciada de uma experiência. Mas a percepção desta presença recoloca a questão sobre o ato de leitura que somos capazes de produzir, a três séculos e meio de distância. A partilha do sentido como presença do passado - a impressão de “ver” o que é contado - depende de escolhas de escrita operadas pelo autor, cuja eficácia atravessa o tempo: diálogos, narrativas “romanescas”, traços autobiográficos. Assim, é a relação entre testemunho e literatura, abordada a partir da noção de “sociedade na literatura”, que postula uma continuidade situada, ou seja, historicamente observável.

Abstract “L’espèce de journal” written by Marie Du Bois (1601-1679) is usually placed in the category of “intimate writings”, but in this paper it is used to interrogate the fundamentals of this category of writing. Questioning the perspectives of transmission present in this text, this article looks at the measurement of the capacity of this kind of writing to assure the distant presence of an experience. Nevertheless, the perception of this presence involves the question of which act of reading are we capable of producing at three and a half centuries distance. The sharing of meaning as the presence of the past - the feeling of “seeing” what is being narrated - depends on the writing choices operated by the author, whose efficacy traverses time: dialogues, “romantic” narratives, autobiographic traits. Therefore, it is the relationship between testimony and literature, approached from the idea of “society in literature”, which postulates a located - or historically observable - continuity.

Résumé “L’espèce de journal” laissé par Marie Du Bois (1601-1679) semble relever de la catégorie “écrits du for privé”, mais il est d’abord utilisé dans cet article pour remettre en cause le bien-fondé de cette catégorie. Partant de la question des visées de transmission présentes dans ce texte, il s’agit de prendre la mesure de sa capacité à assurer la présence à distance d’une expérience. Mais la perception de cette présence renvoie à la question de l’acte de lecture que nous sommes capables de produire à trois siècles et demi de distance. Le partage du sens comme présence du passé, l’impression de “voir” ce qui est raconté, dépend des choix d’écriture opérés par l’auteur dont l’efficacité traverse le temps : dialogues, narrations “romanesques”, traits autobiographiques. C’est ainsi le rapport entre témoignage et littérature qui se trouve abordé à travers la mise en avant de la notion de “société à littérature” qui postule une continuité située, c’est-à-dire observable historiquement.