Les demeures de la « solitude de tête »: la hutte et le H.L.M.
The dwellings of the “solitude born in the brain”: the hut and the H.L.M.

Summary/Abstract: In the wake of Gaston Bachelard, this article examines the impact of the concept of "solitude born in the brain" on the notion of dreamers of houses. This expression, echoing Stendhal's "love born in the brain," highlights the significance of daydreaming. The hypothesis put forward is that such solitude leads to the formation of an archetypal house, a “dwelling born in the brain,” whatever the environment or the dreamer's experiences. To explore this premise, two novels featuring different protagonists in varied settings are analyzed: Banana Tourist by Georges Simenon (1938) and Southern Seas by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (1979). The conclusion suggests that Tahiti, as depicted by Simenon, is not inherently more exotic than a suburb of Barcelona, as illustrated by Vázquez Montalbán. Both a hut and a low-income residence serve as poetic images that primarily function to represent access to an absolute refuge. However, it is important to note that in reality, one cannot inhabit an imaginary construct.

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