you see me?", "Who are you?", "What do you want?", "Where are you going?", "What are you looking for?". All these surreal episodes culminate in a nightmare in which the main character is judged and condemned by the decayed corpses of the old Roman Emperors and the pagan gods who deem him unworthy and deny him entry to the city. The opposition between the pagan Rome (Cécile) and the Christian one (the wife) is also central to the book. In this respect, it is extremely significant that, in several of the story's flashbacks, the main character is reading the letters of Julian the Apostate. As a matter of fact, he gradually realises that his love for Cécile is motivated only by his fascination for the mystery of Rome, a mystery that he will never be able to understand. Living with her in Paris would ruin everything, would make her lose her appeal since she was important only in that she introduced him to the secrets of the city. The novel can also be seen as a psychological case study. At the beginning of the book, the main character's determination and enthusiasm seem unshakable. However, Butor's extremely detailed and careful analysis of the slow, almost mechanical workings of doubt and fear make his eventual change of mind absolutely inevitable. Reception The novel won the prix Renaudot in 1957. See also Le Monde's 100 Books of the Century 1957 French novels Cultural depictions of Julian (emperor) Psychological novels Metafictional novels Novels set on trains Novels set in one day